Grace United Church was designed by William Thomas — the same architect who designed Toronto’s St. Michael’s Cathedral, Hamilton’s St. Paul’s Presbyterian and Brock’s Monument in Queenston. The magnificent stained-glass windows memorialize early church members and wartime casualties, and the interior reflects the classic Methodist form of practical design. In 2023, the Grace United congregation celebrated its 200th anniversary.

Griffin House is a modest one-and-a-half-storey wood-frame residence that was built in the Georgian style with clapboard siding and six-over-six sash windows. Constructed by Englishmen in 1827, it was purchased by Enerals Griffin and his wife Priscilla in 1834 – both born as slaves in Virginia, but who escaped to Canada. On this site, with their 20 hectares (50 acres) of land, the Griffin family lived as part of the Ancaster community for 150 years. Today, Griffin House stands as a testament to the determination of African-American men and women who escaped slavery and found peace in Ontario. For Digital Doors Open, watch the video below to learn more about this fascinating property.

Originally built as the Ottawa Normal School, this site is now Ottawa City Hall. Built in the Gothic Renaissance style, it reflects the influence of the Parliament Buildings — with Italianate windows and Romanesque columns. Purchased by the municipality in 1987, the restored building opened as city hall in 2001. The Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame is now permanently housed here.

Historic Bovaird House is an exceptional example of a mid-19th-century Ontario farmhouse. Volunteers have restored the house to its original appearance. Authentic artifacts and period craftsmanship demonstrate the history of this house — which contains five fireplaces, original plank flooring, hand-blown imported windowpanes and beautiful heritage-inspired gardens. Check out the photo display of the farm kitchen and parlour.

Welcome to the Lester B. Pearson Memorial Theatre, a creative hub for local performing arts groups, schools, education programs, dance recitals and professional presentations. The facility includes a 400-seat auditorium and adjacent studio space. Located in the Brampton Civic Centre, the theatre, affectionately known as LBP, has been home to community organizations and productions since 1973. The venue reopened in October 2019 with enhanced accessibility and health and safety features, upgraded technical equipment, and a more attractive, welcoming space. Take a virtual tour through the video below and learn more about this popular theatre venue.

Ottawa’s first high school has occupied this prime downtown location alongside the Rideau Canal since 1874. The Gothic revival building has been extended and renovated several times. It has many distinct architectural features – including an impressive 660-seat auditorium that maintains much of its original character, and an attic that students used as a shooting range during the Second World War.

The McMaster Museum of Art has developed a self-guided walking tour that highlights architecture on the campus, with information about the history, evolution and styles of architecture along the way. Access the tour here, with photographs sourced from McMaster’s digital archives. You can follow the text descriptions or use headphones and be guided by recorded audio.

The Mount Pleasant Community Centre is in a restored historical Canadian Pacific Railway station that has been converted into a cultural facility in the Mount Pleasant Village Square. Shared with the Peel District School Board and the local library, this landmark building is now an integral part of the community, connecting the past with the future. Located in Mount Pleasant Village Square are one-of-a-kind sculptures created for the City of Brampton by renowned artist Ron Baird. As part of Digital Doors Open, join Baird as he speaks up close and personal about The Ghost Train (see the video below) as well as three unique metal structures: Time, Tracks and Trestle Bridge.

Established in 1984, the National Air Force Museum of Canada is dedicated to preserving and telling the history of Canadian military aviation. The museum — with over 7,000 square metres (75,000 square feet) of exhibition space with an adjoining 6-hectare (16-acre) air park — captures the spirit, daring and courage of the men and women of the Royal Canadian Air Force.

In 1765, British naval craftsmen from Fort Niagara erected a barracks on the opposite side of the Niagara River. Over the years, several buildings – known collectively as Navy Hall – evolved into a key military supply facility for British forts on the upper Great Lakes. During the American Revolution, the Provincial Marine wintered at Navy Hall and, in 1792, Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe converted one of the buildings into his residence. The Lieutenant Governor's home in the first capital of the Province of Upper Canada later served as a dining hall for the officers at Fort George. Navy Hall was destroyed by American forces during the War of 1812. After the war, the British rebuilt some of the buildings, of which one still survives today. As part of Digital Doors Open, you can learn more about this site’s remarkable history through the video below.

Step through these doors and see how pharmacists practised their profession over 100 years ago. The apothecary opened in the late 1860s at this location and closed in 1964. The Ontario Heritage Trust acquired the property, led its restoration and opened it as a museum in 1971. Operated by volunteers from the Ontario College of Pharmacists.

Constructed c. 1847, this courthouse served as the official county seat of Niagara District until the judicial courts were moved to St. Catharines in 1862. Its large courtroom interior was once home to the Shaw Festival’s Court House Theatre. Today, Parks Canada and the Chamber of Commerce have offices here. It was designated a National Historic Site in 1981.

Located on the banks of the Niagara River in a heritage building that formerly supplied water to Niagara-on-the-Lake, the Niagara Pumphouse Arts Centre connects the community through visual arts programs, exhibitions and events. The Niagara Pumphouse Art Centre Association was formed in 1990, and the building was restored and converted to this visual arts centre in 1994.

The Niagara Historical Society opened this museum in 1907. It collects, preserves, researches, educates and promotes the history of Niagara-on-the-Lake and area — inspiring a local history appreciation through engaging programs and exhibitions. During Doors Open, there will be curator-led tours of the exhibits and heritage baking samples. And explore the latest exhibition, "The Prettiest Town: Beyond the Bricks & Mortar."

