Toronto’s history museums will permanently offer free general admission year-round – City of Toronto

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Press release

April 29, 2022

Today, Mayor John Tory proclaimed May Museum Month in Toronto and announced that beginning Sunday, May 1, Toronto’s History Museums will offer free general admission to all of its 10 museums at all times to ensure fair access to museum sites and to give everyone the opportunity to participate. in heritage and cultural spaces. Read the official proclamation of Museum Month.

The city, through the History Museums of Toronto, owns and operates 10 historic sites across Toronto that collect, research, display and enhance understanding of the city’s diverse histories through engaging and exciting experiences. Historic sites 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. More information is available at www.toronto.ca/museums.

Museum Month is a time to celebrate the contributions of museums to their communities and kick off this summer’s tourist season. The theme for this year’s International Museum Day (May 18) is The Power of Museums, highlighting the many ways museums can and do make positive change in their communities by contributing to sustainability, innovation in digitization and accessibility, and building communities through education.

Addressing equity and inclusion remains a priority for the City. Free general admission to Toronto’s history museums is one of a series of initiatives designed to improve accessibility to cultural spaces for Toronto residents.

Toronto’s History Museums are also committed to dismantling the colonial legacy of museums and working to foster reconciliation and healing. In 2020, Toronto’s History Museums embraced a bold and transformative mission, vision and narrative. Grounded in equity, anti-racism and anti-oppression, Toronto’s 10 history museums have begun to re-evaluate the stories they share and how they are shared, in order to create space for communities and impart knowledge.

Toronto’s history museums strive to highlight stories that advance reconciliation, anti-racism and anti-oppression. It rethinks historical interpretations and shines a light on less discussed stories, such as the deep connection of Indigenous people to the land and the lives of the staff whose hard work at these historic sites enabled their wealthy employers to maintain a lavish lifestyle. .

May programming highlights:

Awakenings Artist Mentorship Program: A Revolution of Love Live Performances in partnership with Soulpepper Theater Company

This live performance art series was created by eight artists from the 2021 Awakenings Artist Mentorship Program cohort working under the direction of Weyni Mengesha, Artistic Director and Academy Faculty of Soulpepper Theater Company. Performance artists created custom works for specific sites in Toronto’s history museums, guided by questions such as, “How do we recognize the colonial past of historic sites and our city?” and “What would a love and healing revolution look like?”

In-person experiences begin in May and continue through July. Learn more about all the artists and mentors, book free tickets at Soulpepper’s website.

The City is grateful to its community partner, the Toronto Raptors, for their continued support of the Awakenings program. The City is proud that 106.5 ELMNT FM Toronto continues to be a media partner.

Doors Open Toronto

The Toronto History Museums will be offering tours of the site as part of Doors Open Toronto, presented by Great Gulf on May 28 and 29 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. More information is available on the city’s Doors Open Toronto webpage.

Montgomery’s Inn Farmer’s Market (May 4, 11, 18, and 25)

Residents and visitors can shop in person every Wednesday from 2-6 p.m. for local vegetables, baked goods and prepared meals while enjoying live music and entertainment. Buyers can also order online from select suppliers on the Montgomery’s Inn website. Orders placed online (Friday 9 a.m. to Monday 9 p.m.) can be picked up at the market on Wednesday. Montgomery’s Inn Farmers’ Market is open year-round at 4709 Dundas St. W. in Etobicoke.

Toronto Art Biennale

Through June 30, 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, created by Ange Loft with Jumblies Theater & Arts, in collaboration with a team of artists made up of choreographers, dancers and composers. More information is available on the Toronto Art Biennale website.

The Market Gallery Presents 60 Works/60 Years: The Toronto Outdoor Art Fair at 60

The exhibition 60 Works/60 Years: Toronto Outdoor Art Fair at 60 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.

High resolution images of some Toronto history museums are available on Flickr.

Estimate:

“Free general admission to Toronto’s history museums ensures equity in programming, equitable access to resources, full participation in city spaces, and equitable participation opportunities for underserved and underserved groups. -represented. This Museum Month and beyond, I encourage all residents to visit Toronto’s history museums to learn more about Toronto’s past, present and future.
– Mayor John Tory

“The City is addressing economic and cultural disparities across Toronto with impactful programs and services for equity-seeking communities and underserved areas of the city. This free general admission initiative to Toronto’s history museums improves access and affordability of space for Toronto residents.
– Deputy Mayor Michael Thompson (Scarborough Centre), Chair of the Economic and Community Development Committee

“The stories you will discover in the city’s 10 historic sites are not stories written by a privileged few. They are stories written and told by those who shape them. They are as diverse as the perspectives and experiences of Toronto residents. I’m so glad Toronto History Museums has removed another barrier by giving all residents access with free general admission.

– Cheryl Blackman, Acting Executive Director of Economic Development and Culture

“The Ontario Museum Association, on the occasion of its 50th anniversary, celebrates with the Toronto History Museums the 2022 edition of May is museum month/May, Museum Month. In May, and on May 18and International Museum Day, in Toronto, across the province and around the world, we can celebrate the power of museums bring about positive change in our communities. By providing free admission to Toronto’s history museums, the city recognizes and offers all of its citizens and visitors the opportunity to appreciate and learn from our shared history, bringing us together to reimagine a new future.

– Marie Lalonde, Executive Director, Ontario Museum Association

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: www.toronto.ca/museums, or follow the Toronto History Museums on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TOHistoryon Instagram at www.instagram.com/TOHistoryMuseumson Facebook at www.facebook.com/TOHistoryMuseums and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/TOHistoryMuseums.

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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