Last weekend, sites across the city opened their doors to the public as part of Doors Open Toronto—an annual two-day event that invites people to visit sites of architectural, social, historical and cultural importance in the city that are typically not open to the public. And as we have every year since the start of this initiative in 2000, the TSA put together a roster of special programs that celebrated and explored our built environment through tours, talks, and other activities. Thank you to the over 8,000 attendees who participated in this year’s TSA festivities!

The weekend kicked off with not just one but two different TSA tours, which explored the hidden histories of the St. Lawrence and Church and Wellesley Neighbourhoods. While it was a rainy start to the festivities, that didn’t stop dozens of Torontonians from joining on walks and learning more about their city. In total, the TSA led 9 different tour groups, led by tour guides Kurtis Chen, Rania Matta, Vikkie Chen, and Joël León Danis.

As always, the Open Studio program was a festival highlight with 14 studios in 11 different locations opening their doors to the public. Attendees were able to spend some time with the people helping shape our city and take a peek into the process of how buildings go from ideas to reality. Many of the studios organized kids’ activities, finding ways of sharing their passion for architecture with even the youngest of attendees.

Capping off this eventful weekend was one of the TSA's most popular forums, Architects Talk, a yearly collaboration between the TSA and the City of Toronto reflecting on Doors Open Toronto’s annual theme.