City events through March 18

The City of Toronto Historic Sites present several events at this time of year that provide enriching entertainment for all ages while connecting visitors to Toronto’s rich history. Visit www.toronto.ca/museum-events for more information.

GIBSON HOUSE MUSEUM   5172 Yonge Street, at Park Home Avenue

Limited free parking on site; nearby paid underground and street level parking.

Hours: Wednesday to Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m., Thursdays 1 to 8 p.m. (5 to 8 p.m. is pay what you wish).

Regular admission: Adults $6.19, Seniors/Youth $3.54, Children $2.65 (plus tax)

gibsonhouse@toronto.ca  416-395-7432

Community Quilt Group Get-togethers

Thursdays, 6 to 8 p.m.     

Relax and meet new friends while you improve your sewing skills. We invite members of all ages from North York’s diverse communities to join us for informal evenings of learning and sharing. You’ll explore both historic and contemporary quilting techniques in a comfortable, social setting. Work on a group project or pay a small fee for materials and make your own piece. Even if you have never picked up a needle and thread before you are welcome to join in. It is FREE to participate, however, donations are welcome.

Pay-What-You-Wish Thursday Night Socials

Thursdays, 5 to 8 p.m.     

Visit the museum on Thursday nights and take a self-guided tour through the historic house.  Relax in the historic kitchen with a cup of tea and learn about the Gibson family and history of North York. All ages welcome (children must be accompanied by an adult). Admission is pay what you wish.

Board Games Night – For All Ages

Todmorden Mills

Last Thursday of the Month, 6 to 8 p.m.

As part of our Pay-What-You-Wish Socials, the last Thursday of each month is Board Games Night at Gibson House Museum. The Gibson family didn’t have cable, a phone or wi-fi, so what did they do when the chores were done? They played games! Finished your work and chores for the day? Then come to the museum to challenge us to a game.  Check /GibsonHouse for our featured games of the month. All ages welcome (children must be accompanied by an adult). Admission is pay what you wish.

Tea and Tour Sundays 

1 to 4:30 p.m.                                              

There’s a seat for you at the harvest table in the historic kitchen on Sunday afternoons throughout the year. Relax and have a chat over tea and homemade cookies. Enjoy a tour of the lovely, 1850s farmhouse. Included with regular admission.

MACKENZIE HOUSE  82 Bond Street

Hours: Saturday & Sunday: 12 to 5 p.m.

Regular Admission: Adults $6.19, Seniors/Youth $3.54, Children: $2.65 (plus tax)

Children (4 and under): Free. machouse@toronto.ca  416-392-6915

Mackenzie House Celebrates Black History Month

Weekends in February, 12 to 5 p.m.

Toronto has a rich legacy in the literature and the newspapers of the early Black community in Ontario.  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 printshopIncluded with regular admission.


Victorian Valentines:

The Pleasure of the Handwritten Letter – A Workshop

Thursday, February 9, 7 to 9:30 p.m.

Join us for an intimate evening that celebrates the romance of handwritten letters. Listen to poignant Victorian letters.  Print a valentine on our 1850s press. Write your own letter with nib pen and ink and seal it with wax. Participants are invited to bring meaningful letters of their own to share with the group during refreshments. $15 plus tax per person. Tickets are limited so participants are encouraged to purchase their tickets in advance by calling the site at 416-392-6915.

THE MARKET GALLERY 2nd Floor, South St. Lawrence Market, 95 Front Street East

Hours: Tuesday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed Sunday & Monday. Admission by pay-what-you-can donation (suggested donation $2).

Paid parking in the area. 416-392-7604. marketgallery@toronto.ca

Unearthing Toronto’s Oldest Marketplace: The Archaeology of the North St. Lawrence Market

November 19, 2016 to March 18, 2017

The North St. Lawrence Market is about to undergo a major rebuild. As part of that process, the citizens of Toronto will have a rare opportunity to look into the City’s past as the building site undergoes a major archaeological dig. The exhibit will use archaeological finds from the site along with historical maps, art works, photographs, and artifacts to tell the story of North America’s longest-running continually operating food market, established 1803. As the dig continues through the fall and winter of 2016/2017 new information will be added to the exhibit showing how historical understanding can change as new research is conducted.

MONTGOMERY’S INN   4709 Dundas Street West at Islington Avenue

Hours: Tuesday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday & Sunday 1 to 5 p.m.

Closed Mondays & Holidays.

Regular Admission: Adults $5.71, Seniors/Youth $2.86, Children $1.90 (plus tax)

Free parking   montinn@toronto.ca   416-394-8113

Montgomery’s Inn Winter Farmers Market

Wednesdays, 2 to 6 p.m.

Buy direct from local farmers and food artisans. Organic fruit and vegetables, organic wine, cheese, bread and prepared foods as well as ethically raised meat, honey and more! Admission is free to browse the market. Museum tours are regular admission.

Thirsty Thursdays

Thursday, January 26, 7 to 10 p.m.

