Toronto History Museums announce sustainability program for Earth Month – City of Toronto

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Press release

April 7, 2022

Today, Toronto’s History Museums announced new programming for Earth Month that explores sustainability and how humans interact with the environment. New programming includes free weekend activities, workshops and virtual panel discussions focusing on nature, sustainability, redesign and urban agriculture.

More details are available on the city’s calendar of festivals and events.

The program will include:

Stitch in Time: interactive visible sewing and mending workshop (April 9 and 10, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.)

Fort York National Historic Site features this walk-in sewing workshop on the basics of sustainable clothing repair. Participants will work on their own projects or help create a collaborative pride flag from recycled materials to display in June. Free with general admission.

Nature and sustainability weekend (April 16 and 17)

Participants will discover and learn about the interconnection between man and nature and the impact of human actions on the environment on future generations at the following events:

  • Colborne Lodge: During a two-hour tour, participants will explore the public works of art in High Park and how these works respond to the natural landscape.
  • Fort York: Tours will delve into the impacts of human activity on local environments and geography and share compelling first-hand accounts of the changing landscape.
  • Montgomery’s Inn: A 90 minute walk through Tom Riley Park along Mimico Creek will introduce you to the history of the creek, changing land use and local watershed protection.
  • Scarborough Museum: Participants will build their own bee houses and pollinator watering stations.
  • Spadina Museum: Horticulturists will take participants on a walk around the Spadina estate, exploring the role that pollinators, birds, insects and animals play in protecting biodiversity.
  • Todmorden Mills: This walk will reveal how renaturalization with native plant species helps maintain the ecology and biodiversity of the lower Don Valley.

Virtual Panel Discussion – Urban Farming: Building Healthy Communities and Promoting Food Sovereignty (April 20, 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.)

Mackenzie House presents this virtual panel on the role urban farms play in supporting healthy communities. Food sovereignty is central to the empowerment of diverse IBPOC communities. Panelists will discuss the need for equity-focused agriculture in Ontario and fair wages. Free pre-registration is required to attend this virtual event.

Remodeling and sustainable development weekend (April 23 & 24)

Toronto History Museums will be offering free activities and free workshops with pre-ticketing. Attendees will learn about the circular economy and how to reduce waste by adopting more sustainable practices at the following events:

  • Colborne Lodge: During the Textile Life Cycle workshop, participants will learn how textiles were produced before modern manufacturing and the environmental impact of these new processes.
  • Gibson House: Visitors can watch demonstrations of hands-on ways to create new treasures from old favourites.
  • Mackenzie House: This workshop will share recycling practices from the 19th century and how they both parallel and differ from today’s sustainability principles.
  • Scarborough Museum: Staff will present ideas for simple, hand-sewn projects to create new treasures from old clothes.
  • Spadina Museum: Workshop attendees will learn the basics of fit, body shape and clothing selection and leave the workshop with a tailored checklist for shopping to avoid contributing to the discharge of fast fashion.
  • Todmorden Mills: Participants can learn new skills in these textile workshops for darning, mending and making rag rugs.

Toronto’s History Museums April lineup includes:

Unnecessary Sacrifice: Civilians and War – Battle of York (April 24, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.)

Fort York National Historic Site will commemorate the 209th anniversary of the Battle of York. Through tours and activations led by community partners, participants will examine this seminal moment in Toronto’s settler history through a contemporary lens, uncover the hidden stories of civilian sacrifice and suffering, and examine this history in the context of contemporary world conflicts. Free with general admission. More information is available on the City’s calendar of festivals and events.

Canadian Museums Association Conference Key Panel, Sponsored by Toronto History Museums (April 26, 4 to 5 p.m.)

Speakers from around the world will speak truth to power and address vital issues regarding museums and decolonization. Members of the public are invited to attend this transformational truth-telling session on dismantling the colonial legacy of museums and promoting reconciliation and healing. Free registration is available at Canadian Museums Association website.

Toronto Art Biennale

Until June 5, Colborne Lodge and Fort York National Historic Site will participate in the Toronto Biennial of Art, Canada’s premier visual arts event focused exclusively on contemporary art from around the world. At Colborne Lodge, Eduardo Navarro presents Wind Oracle (2022), a new public sculpture that invites the public to interact with the wind.

Fort York National Historic Site will host DISH DANCES (2022), a video installation that focuses on a centuries-old Indigenous concept and treaty of co-governance of land between different nations, by Ange Loft with Jumblies Theater & Arts, in collaboration with a team of artists, including choreographers, dancers and composers. More information is available on the Toronto Art Biennale website.

Clocks at Toronto Pearson Airport

Until December 31, Awakenings: We Were Always Here will be on display at Toronto Pearson Airport Terminal 1 – Malton Gallery. This exhibit is free to travellers, 24 hours a day. The Toronto Museum of History’s Awakenings program is the recipient of the 2021 Ontario Heritage Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Community Leadership. A awakening playlist is available on YouTube.

The Market Gallery presents 60 works / 60 years: Toronto Outdoor Art Fair at 60

The 60 Works / 60 Years: Toronto Outdoor Art Fair at 60 exhibition celebrates the history of the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair and features 60 works of art from the City of Toronto Art Collection acquired at the fair over the years. years. More information is available on the City Market Gallery Web Page.

Estimate:

“Toronto consistently ranks among the most livable, sustainable and resilient cities in North America. City policies aim to improve water and air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, support biodiversity and establish vibrant green spaces across Toronto. I encourage all residents to check out the sustainability and environmental programming at Toronto’s history museums.

– Mayor John Tory

“Toronto’s diverse historical stories and lived experiences come together at Toronto’s history museums. Their mission is to broaden and deepen understanding by engaging visitors with dynamic and informative programming. I invite you to discover what museums have to offer in April and throughout the year.

– Deputy Mayor Michael Thompson (Scarborough Centre), Chair of the Economic and Community Development Committee

The Toronto History Museums are a group of 10 museums owned and operated by the City of Toronto with a mission to collect, preserve, research, interpret, exhibit and enhance understanding of Toronto’s diverse histories through captivating and exciting experiences and from different perspectives. They include Colborne Lodge, Fort York National Historic Site, Gibson House Museum, Mackenzie House, Market Gallery, Montgomery’s Inn, Scarborough Museum, Spadina Museum, Todmorden Mills, and Zion School. The Toronto History Museums Awakenings Program is the recipient of the 2021 Lieutenant Governor’s Ontario Heritage Award for Community Leadership. More information is available on the Toronto History Museums webpage or follow Toronto History Museums on Twitteron instagram on Facebook and on Youtube.

Toronto is home to more than 2.9 million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s main economic engine and one of the most diverse and livable cities in the world. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a world leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture and innovation, and ranks consistently at the top of international rankings thanks to investments supported by its government, residents and businesses. For more information visit the City website or follow us on Twitter, instagram or Facebook.

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