The Ontario County Courthouse was built between 1852 and 1854. By 1964, however, the building had become too small to accommodate the county’s needs and a new courthouse was built on Rossland Road. In 1967, with assistance from the Canada Centennial Project, the original courthouse was reopened as a community centre known as the Whitby Centennial Building. Learn more about this building’s history and its role in Whitby’s past through the video below.

By the 1880s, the Prince Edward County Railway had been running the 51-kilometre (32-mile) route from Picton to Trenton Junction for a few years before the arrival of Samuel Ritchie from Akron, Ohio – a financier and mine owner who had been buying up land north of Trenton. Ritchie would take over the Prince Edward County Railway to extend the line to become the Central Ontario Railway to serve his mining interests. But coupled with issues around the quality of the ore being transported and financial difficulties, the full extent of Ritchie’s vision was never realized before his death. The line was eventually absorbed by the Canadian National Railway and Samuel Ritchie’s Central Ontario Railway was all but forgotten. Watch the documentary below – entitled Ritchie’s Follie: The Central Ontario Railway, by Sean Scally – to learn more about this little-known piece of Trenton history.

The Chatham-Kent Black Historical Society is dedicated to the discovery, research and preservation of Chatham-Kent’s Black history. In the early 1800s, Black families settled along McGregor’s Creek in the town known then as The Forks. The village soon became a haven for runaway slaves and, by 1850, its population was one-third Black. Blacks in Chatham thrived in business, education, medicine, sport and literary and cultural arts. News of their success attracted Blacks to the area from across North America. The history of Blacks in early Chatham is not only of local significance; but their contribution and participation in Southwestern Ontario over the years has also left a fundamental impression on the national landscape. During Digital Doors Open, watch this video to learn more about the history of Chatham. Discover some of the museum's online exhibits. Explore the Breaking the Colour Barrier website to learn more about the Chatham Coloured All-Stars baseball team. And download and enjoy a colouring page and word search puzzle.

Chaudière Falls is a subsidiary of Hydro Ottawa Holdings Inc. and is a 29-megawatt hydroelectric facility that feeds into the provincial grid and powers 20,000 homes with clean, renewable energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 115,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide every year. Built entirely below ground, this facility was designed to have minimal-to-zero impacts on the visual, natural and aquatic environments. To ensure safe fish passage through the facility, they have incorporated leading technological solutions to protect migrating American eel, endangered under the Ontario Endangered Species Act (ESA). In addition, there are new spawning beds being built downstream to promote the recovery efforts associated with sturgeon (also endangered under the ESA). Chaudière Falls is home to Canada’s oldest hydroelectric station still in operation. It was responsible for lighting Ottawa’s streets with electricity and fuelled the industrial explosion of the mid-1800s by providing water power for the vast complex of lumber mills that once occupied the shoreline of the Ottawa River. The new site offers safe viewing platforms and greater public access in the form of a defined corridor on the roof of the new below-grade hydro facility. A new bridge across the intake canal is open for pedestrian and cyclist traffic. Using a restorative philosophy, they are maintaining elements of the city’s industrial past, including refurbishing the site’s oldest buildings that survived the Great Fire of 1900. As part of Digital Doors Open, enjoy a virtual tour of this site.

Built in 1872, this church was constructed to harmonize with the new Parliament buildings. Named the Cathedral of the Diocese in 1897, it continues to nurture faith in creative and traditional ways. Architectural features include soaring ceilings, magnificent windows and the bell tower, home to the 516-pound bronze bell cast for the original church in 1839.

Land for this church was donated by William Servos; Edward Hiscott and James Servos mortgaged their farms for the loans. The first service was held here on Christmas Eve 1853 and was led by Reverend A.F. Atkinson. In the adjacent cemetery, there is a burial ground for Black slaves who escaped from the United States and lived near Eight Mile Creek. While this church remains closed, you can learn more about this fascinating site through the video below as part of Digital Doors Open.

Throughout this store are architectural touches with reclaimed and re-purposed materials – including reclaimed brick, doors and woodwork, as well as a vintage window in the sales office and a countertop in the ladies’ washroom. Also, the art deco interior and fittings from Diana Sweets — a restaurant that operated for 75 years in St. Catharines — has now been fully restored inside!

