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.

The Hamilton Museum of Steam & Technology is the site of the original 1859 Hamilton Waterworks. The museum features two 13.7-metre high (45 feet), 70-ton steam-powered pumping engines that supplied the city with clean drinking water from 1859 to 1910. Made in Dundas, these engines are the oldest surviving examples of their kind in North America today.

The village of Hastings straddles the Trent River near the border of Northumberland and Peterborough counties. In 1810, William Hare – the first Crown land grant holder – sold approximately 340 hectares (850 acres) to Scots entrepreneur James Crooks, who named the site “Crooks Rapids.” In 1835, the government began planning the Trent Canal system and, by 1844, a dam and log slide were completed at Hastings. Hastings industry included grist, woollen and lumber mills. Take a fascinating walking tour of the village and learn more about its early settlers, its history and some of its enduring architecture.

The Heart Lake North neighbourhood provides great outdoor activities in nature for all to enjoy and experience. This neighbourhood features the Etobicoke Creek Trail – a space to enjoy outdoor recreation and the sounds of nature. Heart Lake North is home to the Heart Lake Conservation Area with 170 hectares (418 acres) of parkland to be explored. Here, you’ll find biking and walking trails, and a lake with a designated swimming area, boat rentals and fishing. The neighbourhood also hosts planned annual tree plantings with local elementary students. Additionally, Heart Lake North includes two recreation centres, a library and is accessed by seven different transit routes. Discover more about the neighbourhood of Heart Lake North in Brampton and the natural amenities that it has to offer such as Loafers Lake and Heart Lake Conservation Park. To begin, enjoy the trail at Loafers Lake – featuring outdoor fitness equipment, ball diamonds, soccer fields and a playground. This beautiful trail boasts spectacular cherry blossoms in the spring, stunning fall colours during the autumn and sledding in the winter. Then, at the Heart Lake Conservation Park, enjoy outdoor fun with the beauty of nature as your backdrop. From fishing in the lake or frolicking at the new pool and splash pad, to speeding above the water on one of their twin zip lines, Heart Lake offers all the best in outdoor entertainment. During Digital Doors Open, enjoy a virtual tour of this spectacular area through the video below.

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.

On his Instagram account @beautyandruin, Cambridge photographer and history buff Michael Johnston showcases more than 1,000 images of heritage homes and stunning structures that illustrate the fascinating past, present and future of Waterloo Region. In this episode of Digital Doors Open Waterloo Region (entitled Beauty and Ruin in Waterloo Region, shown below), Johnston shares a selection of his favourite images and the stories behind the structures. Sites include: the Dickson Park grandstand, Preston Free School, Jacob Beck home, homes built by architect Ray Hall, Preston Springs Hotel and a selection of churches ranging from Gothic to mid-century modern in design.

Barrie's history and heritage shape the city’s distinctive character and provide a sense of place. Their distinct historical neighborhoods reflect their natural and cultural heritage. Experience these detailed virtual walking tours and learn about Barrie's most iconic historical destinations. Locations include Downtown East, Downtown West, Allandale, Grand Homes, H-Block and Court House Hill, Rodney and Blake Street and the Barrie Waterfront. Check out the video below to get a taste of Barrie’s past. (Photo: Dunlop Street)

Hillary House – home of the Koffler Museum of Medicine and the Aurora Historical Society – is a treasured piece of Aurora’s history. It is recognized as one of Canada's best examples of Gothic revival architecture. The museum contains a significant collection of medical instruments, books, papers and furnishings. The Aurora Historical Society, founded in 1963, purchased the house in 1981. Hillary House was declared a National Historic Site in 1975. While Hillary House is now open again, with COVID-related visitor guidelines in place, you can explore many things about the property and its collections digitally (see the video below as a sample). In addition, there are several video recollections as part of the Let’s Talk: Oral History Aurora Project.

