The Archives of Ontario is the largest provincial archives in Canada, with a vast collection that includes textual (paper) items, photographs, maps, architectural drawings and audio, video and film recordings. Located at York University's Keele Campus, this purpose-built facility includes a large reading room with digital microfilm readers, audio and video booths, digitization and conservation labs, a large exhibit gallery and a classroom for educational programming. The Archives is also home to the Government of Ontario Art Collection. If you’re interested in researching at the archives, check out the Researching Our Records Online or the Tracing Your Family History videos on the Archives’ YouTube channel. As part of Digital Doors Open, learn more about the Archives of Ontario through the video below, browse their many online exhibits or piece together Ontario’s history by trying out an online jigsaw puzzle.

Brampton's Fire and Emergency Services responds to over 20,000 calls every year. The Fire Services Apparatus and Maintenance Facility is where they come for repairs and ongoing equipment maintenance. This LEED-certified building opened in 2017 and provides ongoing support for all of the fire trucks and equipment used by Brampton's 13 fire stations. In addition, you'll find training facilities and a repair bay that can accommodate up to 18 vehicles at the same time - with a hoist that can lift up to 75,000 pounds! See for yourself. Take a virtual tour of Brampton's Fire Department Services Apparatus and Maintenance Facility in the video below.

Join us for an evening of food, dancing and shopping while you experience one of Hamilton's best examples of adaptive reuse. The Imperial Cotton Factory was taken over in 2014. Today, The Cotton Factory is a creative arts centre in the heart of lower Hamilton. Come and explore artists’ studios, artisan and vintage markets, and a beautifully restored 1900s factory.

A merging of 19th- and 21st-century architecture, the Daniels Building conveys a narrative that parallels the history of the city itself. Situated in a large roundabout, the circular site was originally constructed as a garden with views to Lake Ontario. The original neo-Gothic building was the first home of Knox College, a Presbyterian theological school. Later, it served as a military hospital during the First World War, the home of Connaught Laboratories, and an auxiliary and servicing facility for the University of Toronto. To create the new John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design, the historical building was pared back to its roots, restoring original details. The contemporary addition integrates active, creative spaces, iconically represented by the design studio, with its soaring bow-tie truss ceiling and clerestory windows. The Main Hall boasts fins and stripes in charged colours that surprise and delight. As part of Digital Doors Open, check out the video below or consult their YouTube playlists to learn more.

The McMichael Canadian Art Collection, located on 40 hectares (100 acres) of forested land along the Humber River, is a major public gallery devoted to collecting the art of Canada. Located on the original lands of the Ojibwe Anishinaabe people, the McMichael is uniquely situated along the historical Carrying Place Trail. The McMichael’s permanent collection consists of over 6,500 artworks by Tom Thomson, the Group of Seven, their contemporaries, and First Nations, Métis, Inuit and contemporary artists who have contributed to the development of Canadian art. While the McMichael has reopened, there are restrictions in place for visitors. Check their website for details. Digital visits, however, are also encouraged. Explore their eMuseum – a searchable online collection. Wander the grounds – lush forests, a sculpture garden and scenic hiking trails – with the aid of their downloadable map and audio guided tour. For budding young artists, the McMichael offers the ArtVenture Online program, which includes free art activities, videos, tutorials and more. Watch and learn through a series of curatorial talks and virtual studio visits. Take an online art class. Or discover their many educational resources – from virtual classrooms and tours to workshops and teacher retreats. With Digital Doors Open, there is much to see and do.

From its headquarters on Blair Road in Cambridge, the rare Charitable Research Reserve works to discover the most inclusive practices and answers to environmental issues, stewarding the reserve’s diverse network of natural landscapes for ecological integrity and future generations. rare offers Waterloo Region a diverse network of connected natural areas, protected intact in perpetuity. Its leadership in conservation, research, restoration and education is encompassed in North House, an aspirational 60-square-metre (650-square-foot) solar-powered home and working model of green technology. As part of Digital Doors Open, watch the video below for a behind-the-scenes experience of this fascinating structure.

The Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives (PAMA) is a place to explore and learn about Peel Region’s culture and heritage, as well as use conversation, questions and stories to help make new and fascinating connections to the surrounding community. The Peel County Courthouse, a designated heritage site, and the Peel Jail, now home to the museum, have important stories to tell. As part of Digital Doors Open, you can tour the jail in the video below. Additional video resources include a fascinating history of Peel's Black communities through the North Peel Community Church, an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the Peel Regional Archives, and a rare opportunity to explore one of artist Tom Thomson's sketchbooks from inside the art gallery vault.

Quinte Waste Solutions is the municipal recycling service that has collected for nine member communities for over 25 years. At its Trenton location – known as the Material Recovery Facility – they process over 50 metric tonnes of household recycling each day. During Digital Door Open, watch the video below to see how recycling works - from curbside collection to the sorting line to the finished bales of recycled materials that are then sold to companies for new uses.

The Rizzardo Health & Wellness Centre is an innovative health and wellness hub that is transforming how health care is delivered. The purpose of the Centre is to encourage health and wellness, connect with the community, foster a connection to nature, provide safe, accessible and comfortable social spaces, and support environmental responsibility. In this space, health-care providers and services are brought together to provide an integrated and optimized health-care system for the community. Services include family medicine, dentistry, chiropractic, physiotherapy, radiology, pharmacy, health and wellness programs, and more. (Check out the video below, as part of Digital Doors Open, to learn more about the Centre.) It is also home to the Horodynsky Community Kitchen and the Stewart and Betty Fisher Family Community Room. These multipurpose community spaces support the programs offered through the Centre, and are available to community members for business and social rentals. To learn more about the health-care services or virtual health and wellness programs available, visit their website. Or download this Healthy Habits Tracker and children’s activities – with colouring pages, games and more!

The Waters Passive House is the most energy-efficient home in Innisfil. Built in 2015, the house combines thick insulated walls, low air leakage, south-facing windows, energy-efficient windows, and a ventilation system for energy efficiency. Fun fact: The house has no furnace and is heated entirely by the heat generated by appliances, warm bodies, and the sun shining through the windows! It also has a 5-kilowatt solar generating system that provides electricity. (This video explains how this system was installed.) There are also lush natural gardens surrounding the house. So, what is a passive house? Watch this video for a 90-second explanation!