The last Thursday of every month is Thirsty Thursday Tavern night at the Inn. Come for a glass of beer, wine, or a Thomas Montgomery specialty in our restored 1847 bar room. Enjoy Irish stew, fresh baked bread and live traditional music. Admission is pay what you can. Cash bar, $5 for a bowl of stew, while supplies last.

Fret Not Ukulele Club

Thursday, February 2, 6 to 9 p.m.

Our monthly ukulele gathering – the first Thursday of every month, with Doctor of Music instructor Chris Wilson. Come, sing, laugh, and make music. Bring your own ukulele, some spares available but they go fast! First hour is a chord workshop. $15.00.

SCARBOROUGH MUSEUM   1007 Brimley Road, just north of Lawrence in Thomson Memorial Park

Hours: Wednesday 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday & Sunday 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Regular admission is pay-what-you-can.  shm@toronto.ca  416-338-8807

January Weekends, 12 to 4 p.m.

Warm up after your toboggan time with hot chocolate and something sweet! It’s cozy family fun all month long at Scarborough Museum. Admission is Pay What You Can

February Weekends, 12 to 4 pm.

Fall in love with homemade potato soup and scones, cooked right before your eyes. Samples and recipes available to share them with those you love. Admission is Pay What You Can

SPADINA MUSEUM  285 Spadina Road

Hours: Saturday & Sunday 12 to 5 p.m.

Regular admission: Adults $7.96, Seniors/Youth (13-18 yrs.) $5.75, Children (6-12 yrs.) $4.87 (plus tax), Children (5 and under) Free. Paid parking next door at Casa Loma
416-392-6910 spadina@toronto.ca 

Meet the Austins: A Toronto Family Between the Wars

Saturdays and Sundays

Tours at 12:15 p.m., 1 p.m., 1:45 p.m., 2:30, 3:15 p.m. and 4 p.m. 
See Spadina, and the history of Toronto, through the eyes of the Austin family, who made it their home. Business people, artists, socialites and philanthropists, the Austins were a prominent family whose struggles and triumphs were closely tied to those of Toronto as they entered the 20th century.  Regular admission applies.

Yoga at Spadina

Sunday, January 29 at 2 p.m.

This class will be led by Yoga Alliance Certified instructor Diane Grundy, who has been practicing yoga and studying yoga philosophy for over 5 years. Diane will lead the class through a gentle/ beginner level of hatha yoga. Although the class will be at the beginner level, all levels are welcome. It is suggested that participants please bring a mat, towel, and water, and that they arrive at least 10 minutes before the class begins.

Classes are limited to 12 participants, and pre-registration is required, by calling Spadina Museum, at 416-392-6910. Admission for the class is pay-what-you-wish, and monies will be donated to the museum.

TODMORDEN MILLS HERITAGE SITE

Bottom of Pottery Road, East of Bayview Avenue, West of Broadview Avenue

Hours: Wednesday to Friday, 12 to 4 p.m. Saturday & Sunday, 12 to 4:30 p.m.

Regular Admission: Adults $6.19, Seniors/Youth $3.54, Children 6 to12  $2.65 (plus tax)

Children 5 and under free. Free parking   todmorden@toronto.ca    416-396-2819

Valentine Card-Making – A Family WorkshopFor ages 6 and up

Saturday, February 4, 1 to 3 p.m.

Create personalized Valentine Cards to share with loved ones while you learn about the history of Valentine’s Day.  Refreshments provided.  Adult $15; Children $10 (plus tax). Children must be accompanied by an adult. Pre-registration required.

In the Papermill Gallery:

January 25 to February 5 – Scarborough Arts Council

A TO Canada with Love Exhibition

Helen Lucas: Roots to the Present

February 8 to March 5

This first-ever retrospective, presented in partnership with the Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections at York University, explores the remarkable works of Canadian artist, Helen Lucas. From the 1960s to the present, Lucas has used her artistry and vision to create an intimate diary of her life. With brutal honesty, Lucas invites us to consider the strengths of our own personal histories, encouraging us to view them through the lens of struggle, growth and emergence. Thanks to the Ontario Arts Council for their support. For more information on Helen Lucas, visit her website www.helenlucas.com. Throughout 2017, Toronto will honour Canada’s 150th birthday with “TO Canada with Love,” a year-long program of celebrations, commemorations and exhibitions. The exhibition is part of this exciting initiative.

In the Papermill Theatre:

Amicus Productions present Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility

February 2 to 11

As Classicism and Romanticism meet head-on at the turn of the eighteenth century we enjoy an intimate look at the triumphs and tribulations of two seemingly lovelorn sisters, one duty-bound, the other longing to live a full life. Yet for both, the reality is dependency – protecting their well-being by submitting to the wishes of their future benefactors. Despite the entreaties of men who may or may not be honorable, these women move forward and fate eventually smiles on them. In other words, this is every bit a Jane Austen romance.

For tickets visit http://www.amicusproductions.ca or call 416-860-6176

— Ilena Aldini-Messina