Dull, dirty and dangerous. These are the types of jobs that Clearpath Robotics is working to automate. Founded in 2009 by four University of Waterloo Mechatronics Engineering grads, Clearpath and its sister company OTTO Motors develop hardware, software and services to enable self-driving vehicle development, deployment and fleet operation. The award-winning company works with over 500 of the world’s most innovative brands in over 40 countries, serving markets that span industrial materials handling, mining, military, agriculture, aerospace and academia. Find out why Clearpath values automating dull, dirty and dangerous jobs in the following episode of Digital Doors Open Waterloo Region.

John Henry Reycraft owned this property from 1854-99. The house was built during this period, probably in the 1860s. In 1899, John Alexander Anderson bought the house. At the time, Anderson was the proprietor of the adjacent general store. Vintage photos show the house, the store and the absence of the Methodist church, which was built in 1910. The photo shows a woman in Chinese garb, an intriguing image in the era. It also appears that there is another building to the north of the store where Morganston Road is now. As part of Digital Doors Open, learn more about this site in the video below.

The Coldwater Canadiana Heritage Museum promotes, collects and retains the history of Coldwater and its surrounding area from 1830 to 1950. The museum is located on the original homestead site of 1836 settler Archibald Woodrow, with 2 hectares (6.6 acres) of park-like setting that includes a variety of heritage buildings, the Coldwater Heritage Trail and Heritage Gardens. Discover history that you can touch, hear and explore. You can take a peek at the museum from home by watching the video below.

The Commerce Building was designed in 1894-95 by John E. Belcher, one of Peterborough's leading architects. It was constructed of Credit Valley stone and pressed brick from Toronto's Don Valley. The building's main tenant was the Commerce Bank, later the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. Architectural and decorative remnants of the old bank hall at the main floor level remain intact and can be seen inside what is now a restaurant. The building has undergone many changes over the years and now houses a vibrant arts community (featuring @Bluefrogslegs, Madder House Textile Studio, Aterlier Ludmila, Heather Doughty Photography, Mary McLoughlin and more). Learn more about this building and its place in downtown Peterborough’s past. And join them, along with other downtown locations, for a virtual First Friday art crawl.

The Corby Park Rose Garden is in the old east village of Belleville, a great area for exploring heritage homes, just a few blocks from the Bay of Quinte. The garden has a stunning water fountain and, at the centre of it all, you get a beautiful view of the entire garden — perfect for a family outing or wedding.

The Imperial Cotton Factory, built in 1900, ran as a factory until 1972. It has been repurposed as the largest creative hub in the Hamilton area — with studios for artists, artisans, musicians, craftspeople and entrepreneurs. Film and television productions, photographers and special events are also drawn here. This year's Door's Open Hamilton is also the Cotton Factory's 10th anniversary.

What once was underdeveloped is now a bustling suburban community. Residents have access to commercial properties, recreational parks, and pathways and natural spaces like the Churchville and Springbrook Tributary. One defining element of this vibrant community is Teramoto Park, named after the first Japanese family to move to the City of Brampton. The Nurturing Neighbourhoods Program aims to connect residents with resources, improve civic engagement and empower residents to play an active role in enhancing their neighbourhood. We want to have meaningful conversations in our neighbourhoods. As part of Digital Doors Open, residents can enjoy a virtual neighbourhood walking experience and share what they love about their neighbourhood and what can be changed using the online survey and mapping tools. Though the city is there to support, the strongest neighbourhoods are made by the people who actually live there.

This episode of Digital Doors Open Waterloo Region features a conversation with Clarence Cachagee, the visionary behind Crow Shield Lodge – a place for reconciliation, Indigenous land-based teaching and healing. Filmed at the Lodge’s peaceful and remote location near New Hamburg, Cachagee shares his vision for a thriving community that is founded on unity, equality and understanding.

In 1846, Cuthbert Cumming and his wife Jane McMurray acquired a portion of this property, and they bought the balance in 1852. Cumming was born in Scotland and, after working in the Canadian west and Québec, he retired as a Chief Trader for the Hudson Bay Company. He remained in Colborne for many years, listed in the census records as “a gentleman” until his demise in 1870. He is buried in the Trinity Anglican Church cemetery where headstones tell a tale of Cumming family tragedy with the deaths of multiple children. As part of Digital Doors Open, learn more about this house in the video below.

