Built at the turn of the 19th century, this building served as The Consolidated Lake Superior Company General Office Building – one of the finest examples of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture in Ontario. It was designated in 1993 and is now home to the Algoma Conservatory of Music, a regional centre for music education, performance and recording.

The Community Garden Program was initiated by the City of Belleville Green Task Force in 2012. It gives residents a place to grow vegetables and flowers in designated parks. Anyone living in the Belleville area can apply. No special skills are required. The gardens include the Bayview Heights Community Gardens, the Ponton Park Community Gardens and the West Hill Park Community Gardens. Garden beds are awarded in March each year by lottery. Each name drawn will be assigned a garden bed and given exclusive use for the season (May to October). The program is free. Each garden bed provides 3.7 square metres (40 square feet) of growing space. Learn more about the gardens and the rules of the program and COVID-19 guidelines here. And, for Digital Doors Open, take a virtual tour of these community gardens here.

Most of Belleville's drinking water is treated at the Gerry O'Connor Water Treatment Plant, located in the west end overlooking the Bay of Quinte. It operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week and treats 72 million litres of water daily, which is enough to fill Belleville's water tower 24 times over. Its distribution system serves over 40,000 residents and businesses every day through 224 km (139 miles) of water mains. Energy projects have been done at the plant. Old boilers were replaced with new models to reduce natural gas consumption. Roof insulation was upgraded to R18. And new solar energy products were brought online. Belleville was recognized as a leader in energy conservation in 2015 and 2017 by Save on Energy and Veridian, now Elexicon Energy. As part of Digital Doors Open, you can take a virtual tour and learn more about the Water Treatment Plant here.

Named after Colonel John Butler, a hero of the American Revolutionary War, this complex was an integral component of the military facilities built in the Niagara region to replace those destroyed during the War of 1812. Situated inland, out of range of the American artillery across the river, Butler's Barracks comprised more than 20 buildings by 1854. The only structures that survive from this period are the Commissariat Stores, Junior Commissariat Officers' Quarters, Men's Barracks and Gun Shed. The site was used by the British until 1870, after which it became a training camp for the Canadian militia. The barracks near John Street have been fully reconstructed and act as the headquarters for Parks Canada’s Southwestern Ontario Field Unit. The Commons was used extensively over the past two centuries for military training. It was also the site of the Native Council House at the perimeter of Paradise Grove from 1812 until the mid 1820s. For Digital Doors Open, explore The Commons through the video below.

Francis H. Clergue arrived in the Sault in 1894 and established the Lake Superior Power Company and the Sault Ste. Marie Pulp and Paper Company Limited, building his own machine shop and foundry to create the machines he needed to run the businesses. Today, the property features pubs, restaurants, event spaces, The Rink and the train station.

Built in 1877 by Alexander Cardno, this is the largest building on Seaforth’s Main Street. The upstairs was the site of Cardno's Music and Concert Hall, which was also a gathering place for community events. For decades, the hall was the leading centre for the arts in Seaforth. Tour this spectacular space and even see the original theatre curtains!

Overlooking the village of Portland and Big Rideau Lake is the Emmanuel Heritage Centre (1861), a former Anglican church. Its beauty lies in its simplicity — constructed in the Gothic revival style with sandstone quarried onsite, featuring unusual stone buttresses. Owned by the Portland on the Rideau Historical Society, the impressive interior hosts Portland historical memorabilia, musical events and seasonal markets.

Ann Gillespie, from the Architectural Conservancy Ontario Hamilton Region Branch, has developed a self-guided walking tour of buildings in Hamilton’s downtown core that feature glazed architectural terracotta cladding and ornamentation, all dating between 1905 and 1925. This walking tour is available in a printable PDF format. It includes a map with a suggested route but participants can choose their own route, guided by buildings or sites (demolished buildings) numbered from 1 to 8. (Cornice of the Landed Banking and Loan building. Photo: Carol Priamo)

Seaforth Town Hall, constructed in 1893-94, originally housed the fire hall on the main floor, town offices on the second floor, and an auditorium on the third. At one time, the third floor had an indoor tennis court! Browse through the miniature Seaforth Museum on the second floor, which features artifacts from the Huron County Museum and Sills Family collection.

In 1765, British naval craftsmen from Fort Niagara erected a barracks on the opposite side of the Niagara River. Over the years, several buildings – known collectively as Navy Hall – evolved into a key military supply facility for British forts on the upper Great Lakes. During the American Revolution, the Provincial Marine wintered at Navy Hall and, in 1792, Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe converted one of the buildings into his residence. The Lieutenant Governor's home in the first capital of the Province of Upper Canada later served as a dining hall for the officers at Fort George. Navy Hall was destroyed by American forces during the War of 1812. After the war, the British rebuilt some of the buildings, of which one still survives today. As part of Digital Doors Open, you can learn more about this site’s remarkable history through the video below.