Historic Bovaird House is an exceptional example of a mid-19th-century Ontario farmhouse, built in the Georgian style. Volunteers have endeavoured to restore the house to its original appearance. Authentic artifacts and period craftsmanship demonstrate the history of this house, which contains five fireplaces, original plank flooring and hand-blown windowpanes imported from England. Michael Avis, from the Friends of Historic Bovaird House, has been active in caring for the property for 22 years by maintaining its stories and history. As part of Digital Doors Open, join him on a tour of the house in the video below, as well as the log cabin and grounds, where you will experience Brampton’s pioneer heritage first hand. You will also meet long-time volunteer, gardener and groundskeeper, Gail Armstrong.

From 1919, the Hollinger Mine embarked on a building project to house its growing workforce. More than 300 green and red tar-paper houses were built in rows on the Hollinger townsite. This particular house was originally located on the Underground Mine Tour Site and then moved to its current location at the Timmins Museum. Read local historian Diane Armstrong’s account of how this house was saved from demolition. During Digital Doors Open, join the museum staff for breakfast inside the Hollinger House to find out more!

The Ingenium Centre houses Canada’s science and technology collection, with more than two million archival, trade literature and library materials, and more than 116,000 artifacts. The Centre provides a controlled environment to protect the artifacts for the benefit of generations to come, designed to properly house artifacts made of materials such as plastic, wood, paper, textiles and ivory.

Now in its 45th year, this award-winning museum has become the focus of the Oxford County Cheese Trail and the hub of cycling in Ingersoll. Beginning as a cheese museum, it has since become a community museum, home of the recreated Oxford County Museum School. Start your Doors Open adventure here and pick up your guidebook and shopping vouchers.

Established in 1864, this cemetery has been the final resting place for folks born from the 18th to 21st centuries. A quiet space for contemplative walks, the cemetery offers the chance to study the lives of hundreds of people who once called Ingersoll home. A special feature for Doors Open Oxford-Ingersoll will be the opportunity to explore the mausoleum.

Construction of the inner range lighthouse began in 1898. It is 16 metres (52.5 feet) high and has a tapered eight-sided frame that supports a 12-sided lantern and beaver-shaped weathervane. Access to the lantern is provided by four very steep and narrow wooden staircases. Today, the lighthouses in Port Dalhousie serve as a symbol of St. Catharines and its maritime history. Explore this fascinating lighthouse as part of Digital Doors Open through the video below.

The Innisfil ideaLAB & Library is an award-winning space that is known for its innovation, community-led programming and hacker ethic. With many programs, events, resources and stories, the ideaLAB & Library invites you to experience everything that they have to offer – books, DVDs, e-resources, free Wi-Fi, music recording, graphic design, community gathering space, 3D printing, soldering, business resources, community events, a butterfly nursery, pollinator gardens, jewelry making, robotics and much more! 2020 marked a big year for the ideaLAB, as they moved to a fine-free service model, expanded their digital collections and virtual programming opportunities, and launched new programs to address public safety and social isolation. This was also the first year that the library participated in Simcoe Reads, along with public libraries from Barrie, Bradford, Essa and Midland. Visit their extensive YouTube channel to learn more about the kinds of things they do. And check their website for more COVID-related updates.

A popular addition to the architectural renewal of the University of Toronto’s downtown campus, the Isabel Bader Theatre has become a staple of the city’s film festival circuit, while serving as a lecture hall and learning space for student groups. It is an outstanding venue for concerts, theatrical productions, conferences and filming events. It’s busy schedule keeps the 500-seat theatre occupied throughout much of the academic year. It is also, however, in high demand by external clients. As part of Digital Doors Open, explore this theatre space through the video below.

This facility reflects Brampton’s growing Muslim-Canadian community by providing Muslims with a place of worship, prayer, reflection, learning, counselling and charitable care. It is also a place where people from all faiths (or no faith) can learn about Islam in an open and peaceful forum. The congregation is proud to be part of the inclusive and multicultural city of Brampton. As part of Digital Doors Open, Zahir Bacchus speaks about the Great Lakes Mosque in the video below.

