Heritage Toronto is an agency of the Municipal Government of Toronto that seeks to promotes public awareness, understanding, and appreciation of Toronto's cultural, architectural, archaeological, and natural heritage.[1] It is located in St. Lawrence Hall.
Governance
editHeritage Toronto was established as the Toronto Historical Board by the former Toronto City Council in 1960. In 1999, the name was changed to Heritage Toronto.[1]
Heritage Toronto is governed by a board of 23 members, appointed by City Council. The Board is made up of 21 public members, including one member from the Aboriginal community, one City Council member, and the Mayor or Council member-designate. The Board elects the Chair and Vice-Chair among its own members.[1]
Programming
editTours
editFrom late Spring through October, Heritage Toronto offers walking, bicycle and bus tours around the city. These tours travel over hundreds of kilometers and explore parks, well-known landmarks, and historical neighborhoods through Toronto.[2] Tours are driven by volunteers, community partners, and an annual cohort of Emerging Historians.[3]
Historical Plaques
editSeeking to educate and enlighten the public about Toronto's past, Heritage Toronto's Historical Plaques tell stories of people, places, or events that monumental to Toronto's history.[2][4] Anyone may apply for a Heritage Toronto plaque so long as the applicant can secure funding for the plaque. They also sell plaques for Century Houses - homes that are over 100 years old. [4]
Heritage Toronto Awards
editBeginning in 1974, the Heritage Toronto awards have been held annually to celebrate individuals, organizations, and the projects they create.[5] Nomination categories include the Book Award, for first edition non-fiction books related to Toronto's shared past and peoples' lived experiences;[6] the Build Heritage Award, dedicated to heritage conservation and adaptive reuse on historical property or architecture;[7] and the Public History Award, awarded to projects that promote Toronto's history. Previous winners of the Public History Award have included documentary films, digital exhibitions, public art, and walking tours.[8]
Equity Heritage Initiative
editIn 2025, Heritage Toronto launched the Equity Heritage Initiative, which seeks to provide mentorship and paid work to emerging historians from under-represented communities, as well as supporting new programming and community partnerships.[2][9]
Lectures[citation needed]
edit| Year | Lecturer | Lecture Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Robert Fulford | The Invention of Toronto – A City Defined by its Artists |
| 1997 | John Ralston Saul | Toronto and the Idea of the Public Good |
| 1998 | Ursula Franklin | Citizen Politics: Advocacy in the Urban Habitat |
| 1999 | George Baird | Needed: An Urban Vision for Toronto, Again |
| 2000 | Robert Fung & Michael Kirkland | Our Last Best Chance: Realizing a Century Old Dream |
| 2001 | N/A | No lecture this year |
| 2002 | David Crombie | The Idea of Toronto |
| 2003 | Sean Conway | Toronto as a Capital: Fence Posts and Fingerprints, the Growth of our Democracy |
| 2004 | Adrienne Clarkson | Green Thoughts in a Green Shade: The Making of a Good City |
| 2005 | John Honderich | Creative Toronto: Isn't It About Time? |
| 2006 | Bruce Kuwabara | Toronto's Cultural Renascence: Revival or Survival |
| 2007 | David Mirvish | The Night of Nights: The History of Theatre in Toronto |
| 2008 | John Campbell | A Shore Thing: The Future of Toronto's Waterfront |
| 2009 | Albert Schultz | The Great Toronto Roast |
| 2010 | Peter Oundjian | "Notes" on Toronto |
| 2011 | Cameron Bailey | Toronto in Focus: A City of Festivals |
| 2012 | Chief Bryan Laforme | A Layered City |
| 2013 | Gail Dexter Lord | Building Heritage With Innovation |
| 2014 | Jack Diamond | Toronto 1974-2014: A Challenge from the Field |
| 2015 | Rahul K. Bhardwaj | On Being Nice: Turning Compassion into Our Competitive Advantage |
| 2016 | Steven High | Our Industrial Heritage |
Special projects
editSounds Like Toronto
editSounds Like Toronto was an online exhibit launched in 2021, and was largest digital project by Heritage Toronto. It consisted of 35 stories featuring artists and venues that epitomized Toronto’s music history, and combined exclusive audio and video interviews, 3D objects, and interactive tours, hoping to impart a better understanding of the city's shared music heritage and the broader social issues that have defined Canadian cultural history.[citation needed]
State of Heritage Report
editReleased every four years to coincide with Toronto municipal elections, the State of Heritage Report provides a picture of the current state of heritage in Toronto, lays out goals for strengthening the heritage sector and provides recommendations to the Mayor, City Council, senior staff and decision makers to improve heritage management. Prior to the release of the State of Heritage Report, Heritage Toronto hosts the Heritage Matters Mayoral Candidates Debate.[citation needed]
References
edit- 1 2 3 Toronto, City of (2017-08-25). "Heritage Toronto". City of Toronto. Retrieved 2026-06-26.
- 1 2 3 "Programs - Heritage Toronto". https://www.heritagetoronto.org/. Retrieved 2026-06-26.
{{cite web}}: External link in|website= - ↑ "Tours". https://www.heritagetoronto.org/. Retrieved 2026-06-26.
{{cite web}}: External link in|website= - 1 2 "Plaques". https://www.heritagetoronto.org/. Retrieved 2026-06-26.
{{cite web}}: External link in|website= - ↑ "Heritage Toronto Awards - Heritage Toronto". https://www.heritagetoronto.org/. Retrieved 2026-06-26.
{{cite web}}: External link in|website= - ↑ "Heritage Toronto Book Award 2026 Nomination Criteria" (PDF). 2026-Book-Criteria. Retrieved 2026-06-26.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Heritage Toronto Build Heritage Awards 2026 Nomination Criteria" (PDF). Retrieved 2026-06-26.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Heritage Toronto Public History Award 2026 Nomination Criteria" (PDF).
- ↑ "Equity Heritage Initiative". https://www.heritagetoronto.org/. Retrieved 2026-06-26.
{{cite web}}: External link in|website=
External links
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