Doors Open is back!
When I was living in Ottawa, several years ago, I heard about a 'Doors Open' event for the first time. For one weekend, usually at the end of May, the city would open the doors of its many buildings to the public. Rather than a standard tour, people got to see behind-the-scenes areas of organizations not typically open for viewing.
When I moved back to southern Ontario, I was happy to discover that many other cities held 'Doors Open' events of their own. I learned that it's province-wide and a service paid for with our tax dollars.
Earlier this month, Hamilton held its Doors Open event (May 7-8th), as did Peterborough (May 7th).
Coming up on May 28th and 29th, Toronto will be holding its Doors Open event with over 100 locations partaking this year. Since it's Ontario's capital, several provincial buildings are found there, such as the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) and the Ontario Association of Architects, as are a few national and international ones, such as The Women's Art Association of Canada and the Japan Foundation.
If you love stationery and arts & crafts (chances are, if you're reading this, you do), a few of the spots you may enjoy visiting include the paper mill at Todmorden Mills, Artscape Wychwood Barns, Toronto's First Post Office, and The Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre.
Ottawa will open its doors the following weekend on June 4th and 5th and will be holding a scavenger hunt contest linked to the event. As our nation's capital, the city is rich in beautiful and architecturally interesting places to visit.
Doors Open will include embassies, government buildings, museums and galleries. One of the city's special destinations is Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa Culinary Arts Institute, the only Le Cordon Bleu campus in North America. Check the exact list of participating buildings on May 30th to see if it's included this year.
A few municipalities and regions hold their events later in the season. Burlington is open on September 10th and London, the weekend of September 17-18th. Doors Open Oshawa will be on September 24th and Windsor September 24-25th.
Now, are you thinking what I'm thinking? When's Doors Open Niagara? I'm just putting it out there: wouldn't it be great to have one here, too?
Take a stroll along historic downtown Thorold while visiting the Niagara region. Discover our little hidden gem.
Visit our shop and see all the new products that have arrived. And, make sure you indulge your senses in a pastry or two @jcpatissier_cafe, our new heavenly love affair.
While the cities open their doors to the public, I've been opening my windows to let in the fresh, spring air. After our long winter, I'm enjoying all the flora. More on that next week!