Originally home to Knox College, this building later served as a military hospital and laboratory. It is now the University of Toronto’s John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design. To create the faculty's new home, the restored historical building has been blended with a contemporary addition that continues to delight visitors. During Doors Open, take a self-guided tour.

Author and historian Marion Roes has been surrounded by death her entire life. Her family founded Dreisinger Funeral Home in Elmira in 1904. Roes has written a 500-page book titled Death as Life’s Work, which lovingly and painstakingly documents an illustrated history of more than 120 undertakers and funeral businesses throughout Waterloo Region from 1850 through 2020. As part of Digital Doors Open, join Roes on this journey through the video below.

In 1898, the Cataract Power Company (now Ontario Power Generation) began generating and transmitting electricity from St. Catharines to Hamilton. The entrepreneurial project resulted in the transmission of electricity a staggering 56 kilometers (35 miles) – the longest distance that electricity had been transmitted in Canada at that time, and the second-longest distance in the world! The station remains a working piece of Canada’s hydroelectric heritage. Check out the video below as part of Digital Doors Open and learn more about this fascinating site.

Designed by Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki, this award-winning building serves a representational role for the Ismaili Imamat in Canada, offering a centre for building relationships, enabling quiet diplomacy, and disseminating knowledge and information while reflecting the wide-ranging humanistic and humanitarian agenda of the Aga Khan Development Network and its associated institutions. Under the general direction of His Highness the Aga Khan, Maki has translated concepts rooted in Islamic tradition into a bold, modern design. This design is inspired by the natural luminosity and multi-faceted shape of rock crystal. Throughout the site, the play of light on transparent and translucent surfaces creates a dynamic visual effect. The notion of openness and transparency is carried through the building. The Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat has received the Governor General’s Medal in Architecture (2012), and two awards from the Ontario Association of Architects: the Celebration of Excellence Award and People’s Choice Award (2010). As part of Digital Doors Open, explore this site through this engaging interactive virtual tour.

The “Devil’s Monument” flowerpot is the only complete flowerpot on land along the east side of the Bruce Peninsula. A series of steps from the main Bruce Trail down the escarpment enable hikers to access the base of the flowerpot. The LeFeuvre-Chupac, Minhinnick, Schneider properties, where this feature is located, are owned by the Ontario Heritage Trust and managed by the Bruce Trail Conservancy. As part of Digital Doors Open, take a virtual hike along this part of the Bruce Trail and see this property from the air by watching the video below.

The Diefenbunker is Canada’s most significant surviving Cold War artifact. It is an impressive four-storey underground facility that operated as the country’s central communications headquarters during the Cold War, ready at any moment in case of a nuclear attack. Now a museum, the Diefenbunker offers a one-of-a-kind experiential learning environment, coupled with award-winning programs, events and exhibitions. Registration required.

Since its first event in 2004, Doors Open Kawartha Lakes has showcased some of their communities' most interesting sites and welcomed visitors to their historical buildings, trails and local landscapes. On this virtual tour, you can explore some the most popular and unique sites from the last 16 years of Doors Open Kawartha Lakes – and get ready for the next event in 2021!

There are many ways to help educate a community about its history, but there is no better way than to encourage people to get out and experience it firsthand. When in-person walking tours were not possible, the Downtown Hamilton Business Improvement Association (BIA) created an initiative called Memory Lane. Memory Lane offers an in-depth self-guided tour with scannable QR codes. All you have to do to get started is to search out the QR codes across the BIA and scan them to reveal the history of that property, complete with vintage photos provided by Hamilton Public Libraries’ Local History and Archives department. Alternatively, you can navigate Memory Lane online and explore the past from the comfort of your home.

Downtown Lindsay has a long and storied history that dates back to the mid-19th century. From the time that the town plan was first laid out in 1834 to the changes of the mid-20th century, Lindsay’s downtown has long been the commercial heart of the community – and, as such, has many interesting stories to tell. Designated as a Heritage Conservation District in 2017, the downtown remains a vibrant shopping district with many exciting things to do and see. Explore this storymap and learn about the town from its early beginnings to present day – with a unique guided “walking” tour that presents some of downtown Lindsay’s architectural highlights.