In 1820, this fine neoclassical gem was built by Joseph Abbott Keeler, founder of Colborne, Castleton and Norwood, and the son of Joseph Keeler, the original American settler. Joseph Jr. established several mills, a newspaper, and a store with a post office, and he oversaw the incorporation of Colborne village in 1859. As part of Digital Doors Open, learn more about this site in the video below.

Josiah Henson, an African American who escaped plantation slavery in the United States via the Underground Railroad, purchased this property in 1841 and established the Dawn Settlement, a refuge for fugitives from slavery who escaped to Canada. Today, the site is a museum, owned and operated by the Ontario Heritage Trust. During Digital Doors Open, take a virtual tour of the site in the video below, or book a live, interactive virtual tour here. Explore Ontario’s Black heritage through this online resource. Watch this moving documentary on the life of Henson (narrated by Danny Glover and directed by Jared Brock). And explore the site digitally through a series of virtual tours found here.

The Kawartha Art Gallery first opened in 1976 as a venue for the local community to experience art in Lindsay. Now located on the second floor of the Lindsay Public Library, the gallery aims to foster art in the community through exhibitions, classes, lectures and special events. Explore the gallery from home with a new virtual tour. The gallery is also open for in-person visits. Please check their website for current hours.

The newly renamed Kawartha Lakes Museum & Archives is located in the former Lindsay Jail, constructed in 1863, and showcases historical artifacts from Lindsay and the surrounding area. Come and experience the history of Kawartha Lakes with their range of exhibits as well as aspects of the former jail, such as the cell blocks that still exist inside the museum.

Kawartha Settlers' Village was established in 1990 to help preserve the history of the Bobcaygeon area. Now home to a collection of over 20 historical homes and other buildings, it allows visitors to experience what life was like for early pioneers in Kawartha Lakes as they walk through the village and explore its many buildings. As part of Digital Doors Open, you can now explore the village from home with a new virtual tour, which highlights some of the village's major buildings. Or discover some of their fascinating online exhibits.

The Keefer Terminal was conceptualized in 1957 by the Canadian Lakehead Port Association, a co-operative consisting of the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, and the cities of Port Arthur and Fort William. The terminal stands out as a major feature of the Thunder Bay Port, and is an integral part of the region's shipping. It was built to augment existing bulk cargo-handling capabilities at the Lakehead with modern facilities for lake vessels carrying freight for Western Canada, and berthage for ocean-going vessels for handling import and export trade. With the transition of package freight movement to the Trans-Canada Highway in the 1980s, marine activity decreased at Keefer Terminal. Since 2004, the Port of Thunder Bay has revitalized the terminal as a supply-chain gateway for heavy, oversized breakbulk and project cargo. Keefer Terminal’s regular cargoes, primarily destined for Western Canada, include steel products, windmill components, electrical infrastructure and bulk phosphate fertilizer. Capital infrastructure investment of $30 million has modernized Keefer’s cargo handling assets, providing value for shippers using the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway system. Learn more about this fascinating site through the video below.

Joseph Keeler’s (1763-1839) ancestors date back to 1560 in Scotland. In 1795, Keeler left the American colonies and landed on Lake Ontario shores, with 40 United Empire Loyalist families in tow, at Cat Hollow, now Lakeport. He built a sawmill and grist mill and established the economic foundations of the area. Keeler built significant homes, including this one, and ran the local tavern. The Keeler dynasty was carried on by Joseph II and Joseph III and via judicial land grants. These pioneers were the first developers of Lakeport, Colborne, Castleton and Norwood. As part of Digital Doors Open, learn more about this site in the video below.

With nearly 50,000 items capturing life in Waterloo Region, the collection at the Ken Seiling Waterloo Region Museum is the most comprehensive of any local museum in Canada. These artifacts’ origins range from the 1500s to the modern era and are lovingly obtained by, and preserved in, the museum’s state-of-the-art Curatorial Centre. The acquisition and safekeeping of these items provides a comprehensive visual history of the region and its stories. But the effort to preserve the past also serves the community in understanding the present and navigating the future. Explore the Curatorial Centre in the video below.