The second day of our Doors Open adventure got off to a slightly later start because the subway doesn’t open until 9 on Sunday mornings and consisted of only Jenna and I. We had what seemed like a lighter schedule than Saturday, but we ultimately had to make more cuts to our list than either of us really wanted to. More on that shortly.
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Historic Walls (1001 Queen St. W.)- Much like walking tours of the Beaches and the downtown labyrinth, this isn’t exactly a building you can walk inside (even the tour meets outside the building at Queen and Ossington), but it is still rich with history. The wall surrounding CAMH on three sides is the oldest example of patient/inmate labour in Ontario. We joined the tour about ten minutes late because of the late start to the day that was beyond our control. We sought out the group (which wasn’t very far from the entrance) and it didn’t seem like we had missed very much. We couldn’t wait another 45 minutes for the next tour with our schedule since the tours only left every hour on the hour until four. The tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and included numerous personal histories of some of the former asylum’s most famous patients. The wall itself is quite a sight itself, but this tour put things into a proper and respectful context. For a more personal take on the wall’s poignancy please visit my other blog.
Grade: B+, My only suggestion would be not to shorten the tours, but to maybe have other guides on hand so the tours can leave with a greater frequency.
Design Exchange (Former Toronto Stock Exchange) (234 Bay St.)- We ducked in here on our way to the Toronto-Dominion Centre because it was what we passed by first that was on our list. We were greeted at the door by a woman who told us what they were offering as exhibits and told us briefly about the building itself. The tour was self guided with plenty of staff available to answer any and all questions. The main floor showcased some of the prized pieces in the DX collection and the winners of a design contest showcasing simple designs for letterhead and stationary. It all sounds terribly dull on paper, but it was really cool and made me appreciate even the most subtle aspects of design even more. The beautiful grand staircase led to the second floor which used to be the trading floor for the Toronto Stock Exchange. Unlike the blank space at Heliconian Hall the previous day, the restored trading floor was awesome. Though the room was not filled with much of anything at all, the murals on the four walls would have been enough. A woman was also on hand in this room to continuously give speeches on the history of the trading floor while a projector showed relevant clips from old National Film Board shorts on one of the walls. In the main exhibition space was an exhibition on Clairtone Stereos. These stereos were not only structurally beautiful, but were arguably the greatest phonographs and radios ever manufactured. Many of the models on display were refurbished and refurnished for film shoots such as “American Gangster” and “Invincible”. It was once again something cool that you never would expect could be made cool.
Grade: A, Fun, beautiful, historic, and completely unexpected.
TD Centre (66 Wellington St. W.)- Long line-ups are to be expected at some of the more popular Doors Open locations on display. Last year the worst line-ups we experienced were for Lower Bay Station (which had shorter hours last year and shorter lines this year) and the Gooderham Flatiron Building (which was well worth standing in the sun for). Guided tours can only hold so many people especially in as small an area as the lobby of the Flatiron building. Even buildings like the Canada Life building and the CBC Headquarters that required guided tours for security reasons had mast moving queues. I wasn’t surprised by the enormous line-ups at the Toronto-Dominion Centre. If you want to avoid ridiculously annoying tourists that would just as soon stomp on you to get a picture or chronically whining small children, you should avoid this one like the plague. The line alternated between moving briskly as tour groups were herded onto four waiting elevators to take visitors to the 54th floor; the third highest viewpoint in the city behind the CN Tower and the top of the Bank of Montreal building next door. There is actually a 55th floor to the building, but it is now private property despite it being open to the public when the building was first built. As we waited line snaked its way out of the massive lobby, out the doors, and almost to the street. When someone asked one of the security guards watching the line what the wait would be, the guard smiled and told the group that it would probably be about 45 minutes. A woman with a thick Eastern European accent (but could speak French and English) who was handing out pamphlets smarmily and bluntly said to them that it wasn’t going to get any better. Once on the elevator our ears popped uncomfortably from the sheer speed and force that we ascended with. When we reached the top we were stopped in the hallway to be told not to touch anything and to carry our backpacks in front of us so we wouldn’t damage any of the multimillion dollar artwork on display. We complied; many people either didn’t understand or just didn’t give a shit. The first stop on the tour was the in house restaurant, Canoe. The restaurant had the best view on the entire floor; a breathtaking view out onto Lake Ontario and the Toronto islands. The flaws of the tours, however, also became immediately apparent. The people who spoke in each room droned on and on endlessly despite being told in the hallway that we would have roughly five minutes in every room. Jenna turned to me at one point and said that it was the longest five minutes in any room that she had ever experienced. A lot of the guides in the restaurant and the two meeting rooms we saw repeated themselves and everything dragged on for so long that if I could have found any way to escape, I probably would have. I was almost bored to tears at some moments. The views are awesome, but the building itself is still nothing more than the corporate headquarters of a banking giant. The man who explained TD’s vast collection of artwork was genuinely nice and fun to listen to. He clearly loves what he does and I was mainly glad I didn’t have to have the same buildings pointed out to me another time. The heavily hyped boardroom was a bit of a let down, but at least there was finally an explanation as to why the building is historically and architecturally significant. Also, I don’t care how pissed they would be for me saying this, but the enormous table in the boardroom isn’t that great. The guides will tell you that it is cut from a single piece of wood that had to be hoisted up on a crane and have the building built around it which is complete bullshit because the table has very clearly been assembled within the room; same tree, maybe, but there is no chance in hell it was made from a single piece of wood. The entire tour was a very tight squeeze and at times we were forced to line up against a wall so the other throngs could pass by. From getting in line to the end of the tour we were there for almost an hour and half. The views are spectacular and picture worthy but the presentation (save for the art) has all the personality of “Waiting for Godot” performed by pissy know it all pantomimes. Its length caused us to cross four other buildings off our schedule, including one that I am still irrationally upset about that I will get into in tomorrow’s post.