Discover one of only four blockhouses built on the Rideau Canal. This building features thick walls designed to withstand small cannon fire and a tin sheathed roof to defy torching. Situated on a knoll to observe the lock and channel, the blockhouse can hold a 20-man garrison and house the lockmaster. Come and enjoy this rare opportunity to peek inside! (Photo: Rosanne Lake)

Built in 2011, the design of the Ottawa Humane Society celebrates its strong community values and commitment to the animals. The Shirley Kearns Memorial Adoption Centre was built to provide easy viewing and visiting of animals available for adoption. In the adoption centre, cats, dogs and small animals are housed in separate areas with rooms and enclosures designed to meet the animals’ daily needs. The education centre – a large, open, naturally lit room – hosts a variety of workshops and camps to teach pet owners about responsible pet ownership and animal welfare. In a modern clinic facility, veterinarians provide regular and emergency medical treatment for animals in shelter care. The clinic includes a critical care unit for Ottawa’s neediest animals, an X-ray room and surgery theatre. Before animals are ready for adoption, they are housed in the holding area. Holding is set up with high-volume/high-changeover air handling systems and full sanitary and wash-down facilities to provide maximum sanitation and to prevent the spread of disease. Administration is adjacent to the adoption centre and holding area to allow ease of access for staff and volunteers to the animal areas. The interconnected design promotes a strong connection between staff of various departments, volunteers and the public. During Digital Doors Open, take a virtual tour of the site and learn more about the important work that they do.

Join this unique tour of Belleville sites that have had new power systems installed and learn more about these renewable power sources – such as solar panels and new power systems. We start with the Meyers Pier and the Water Treatment Plant, which boast rooftop solar panels. Next is the Quinte Sports and Wellness Centre, which has both an extensive solar rooftop array as well as power converters that send AC back to the grid. In addition, the Centre uses Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems – which produce both electricity and heat from a single fuel source onsite. In addition to reducing emissions, CHP systems also improve energy efficiency (up to 90 per cent in some locations), which also means lower costs. Finally, check out Belleville Transit, the Sewage Plant and the City of Belleville’s Human Resources building for more examples of renewable power sources. Learn more about CHP systems here. And, as part of Digital Doors Open, explore these sites – with their aerial views and photos.

The Seaforth Water Treatment Plant delivers clean, reliable drinking water to Seaforth, Egmondville, and Harpurhey. Visit to discover how your water is sourced, treated, and reaches your tap!

The Senate of Canada Building is full of history, art, architecture and parliamentary treasures. It is the Senate’s temporary home in downtown Ottawa, while its permanent home (the Centre Block building with the Peace Tower) is closed for major rehabilitation work. Over the years, this building has hosted many important national events (the repatriation of the Canadian constitution) and has served many different functions (it opened in 1912 as a train station). Today, as the temporary home of the Senate, you can explore — through this virtual tour — where the Senate works.

The United States has had an official diplomatic presence in Canada since 1827. Built in 1969, the current building creates a bridge between places, peoples and ideas. Symbolizing a bridge, the building stands for partnership and alliance. As a work of architecture, the magnificence of the building is indicative of the significant relationship that the United States has with Canada.

This park, created by the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, helps us understand, celebrate and honour the town’s Black history. It is an experiential art installation designed to engage, educate and challenge visitors. The park has an accompanying audio/visual walking tour that you’re welcome to explore. During Doors Open, the Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum's "Tiny Museum" will also be onsite with a mobile exhibition.

The Belleville Wastewater Treatment Plant is located by the Bay of Quinte in Belleville’s east end. It deals with wastewater that goes down drains in our homes, public buildings and commercial facilities. Wastewater travels through the city’s sanitary sewer system to the Water Pollution Control Plant at the same complex. Wastewater then goes through an extensive treatment process and is returned to the Bay of Quinte. Biosolids are used as fertilizer for agricultural purposes. As of 2020, city water staff have been testing a new odour-control product to break down and control sulfur compounds that can fill the autumn air surrounding the city’s wastewater treatment plant. A storm sewer is a pipeline designed to direct stormwater to a stormwater management pond or receiving stream or body of water. Stormwater is rainfall and melting snow that soaks into the ground or runs off surfaces into storm sewers and nearby waterways. As part of Digital Doors Open, learn more about this treatment plant here.