TORONTO – Expand your horizon and go behind the scenes of some of Ontario’s most significant places and spaces. Doors Open Ontario returns with a larger number of in-person events this spring, starting on Mother’s Day weekend. The 2022 season will feature more than 20 in-person events running from May to October, providing ample opportunities to rediscover Ontario through the province’s most fascinating sites – all free of charge.

Digital Doors Open Ontario also returns with hundreds of listings available online and more to come throughout the year. These virtual experiences can help fill a rainy afternoon, plan a staycation or virtually visit impressive destinations across the province that may be too far away.

This 2022 season, whether you'd like to dig deeper into Ontario's past and learn something new, search for family-friendly activities or find inspiration to plan future trips, Doors Open Ontario will have something for everyone.

Spring and summer 2022 events:

Each year, Doors Open Ontario events offer history buffs, architecture aficionados, urban explorers and photographers rare behind-the-scenes access to incredible cultural and natural heritage wonders. Most are steeped in history and usually closed to the public. Participating sites usually include historical homes, municipal infrastructure (such as hydro dams or water treatment facilities), courthouses, theatres, trails, banks, schoolhouses and more. Some sites may offer special tours or exhibits to better explore the stories inside.

This spring and summer, Ontarians will get the chance to explore familiar landmarks in a new way or take a daytrip to one of nine participating Doors Open Ontario events:

• Peterborough (May 7)
• Hamilton (May 7-8)
• Toronto (May 28-29)
• Whitchurch-Stouffville (June 4)
• Ottawa (June 4-5)
• Oxford-Ingersoll (June 18)
• Loyalist Township (June 18)
• St. Catharines (August 20)
• Cornwall and SDG Counties (Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry) (August 20-21)

While the 2020 and 2021 Doors Open Ontario seasons shifted primarily to digital programming due to the global pandemic, with a handful of small in-person events, 2022 marks a pivotal year as many communities begin to reopen and welcome visitors back.

“Doors Open Ontario inspires a sense of community and Ontario spirit by revealing the secrets behind our local landmarks,” said Lisa MacLeod, Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries. “Through a unique combination of virtual and in-person programming, the Trust is giving Ontarians the opportunity to explore locations across our amazing province that showcase our history and our culture. I encourage everyone to discover these local treasures for themselves and to see first-hand how Ontario offers the world in one province.”

“We invite everyone to take this staycation opportunity to go out during this Doors Open Ontario season to rediscover the province’s heritage treasures first-hand,” said John Ecker, Chair of the Ontario Heritage Trust. “Old or new, each site will deepen your understanding of Ontario’s history and showcase the breadth of our local heritage.”

September to October will see another, larger round of events happening provincewide. More details will be announced in the summer. For the most up-to-date information on upcoming events and virtual programs, make sure to bookmark and visit the Trust’s DoorsOpenOntario.on.ca website frequently.

Doors Open Ontario is an annual program of the Ontario Heritage Trust that aims to draw attention to the province’s local heritage. The program has been made possible thanks to presenting sponsor, TD Bank Group, and the generous support of the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund and Destination Ontario.

Download the Doors Open Ontario media kit here.

Contact:

Patricia Njovu, Senior Marketing and Communications Specialist, Ontario Heritage Trust. Patricia.Njovu@heritagetrust.on.ca, 437-248-1439

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About the Ontario Heritage Trust

The Ontario Heritage Trust (the Trust) is an agency of the Ontario Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries. The Trust conserves, interprets and shares Ontario’s heritage. The Trust conserves provincially significant cultural and natural, tangible and intangible heritage, interprets Ontario’s history, celebrate its diversity and educates Ontarians of its importance in our society. The Trust envisions an Ontario where we conserve, value and share the places and landscapes, histories, traditions and stories that embody our heritage, now and for future generations.

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