Heritage Toronto Annual Report 2015 *TABLE OF *BOARD OF CONTENTS DIRECTORS 2 About Heritage Toronto Kate Marshall, Chair Councillor Mary 3 Letter from the Executive Richard Moorhouse, Fragedakis Director & Chair of the Board Vice Chair Councillor Mike Layton John Belyea, Audit & Peter Berton PROGRAMS Finance Chair Lisa Brown 4 Tours Dr. Ross Fair, Plaques & Abena Buahene 6 Plaques & Markers Markers Chair Jeffrey Clayman 8 Awards & Kilbourn Lecture Tyler Greenleaf, Fund Louis Kan 10 Cultural Heritage Programming Development Chair Dr. Sean Kheraj 12 Lectures Andrew Himel, Donald Loucks 13 State of Heritage Report Programming Chair Brent Pearlman Kadi Kaljuste, Allan Penning GET INVOLVED Marketing & Kevin Plummer 14 Marketing & Promotion Communications Chair Jennifer Roy 15 Members Paul Litt, Conservation Dr. Ellen Scheinberg 15 Volunteers & Education Chair Linda Strachan 16 Experiential Education Councillor Sarah Karen Whaley 17 Heritage Toronto Staff Doucette 18 Financial Summary Councillor Paula 19 Sponsors & Donors Fletcher *ABOUT HERITAGE TORONTO Heritage Toronto is a charitable arms-length agency of the City of Toronto established in 1949 to promote a greater appreciation for the city’s rich architectural, cultural, archaeological and natural heritage. Through partnerships with local community groups and volunteers, Heritage Toronto provides city-wide programs and services. 2 Heritage Toronto Annual Report 2015 *LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CHAIR OF THE BOARD Every organization is, at its most the Tours Program and a key factor in the fundamental level, just a group of people success of the Heritage Toronto Awards for working together towards a common many years. goal. While the mission and vision of the organization should remain clear As a City Agency, our Board of Directors and constant, its short term objectives appointments are timed to match the and actions evolve to face the current City elections process. So this year we bid environment and, just as important, to farewell and thank you to twelve retiring reflect the values and personalities of Board members (roughly half of the Board), the individuals who comprise the group and welcomed a new group of eleven at a given moment in time. From the Directors who will take us forward through Chair of the Board, to frontline staff and this term of City government. This includes, volunteers delivering services to the of course, a new Board Chair and Vice Chair, public, the successful blending of these among those who we are very pleased to personal elements is what creates a healthy call our new colleagues. corporate culture, the glue that keeps us all headed in the same direction. From the very positive results we are proud to announce in this Annual Report, you will At Heritage Toronto, this year has been see that this 2015 “people transition” has one of welcoming many new people to the occurred smoothly and successfully. The organization and learning to work together. Board recently refreshed the Strategic Plan Of our seven staff, we have a new Executive that will guide all our combined efforts in Director and new Program Coordinators the coming period. Following this guide for Plaques and Markers, Marketing and map, and harnessing the skills, creativity Development, and (very soon), Community and networks of our new Heritage Toronto Programs and Special Events. We’d like to family, we are confident that we will send our special thanks to Nancy Luno, continue to engage the public as we tell who leaves Heritage Toronto after 13 Toronto’s multifaceted stories with energy years of stellar service as Coordinator of and imagination. Sincerely, Francisco Alvarez Kate Marshall Executive Director Chair, Heritage Toronto Board of Directors Heritage Toronto Annual Report 2015 3 *TOURS About the Program Since 1994, Heritage Toronto has provided residents and tourists opportunities to learn about the cultural, natural, architectural, and archaeological heritage of the city. A Look Back at 2015 This was our third year in partnership with Citizenship and Immigration Canada, providing free walking tours in celebration of Asian Heritage Month, a partnership that grew in July, with the addition of a new tour based on Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s Discover Canada guide to citizenship. We also offered tours to over 700 new Torontonians through the Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada program. “Music History on the Yonge Street Strip” ran eight times in the Tours season, thanks to a partnership with the Downtown Yonge Business Improvement Association. Packed audiences turned out to hear music historian Nicholas Jennings regale them with stories from Yonge Street’s music heyday and to meet some special guests. We also celebrated the 