Activities at Toronto History Museums

Toronto History Museums

February 2018

Family Day
Celebrate Family Day at the Toronto History Museums | Monday, February 19

Tastes and Treats
Apple pie on a table
Hungry for Comfort: A Celebration of Food History | Fort York
Saturday, February 24, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Come together with fellow food enthusiasts to explore how different people have survived and thrived in Canada’s bitter winter. This year, the spotlight is on the culinary stories of the First Nations, Metis, French and English, with speakers, demonstrations, workshops and tastings.
Hearth Cooking Workshop: All About Chocolate | Gibson House Museum
Saturday, February 3, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Learn all about the history of chocolate in this sweet, hands-on workshop led by an experienced cook.
Sweetheart Tea | Gibson House Museum
Saturday, February 10, 12 and 2:30 p.m.

Treat your special someone, friends or family to a Victorian-inspired tea, including finger sandwiches and sweets in Mrs. Gibson’s parlour.
Historical drawing of the Dominion Brewery
Toronto’s Craft Beer: Past and Present | Market Gallery
Saturday February 17, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Museum manager and certified beer judge Wayne Reeves sketches the rise, fall and resurgence of local craft beer. Following the talk, enjoy a tasting of modern-day Toronto brews and curated treats from St. Lawrence Market vendors.
Family Fun
Child holding a copy of the Provincial Freeman newspaper printed at Mackenzie House
Black History Month | Mackenzie House
Weekends in February, 12 to 5 p.m.

Visit Mackenzie House on weekends in February and learn more about some of the Black Victorians of Toronto, featuring those who published newspapers during the era. Visitors can take a piece of this important history home when they print a souvenir copy of Mary Ann Shadd Cary’s newspaper, The Provincial Freeman, in the re-created 1850’s printshop.
February Weekends | Scarborough Museum
Weekends in February, 12 to 4 p.m.

Fall in love with homemade potato soup and scones, cooked right before your eyes. Samples and recipes available.
P.A. Day Family Drop-In | Todmorden Mills
Friday, February 16, 12 to 4 p.m.

Drop in for family fun! Join us for a take-home craft and a guided tour of our historic homes.
Crafts and Decor
Valentine cards hanging up in front of a window
Valentine Card-Making Workshop for Families | Todmorden Mills
Saturday, February 3, 1 to 3 p.m.

Create personalized Valentine cards to share with loved ones while you learn about the history of Valentine’s Day.
Walks and Talks
Photo of a 19th-century style dress
The World of Alias Grace: A Woman’s Work is Never Done | Gibson House Museum
Saturday, February 24, 2 to 4 p.m.

Using Alias Grace as a starting point, explore the range and complexity of women’s work in the nineteenth century and what it actually entailed. Enjoy a selection of refreshments inspired by the food mentioned in the book and nineteenth-century recipes.
Tours and Exhibits
Pennies & Purses | Gibson House Museum
February 10 to August 31

This exhibit explores currency, general stores and shopping habits in 19th century rural Ontario, providing new context for the lives of the Gibson family and the development of communities like Willowdale.
A Glimpse of Black Life in Victorian Toronto | Scarborough Museum
February 1 to March 31

This exhibit showcases some members of the Black community in Victorian Toronto and their contributions to the City of Toronto. Curated by historian Afua Cooper.
Of Special Note
Image of a dried flower
WAR Flowers | Campbell House Museum
Until March 25

During the First World War, Canadian soldier Lt Col. Cantlie collected flowers from the hedges and fields of war-torn Europe and sent them to his baby daughter Celia in Montreal. Using Floriography, the language of flowers, this exhibit examines human nature in wartime through a series of multi-sensory experiences.

Built in 1822, Campbell House is the oldest surviving building from the Town of York and an outstanding example of Georgian architecture. The building is owned by the City of Toronto and the museum is operated by the Sir William Campbell Foundation.

cb. Revolution Couture | The Bentway Skate Trail at Fort York
Tuesday, February 13, 7 to 9 p.m.

Fashion designer and figure skater Charlene Bailey showcases the first skating fashion runway show, cb. Revolution Couture, in partnership with The Bentway.

The Bentway is a unique and innovative public space that transforms 1.75km underneath Toronto’s Gardiner Expressway into a new gathering place for our city’s growing population. The Bentway’s new public skate trail is located outside the Fort York Visitor Centre.