Blog Archives
Belfountain Heritage Society
Public Programming:
Exhibitions
- The Melville White Church reflects the religious beliefs of the original Scottish Presbyterian pioneers in the Caledon area. The Church was named after Andrew Melville who was an early follower of John Wesley, the founder of the Presbyterian Church in Scotland in the 17th century.
- The Melville Church is one of the last remaining Ontario timber frame churches predating the Victorian era. Its history began in 1820 and continued until the dissolution of the congregation in 1964.
Other
Once restored, the society will rent the Melville White Church for weddings, recitals, heritage displays, readings, exhibits and other community functions.
Scarborough Historical Society
Conservation / Preservation:
Archives / Library
The Scarborough Historical Society’s archival collection includes city newspapers, local newspapers, heritage photographs, maps, microfilm, books, Scarborough Board of Education records, census information, local genealogies, and cemetery records.
Public Programming:
Public Lectures
Regular guest speakers that speak at various locations supported by the Scarborough Historical Society.
Spadina Museum
Public Programming:
Exhibitions
- Originally built in 1866 on the foundation of an early Baldwin family house, the estate was enlarged and remodeled by Albert Austin between 1898 and 1913, reflecting the changing times and tastes of the Austin family over three generations.
- The historic house illustrates the evolution of styles from mid-Victorian to 1930s Colonial Revival and includes items from both the Arts and Crafts and Aesthetic Movements, as well as items in the Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles.
- The rooms contain furniture purchased by the family, much of it made in Toronto. The influence of new technologies such as gas lighting, central heating, electricity and the telephone can be seen here.
- The life of the domestic staff is represented in the working kitchen and pantries and third floor accommodations. The most visible reminders of the former Baldwin house are the previous front door, sidelights and fanlight, which now form the back entrance.
Tours
- Meet the Austins: A Toronto Family Between the Wars
Education
Spadina Museum offers a range of elementary, secondary and post-secondary education programs.
Children’s programs include March Break and Summer camps, and birthday parties.
Adult hands-on workshops on a variety of topics are scheduled throughout the year.
Events
The museum offers a range of special events throughout the year including Mother’s Day, Doors Open (last weekend of May), Gatsby Garden Party in June, City Cider in September, and seasonal programming in November/December including the Ongoing Adventures of Flashman, a live radio play.
Other
The 6 acre Spadina Museum site includes lawns, orchards, restored garden beds and many large heritage trees. The grounds are open free of charge to the public when staff are on site.
Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum
Public Programming
Exhibitions:
- The Museum operates under the auspices of, and is managed by, a Board of Governors appointed by the Ontario Soccer Association.
- It offers a unique collection of over 5000 artifacts that relate to people, teams and competitions from across Canada throughout the last century.
- Some of these artifacts include soccer trophies and championship cups, soccer balls, 1904 Olympic gold medal, photographs, jerseys, historical information about past soccer players.
Digital: Virtual Exhibits and Virtual Hall of Fame outlining pioneers, organization of distinction, teams of distinction, builders and players.
Sesquicentennial Museum and Archives
Conservation/Preservation:
Archives / Library
- Records and manuscripts from 1847 to present.
- Historical collection of publications such as yearbooks, newspaper clippings, board of education minutes, annual reports, newsletters, report cards.
- Vertical files and pamphlets.
- Broadside collection, audio-visuals.
Artefacts
- Fine arts collection (20th century; Canadian Inuit; modern-historical period; prints, drawings, and sculpture).
- Classroom artefacts relating to many aspects of the curriculum including ceremonial objects, communications devices, electricity.
- Furniture / furnishings, household objects, imaging, photographs, video, medals, military history and technology, oral history, sports equipment, toys and games, medals, trophies, musical instruments.
Public Programming:
Exhibitions
- The museum is housed in a neo-classical inspired building dating back to 1915.
- The first floor of the former Toronto Board of Education administrative office houses a restored boardroom, now an education museum. Adjacent to the boardroom, the original walnut paneled Trustees’ Committee Room functions as an additional display area and researchers’ reading room.
- Displays include furniture of the Board and school classrooms, textiles, and tapestries.
Tours
Guided Tours offered in English.
Educational Programming
Classes or workshops and lectures.
Sculptors Society of Canada
Public Programming:
Exhibitions
Founded by some of the most prestigious sculptors in Canadian art history, this society has been exhibiting and raising the profile of sculpture in Canada for more than 88 years. It continuously adds new exhibitions to its gallery and there is always something on display. The gallery showcases members’ works on a rotating monthly basis. A list of past, current and upcoming exhibits can be found on its website.
Adhering to its educational mandate, the SSC organizes and sponsors “Juried Graduating (BFA, BA, Diploma, Certificate) Sculpture Student Exhibition” and “juried Emerging Sculptors Exhibition”, annually.
The SSC is also co-founder of the John B. Aird Gallery (celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2015), Macdonald Block, 900 Bay St. Toronto ON, where it holds the annual membership exhibition.
Tours
Walking tours available, studio and gallery tours.
Other
Professional development workshops, artist talks, and guest lectures.
York University Computer Museum
Conservation/Preservation:
Archives
The archives and special collections focus on specific companies,
computer pioneers and entrepreneurs,social, cultural, and technological issues and events (such as the computer hobby movement, computer clubs,computing networking, publishing, retail, education, computer hardware, software, and infrastructure).
Artefacts
- Computer hardware such as, microcomputer systems, their peripherals, and components.
- Computer software on various storage media (such as magnetic tapes and disks, floppy diskettes, paper tapes, punched cards, CDRoms, audio cassettes) and in human-readable form.
- Documents, brochures, drawings, manuals, guides, catalogues, reports, corporate documents, research papers, books, articles, newsletters and other publications.
- Promotional materials and photographs.
- Oral histories.
Public Programming:
Education
Seminars are held on themes related to the development and introduction of computer and information technologies in Canada. The museum organizes exhibits, tours, and outreach programs.
Museum’s resources are accessible to researchers, students, educators, and the media.
Online
A virtual tour is available to provide a brief presentation of some
computer hardware designed and/or manufactured in Canada, as well as other computer related materials. Another virtual exhibit is offered which provides photographs of computer technologies at York University during the 1970s.
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.
Heritage Mississauga
Conservation/Preservation:
Library
The ‘Heritage Resource Centre’ which is located at the main office, includes materials in relation to local history, historical geography, and historical publications. The resource centre also has access to Ancestry.ca and Toronto Star: Pages of the Past.
Public Programming:
Education
Researchers visiting the Heritage Resource Centre can be provided with assistance to aid them in their community research projects and genealogical research. Consultations with historians can be arranged through Heritage Mississauga to provide additional guidance.
Plaques
Heritage Mississauga has undertaken several interpretative plaque projects throughout the City of Mississauga. The plaques begin as comprehensive special research projects that document the history of specific parts of Mississauga’s heritage.
Education
A multitude of outreach programs and public presentations occur each year with various historical themes pertaining to Canadian and Mississauga’s history. Past presentations include, Remembering the AVRO Arrow, Journey to the Past: The Lost Villages of Mississauga, A Call to Arms: Historical Mississauga and the War. Heritage Mississauga also includes educational programs for schools focused on curriculum-based themes.
Tours
Heritage Mississauga offers seasonal guided bus tours around historic Mississauga. The bus tours include walking visits to specified locations. Special tours are also organized such as Haunted Mississauga.