2015 Pan American/Parapan American Games with two tours – a Doors Open-commissioned tour about the history of sport along the waterfront, and a tour of the West Don Lands, re-envisioned as the Athletes’ Village and Canary District, made possible through a partnership with Dundee Kilmer. By the Numbers 100 tours in 24 wards 3,944 attendees 96% said tours were “excellent” or “good” What People Are Saying Thanks, @CanaryDistrict, for Amazing #YongeStreet Visited #TaborHillOssuary sponsoring the Music History #HTtours site w/ #HTTours. Former @heritagetoronto walk through w/ host @nicojennings & chief Carolyn King made the West Don Lands. Made me special guest Robbie Lane. offering, then rainbow appreciate my ‘hood more. Thnx for the stories. appeared. Amazing. - @ErrolNazareth - @mckinleyemily - @ArchaeologyTO Program Sponsor Tour Sponsors Tour Program Partner 4 Heritage Toronto Annual Report 2015 Doors Open Doors Open Toronto is an annual festival of Toronto architecture, organized by the City of Toronto each May. Heritage Toronto has participated since 2004. For the third consecutive year, we delivered tours as part of the annual festival. “Sport Stadiums and “Trees of Queen’s Park” Tour Lakeside Leisure: Playing Along the Waterfront,” Photo: Vik Pahwa was commissioned by Doors Open Toronto, while popular favourites “Theatres in Old Toronto,” “Neighbourhood Movie Theatres,” and “Guild Park: Where Art Meets Nature” were also offered. Community Partners • Cabbagetown • Local Enhancement and Preservation Association Appreciation of Forests • Canadian Lesbian and (LEAF) Gay Archives • Mackenzie House • Canary District • North York Community • Chinatown BIA Preservation Panel • Community Bicycle • Ontario Jewish Archives Network • Portuguese Canadian • Don Watershed History Project Regeneration Council • Royal Canadian Institute • Doors Open Toronto for the Advancement of • Downsview Park Science (RCI) • Downtown Yonge BIA • Scarborough Historical • Etobicoke Historical Society Society • Swansea Historical “Chinatown Then and Now” Tour • Evergreen Brick Works Society Photo: Marcus Mitanis • Fort York National • Taylor Massey Project Historic Site • Theatre Museum Canada • Friends of Guild Park and • Thorncliffe Park Women’s Gardens Committee • Heritage York • Toronto Public Library • Koreatown BIA • Village of Islington BIA • La société d’histoire de • Weston Historical Society Tour Program Partner Toronto • Leslieville Historical Society “Before Toronto” Bus Tour Photo: Richard via TripAdvisor Heritage Toronto Annual Report 2015 5 *PLAQUES & MARKERS About the Program For over 40 years, Heritage Toronto’s Plaques and Markers Program has officially commemorated people, places, and events that have shaped the city we live in today. The municipal plaques fall into two broad categories: • Official bronze recognition plaques and markers for structures listed or designated on the City of Toronto’s Register of Heritage Properties • Commemorative and interpretive enamel panels, complete with maps and images that highlight people, places, and events significant to the history of Toronto A Look Back at 2015 This year was busy and productive for the Plaques and Markers Program. On Chinese Lunar New Year, in February, we unveiled a plaque for the Wong Family Association. Over the summer months, we unveiled plaques for the Maltese Community in Toronto, the Runnymede Theatre, and Gwendolyn MacEwen and Milton Acorn. In September we commemorated Toronto’s Reggae Roots at a large community party. Many of our events featured pop-up museums, continuing our partnership with City of Toronto Museum & Heritage Services. Working with our partners at the Toronto Legacy Project, we honoured eight individuals, including architect Eric Arthur, and physician and researcher Charles Best. We also debuted our Century House plaques, which have become quite popular. Century House Program In 2015, we launched the Century House program, which celebrates and encourages a shared sense of ownership of the city’s built history by recognizing houses that have been a part of the architectural landscape of this city for over a century. The plaques include the street address number, the house’s status as a Century House, and ‘Heritage Toronto.’ The program was well received, and we can’t wait to help more people mark their homes as important parts of Toronto’s built heritage in 2016. By the Numbers 37 Century House markers in the program’s inaugural year! Over 50 Commemorative and Register plaques 12 unveilings 6 Heritage Toronto Annual Report 2015 Program Sponsor In-Kind Sponsor Ironworkers Local 721 What People Are Saying Briefly married, forever associated: Heritage Toronto to unveil plaque in memory of Milton Acorn & Gwendolyn MacEwen - @quillandquire Heritage Toronto’s 1st plaque