Built in 1876, this beautifully renovated, rural church has been a musical hub to performers from across Canada and around the world. Known originally as the Johnstown Church, the building served its mainly farming congregation for many years until it fell into disrepair and was abandoned. Saved from demolition and restored by former CBC broadcaster Roy Bonisteel (1930-2013), a member of this community, the Old Church became an intimate setting where musical icons and a wealth of local talent have since performed. Its unmatched acoustics make it the ideal space for live music and theatre performances. Today, the venue is also licensed and offers Ontario craft beers and local Prince Edward County wine in addition to its many live performances. Check out their popular The Beer from Here podcast on their YouTube channel. And, to learn more about this unique Digital Doors Open site, watch the Sean Scally video below.

The Ottawa Art Gallery (OAG) is home to the art and artists of the Ottawa-Gatineau region, now housing a collection that numbers over 1,450 works — including paintings, sculpture, graphic arts, photographs and new media. In April 2018, OAG opened this modern purpose-built space. The gallery explores and reflects on diversity and social change through a spectrum of visual arts practices.

Built in 2011, the design of the Ottawa Humane Society celebrates its strong community values and commitment to the animals. The Shirley Kearns Memorial Adoption Centre was built to provide easy viewing and visiting of animals available for adoption. In the adoption centre, cats, dogs and small animals are housed in separate areas with rooms and enclosures designed to meet the animals’ daily needs. The education centre – a large, open, naturally lit room – hosts a variety of workshops and camps to teach pet owners about responsible pet ownership and animal welfare. In a modern clinic facility, veterinarians provide regular and emergency medical treatment for animals in shelter care. The clinic includes a critical care unit for Ottawa’s neediest animals, an X-ray room and surgery theatre. Before animals are ready for adoption, they are housed in the holding area. Holding is set up with high-volume/high-changeover air handling systems and full sanitary and wash-down facilities to provide maximum sanitation and to prevent the spread of disease. Administration is adjacent to the adoption centre and holding area to allow ease of access for staff and volunteers to the animal areas. The interconnected design promotes a strong connection between staff of various departments, volunteers and the public. During Digital Doors Open, take a virtual tour of the site and learn more about the important work that they do.

The Ottawa Muslim Association and the Ottawa Mosque was incorporated in 1964 as a charitable organization, with its first phase completed in 1970. The Ottawa Mosque is the first and the oldest mosque in the city, and is one of the oldest in Canada. Its distinct architectural design includes a two-storey prayer hall, library, minaret, central dome and multi-purpose basement.

Public Services and Procurement Canada is delighted to offer a behind-the-scenes look at the work taking place at the Parliament Building (Centre Block) as part of this year’s Doors Open Ottawa. Centre Block is a familiar sight to many Canadians. And construction is well underway to restore and modernize it. Doors Open participants will discover Centre Block like never before!

Come and visit this plaza during Doors Open Ottawa. Construction is underway to restore and modernize the Centre Block and advance construction of Canada’s new Parliament Welcome Centre. Though the Centre Block is currently closed, visitors during Doors Open can view a special exhibit featuring videos, images and information about the design plans for the building and the Parliamentary Precinct.

Discover how heritage contributes to community and culture. Explore 19th-century buildings, including a historical courthouse and jail. Then see how they are used today as spaces for empathy and creativity. Check out their latest exhibition, All Aboard! The Railways of Peel. Explore treasures from the archives. And enjoy culture talks with Toronto Art Restoration Inc. and Astrosankofa Arts.

Built in 1920 at the cost of $1 million, the iconic Piggott Building was Hamilton's first skyscraper. The structure employed a steel skeleton rather than load-bearing walls to achieve the height of 64 metres (210 feet) and 18 storeys. With a limestone veneer façade, its design is art deco/Gothic revival with historical features of pointed arch windows, decorative moldings and rib vaulting over the entrance. In the foyer and lobby are facing stained-glass windows set in medieval-style lancets that depict building technology and construction of the Piggott. In addition, there are decorative ceiling tiles and painted murals in the hall and marble on the floors, walls and surrounding the elevator doors. The tower prospered as an office building until the 1970s when it became vacant. After changing hands a number of times, it was slated for demolition. But heritage advocates called for its protection and preservation and the City of Hamilton designated it in 1984 under the Ontario Heritage Act. The stained-glass windows that had disappeared were found in an antique shop and retrieved by the Heritage Hamilton Foundation for $12,000. In the 1990s, the Piggott Building was converted into luxury condos. As part of Digital Doors Open, watch the video below to learn more about the history of this site.

Quinte Waste Solutions is the municipal recycling service that has collected for nine member communities for over 25 years. At its Trenton location – known as the Material Recovery Facility – they process over 50 metric tonnes of household recycling each day. During Digital Door Open, watch the video below to see how recycling works - from curbside collection to the sorting line to the finished bales of recycled materials that are then sold to companies for new uses.

Join this unique tour of Belleville sites that have had new power systems installed and learn more about these renewable power sources – such as solar panels and new power systems. We start with the Meyers Pier and the Water Treatment Plant, which boast rooftop solar panels. Next is the Quinte Sports and Wellness Centre, which has both an extensive solar rooftop array as well as power converters that send AC back to the grid. In addition, the Centre uses Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems – which produce both electricity and heat from a single fuel source onsite. In addition to reducing emissions, CHP systems also improve energy efficiency (up to 90 per cent in some locations), which also means lower costs. Finally, check out Belleville Transit, the Sewage Plant and the City of Belleville’s Human Resources building for more examples of renewable power sources. Learn more about CHP systems here. And, as part of Digital Doors Open, explore these sites – with their aerial views and photos.

Research Casting International is one of the world’s largest providers of museum technical services — specializing in the fabrication of paleontology displays. Their services include specimen mounting and restoration, molding and casting, exhibit fabrication and more. During Doors Open, come and check out some of their current projects, explore their facility and watch the team work on these fascinating displays.