Grade: C-, The views are the main attraction, but don’t come for the people. The only interesting ones were the security guards and the art guy. There isn’t even any real novelty value for finance nerds as far as I could tell. Also, their prized boardroom table has fucking gum and paper stuck underneath it and has the most inconvenient chairs known to man. See at your own risk and only if it is one of a handful of things you want to see.
Union Station (Harvey’s) (65 Front St. W.)- Confession: we didn’t realty take in a tour of Union Station. If you live in the city or surrounding area, you probably know how awesome the actual train station (not the GO station, bus platforms, or subway) looks. Honestly, we only stopped there because we were starving and it was Free Hamburger Day at Harvey’s. Each day we packed light snacks, fruit, and water that could be eaten while we were on the go, but Sunday Harvey’s was providing our lunch and thusly made Union Station a integral part of our travels. Sure it was busy, but the line for free burgers moved faster than anything at the TD Centre. It was also very well managed. This location was even giving out cake! Cake! We got free burgers and cake! After we finished our lunch in record time, I saw the guided tour only a few metres away from us. We could have joined the tour, but we really already got what we went there for.
Grade: Mmmmmmm... Free burger *drools*
Ontario Heritage Centre (10 Adelaide St. E.)- After making a few quick cuts to our schedule before leaving from Union Station, we began to make our way directly to the Metropolitan United Church (the one location Jenna wanted to see on what remained of the list) and the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre (since we missed out on it last year). Ontario Heritage Centre just happened to be on the way and on the list as something to see if we had extra time and in the end I am glad we stopped. The Ontario Heritage Centre is a charmingly decorated building dating back to 1909 that houses the main offices for the Ontario Heritage Trust (who also sponsored the events this weekend for the Elgin and the George Brown House). The building was a savings and loan until 1927 and then housed various banks until 1985. Large walk in safes and vaults line the hallways as if they were cleverly placed closets. The first floor’s Joan White Hall is so pleasantly unexpected if you were to judge the building based on its outside appearance. The gallery downstairs will make you feel like you have stepped back in time and ended up in a 1930s newsroom or police precinct. The tour was entirely self guided with people stationed in each room to answer questions, although the one man in the gallery actually looked like he was working. The Birkbeck Room on the second floor was empty since it is mainly rented out for functions and meetings, but is of note to film nerds because much like Lower Bay Station, many film crews have shot in this room. A man was stationed there with photos documenting how the movie “Cinderella Man” filmed numerous different sequences in that room over the span of three months; constantly repainting and changing set pieces to make it look like different rooms before setting everything back exactly the way it originally was.
Grade: A-, A slight diversion, but also well worth the trip especially if you are already in the downtown core to begin with.
Metropolitan United Church (56 Queen St. E.)- ... is the kind of church that you might pass by on a daily basis but never get around to popping your head into. We were greeted by the chiming of the oldest set of tuned bells in North America. The church is also of note for having the largest pipe organ in Canada. In continuing with the church’s deep musical roots, we even arrived just as a choral concert had begun. The church, originally known as the “Cathedral of Methodism”, had been housed on the same site since 1872, but the original burned down except for the tower and bells in 1872 and had to be rebuilt in 1928-9. The two level sanctuary has hardly a bad seat in the house and the windows and organ are worth a peek by themselves. The tour was self guided and with the exception of several older gentlemen at the door there weren’t many people available to answer questions, but since we arrived mid-concert you can’t hold that against them. We stayed for two songs before we ultimately had to be on our way. Also, there are often chess matches played on the front lawn if you are into that sort of thing.
Grade: A-, In an age full of big box churches it is always nice to be reminded that places like this still exist.
Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres (189 Younge St.)- Admittedly both last year and this year I grumbled silently about this one despite really wanting to see it. Tours are guided only and only take place daily at 10, 11:30, 1:30, and 3. When we arrived at ten to three, I was slightly nervous because of the large line to get in reaching down Younge Street. There was no need to worry; everyone will get in provided that the line doesn’t exceed 600 people and ours didn’t even come close. Once inside the theatre centre, I quickly realised that the Elgin and the Winter Garden are two separate theatres within the same building and I immediately felt silly for not having known that earlier. The tour is actually two separate presentations and not really a tour in the conventional sense (although the theatre does offer paid tours every Thursday at 5 P.M. that includes a look backstage and in the balconies that were closed off for Doors Open), but once we were seated in the absolutely elegant Elgin and listened to the presentation, it all made sense. Restoring this former vaudeville and prestigious movie house after its slide into becoming a grindhouse and ultimately a porno theatre (“What the Swedish Butler Saw” was the last film to play there until the Toronto International Film Festival) took a lot of work and a lot of love and passion to save the building from the wrecking ball. Their efforts paid off gloriously. It is the nicest theatre I have ever had the pleasure to sit in; that is until we travelled seven stories higher and entered the Winter Garden. The first thing you notice about the Winter Garden is the ceiling decorated entirely in mostly real beech branches with small hanging lights that feel like stars reaching through the canopies of trees. The columns that run through the building are transformed up here into tree trunks. A glowing full moon is built in just above the screen. A theatre this beautiful is a rarity and it is hard to believe that it was closed and shuttered years before the Elgin was closed downstairs. Both presentations were well articulated discourses followed by a question period that showcased just how daunting the task of restoration proved. The tour ended with a trip down only part of the grand staircase, a walk through the gift shop, and out a side entrance. While the presentations were more than worth the time in my own opinion, the whole affair hinted at a much better and in-depth tour that you can get only with the paid experience and this left many attendees perplexed and some were outright angered by what they felt was only half the experience. I couldn’t really hate on that because running a theatre of any kind is a hit or miss business and many of the questions that were asked of the presenters were often of the snarky variety (especially in the Winter Garden where each question was followed by a frustrated sigh when they felt it wasn’t answered to their specific wants) regarding things that clearly regarded the longer, paid tour. But as the man who ran the Elgin presentation pointed out, they are very good at getting you to open your wallets and purses.
Grade: B+, Not only do I want to go again for the paid tour, but I can’t wait to attend “Avenue Q” when it opens here in July since my agent gave me a pair of opening night tickets for my birthday. Also, the tour was shorter than I expected and we still had time for two more stops we didn’t think we would have been able to make.
St. Michael’s Cathedral (65 Bond St.)- I might not always agree with the Catholic Church, but architecturally there aren’t many things more beautifully designed than ornate gothic cathedral. St. Michael’s is the oldest church in the Toronto archdiocese and has been around since 1848, The Bavarian stained glass windows are almost as old as the church itself, but the whole building is so well kept that everything seems alarmingly fresh and new. The archdiocese clearly has put a lot of work and care into this church over the years. The mood in the church was quiet and solemn; even quieter than the Zen Centre the previous day. Numerous people were lighting candles, saying the Lord’s Prayer under their breath as they knelt, prayed to the statue of Mary, and prayed the rosary. It was the only church over the course of the weekend where I felt like I was intruding on something deeply private. The tour was self guided, but you were given a highly detailed map upon entry and people were stationed throughout the building to answer questions. It was just awkward trying to whisper around everything.
Grade: B-, I loved the building, but I simply felt out of place at the given moment when we visited, and coming from someone who should actually identify as a Catholic, that says a lot.
Mackenzie House (82 Bond St.)- The final stop on our Doors Open adventure was the former residence of Toronto’s first mayor, newspaper publisher and leader of the 1837 Upper Canada Rebellion William Lyon Mackenzie. The lower floors were typical of the mid-1800s with volunteers dressed in period garb to answer any questions you might have had along the self guided tour. The upstairs rooms were awkwardly blocked off at the top of the stairs making more than four or five people on the landing more than a crowd, but ultimately every room in the house seemed better kept than the comparable Campbell House Museum. They really had an almost identical vibe to them minus the massive crowd. Jenna noticed Mackenzie’s arrest warrant framed on the wall in an upstairs drawing room and copies are available in the gift shop for sixty cents. The main attraction in Mackenzie House would have to be the hand operated printing press that you could operate yourself. Setting the type is a lot harder than it looks, but naturally that is done for you and you only have one choice of what to print. The machine is actually surprisingly simple to use and the ease with which the press goes down hides exactly how powerful it really is. Any place that allows you to make your own souvenirs is pretty awesome in my book. The staff was also very friendly and helpful with answering questions.
Grade: B+. Nothing special, but the man himself is interesting enough to make me grade this one higher than any of the other historical houses I saw this weekend. The print shop is fun, and it was a great way to end the weekend.
Tomorrow: Final thoughts, tips, places we missed, and other places of note.
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