HVACR Heritage Centre Canada

Conservation / Preservation:

Archives / Library

Paper records include HVAC related catologues and magazines.

Artefacts

Holdings include over 350 heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration parts from the 1920s to the 1960s. The website lists the archival and artifact holdings.

Public Programming:

Digital

Website also includes an on-line exhibition on the effects of refrigeration entitled Chilling Out.

Textile Museum of Canada

Conservation / Preservation:

Artefacts

12,000 artefacts documenting 2,000 years of textile history from all over the world, including fabrics, ceremonial cloths, garments, carpets, and quilts.

Public Programming:

Exhibits

  • Themed exhibits based on the Museum’s permanent collection of historical garments, rugs, and other textiles, representing a variety of world cultures.
  • Travelling exhibits based on the permanent collection created in partnership with other cultural institutions.
  • Exhibits of the works of Canadian and international textile artists that illuminate contemporary life.

 Online Resources

  • Three online exhibits of digital artwork, Canadian cultural diversity, and Mexican, Central and South American cultural history, as seen through cloth.
  • Online image gallery of the permanent collection, searchable by keyword, artefact type, geographical region, nationality, material, and technique.

Library

H.N. Pullar Library offers an extensive collection of publications (books, journals, DVDs, videos) and subject files dealing with non- industrial textiles from around the world.

education

This museum offers educational programming for students of all levels, including undergraduate students. Fibrespace is an interactive exhibit where school classes (as well as adults) can learn about textiles while working with fabrics. Social Fabric, an online exhibit, allowed students to generate content while engaging in research of textiles.

Mackenzie House

Conservation/Preservation:

Artefacts

Nineteenth century furniture and household items, as well as printing shop artefacts including a printing press built in 1845.

Architecture

The Mackenzie House is a nineteenth century home which was once part of a terrace of houses. The house was constructed with a Greek Revival style between 1855 and 1858.

Public Programming

Programming includes walking tours of the downtown core, historic cooking and printing workshops, and special programs such as Hogmanay, Robbie Burns, Doors Open and Nuit Blanche. Mackenzie House participates in city-wide programs such as Luminato, Pride Week/Month and Contact Photography Festival. The site often partners with outside community groups to present programming and exhibits such as Archives of Ontario, Ryerson University and the Downtown Yonge BIA.

EXHIBITIONS

A modern gallery space hosts changing exhibitions covering different historical themes, such as William Lyon Mackenzie’s life,  Christmas in Toronto, In the Footsteps of Black Victorians, The History of the Black Press, Contact Photography Festival photos, and Read All About It: The First World War as Front Page News.

Tours

Mackenzie House offers guided tours of the historic house and re-created print shop.

Educational Programming

Mackenzie House offers curriculum based education programs for elementary, intermediate and high school and specialized programs for University and College students. Each are designed to complement a particular grade school curriculum, including the Grade 7 Rebellion program, Mackenzie’s Toronto walking tour, Black Press and Green Fields of Canada: the Impact of the Potato Famine on the City of Toronto.