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Agriculture (1)

Plaque

Canadian National Exhibition

This plaque commemorates the establishment of the Exhibition (the “Ex”), a national event that has occurred since 1912.

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Archaeology (8)

Plaque

Fool's Paradise

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Online exhibit

Layer by layer — 1. Introduction

With centuries of buildup above, archaeologists were not hopeful that anything from the First Parliament buildings survived below. In 2000, they dug down, layer by layer, until they passed the remains of the jail. Then, to everyone’s surprise, they found what they were looking for: evidence of Ontario’s cradle of democracy.

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Online exhibit

Layer by layer — 2. First Parliament throughout the ages

Indigenous people have lived on this land for over 13,000 years. Today, this land continues to be home to these communities and many other diverse Indigenous Peoples.

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Online exhibit

Layer by layer — 3. Layers of history

Archaeologists began their excavations at the First Parliament site in the fall of 2000. The project was focused on finding the remains of the First Parliament buildings. In the 200 years since the buildings were constructed, the city has changed dramatically. With centuries of urban buildup, the archaeologists were not sure there would be anything left.

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Online exhibit

Layer by layer — 4. What is archaeology?

Artifacts and structures together form the physical history of past and present societies. By examining it all, we can better understand where and how people from the past lived. Excavations can tell us many things that books and records simply cannot.

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Online exhibit

Layer by layer — 5. Learning from artifacts

One of the most exciting parts of working on an excavation site is uncovering artifacts. Archaeologists rarely find objects intact. But even fragments of the past can be thrilling discoveries. The smallest sherds can tell us a lot about how people used the site and give us a glimpse into their lives.

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Online exhibit

Layer by layer — 6. The legacy of First Parliament

The site of First Parliament played an important role in the history of Toronto and the province of Ontario. Fort York and First Parliament bookend the early city. These were the first two centres of colonial activity: military and administrative. It was a key part of the settlement’s foundation, establishing York as a political centre.

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Online exhibit

Layer by layer — Start: Archaeology in the heart of Toronto

Walking by the intersection of Front and Parliament streets in the heart of Toronto, you might not realize the history beneath your feet.

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Arts and culture (17)

Plaque

Canadian International Air Show

Begun in 1946, this renowned air show has fascinated audiences and forced people to look up into the skies above Toronto ever since.

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Plaque

Canadian National Exhibition

This plaque commemorates the establishment of the Exhibition (the “Ex”), a national event that has occurred since 1912.

Learn more About Plaque Canadian National Exhibition in arts and culture

Plaque

Commissariat Building 1827

Today a museum, this structure is the oldest existing stone building in Ottawa. During the construction of the Rideau Canal, it was a storehouse, office and treasury. The building was turned over to the Canadian government in 1864.

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Property

Fool's Paradise

Fool’s Paradise was the home and studio of Canadian landscape artist, writer and educator Doris McCarthy (1910-2010). The site overlooks Lake Ontario along Toronto’s Scarborough Bluffs.

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Plaque

Fool's Paradise

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Plaque

Hon. George Brown 1818-1880

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Honourable George Brown, The

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Plaque

Le Droit

In 1912, French-Canadian educational and religious groups came together to discuss the founding of a newspaper that could be used to protest Regulation 17, which severely restricted the teaching of French in Ontario schools. From this, Le Droit was born — a French-language daily newspaper. Le Droit continues to support and defend Franco-Ontarian rights.

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Plaque

Loew's Yonge Street and Winter Garden Theatres

Now known as the Elgin & Winter Garden Theatres, this complex was designed by renowned architect Thomas Lamb for entrepreneur Marcus Loew as the Canadian flagship of his American theatre chain. The stacked theatres opened in 1913-14.

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Plaque

Marie Dressler 1868-1934

Born in this house as Leila Maria Koerber, Marie Dressler became the stage name of this actress who became successful in silent and talking films — including alongside Charlie Chaplin and Greta Garbo. Dressler won an Academy Award in 1931.

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Marie-Rose Turcot 1887-1977

Turcot moved to Ottawa at the age of 20 to take a job in the civil service. Later, she became a journalist and writer, and also worked in broadcast journalism. She was active in several French-Canadian cultural organizations as well as a collector of Franco-Ontarian folk tales.

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Plaque

Mother Marie Thomas d’Aquin 1877-1963

Originally from near Bordeaux, France, Jeanne Branda felt a calling to become a nun and a teacher. In 1899, she joined the Dominican Sisters of Nancy, where she took on the name Sister Marie Thomas d’Aquin. She moved to the United States and then, while visiting Ottawa in 1914, agreed to head the Jeanne d’Arc Institute.

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Plaque

Sir Richard Bonnycastle 1791-1847

While at Fort Henry, check out the plaque to Bonnycastle, who played a significant role in the defence and economic development of the province.

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Plaque

St. Anne's Anglican Church

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Stephen Butler Leacock (England)

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Stephen Butler Leacock (Ontario)

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William Perkins Bull

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Black heritage (10)

Plaque

Buxton Settlement, The

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Plaque

Chloe Cooley and the 1793 Act to Limit Slavery in Upper Canada

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Plaque

Dawn Settlement, The

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Plaque

Hugh Burnett and the National Unity Association

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Online exhibit

Ontario's military heritage — 1. War of 1812 (Upper Canada's soldiers)

In 1811, Major-General Isaac Brock was appointed as the senior military commander and senior member of Upper Canada’s executive council. It was Brock’s responsibility to manage the defences of Upper Canada. On taking office, Brock quickly recognized the province’s vulnerability.

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Ontario's military heritage — 2. Rebellions and incursions (The Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837-38)

Few anticipated that demands for political reform in Upper Canada would culminate in an armed rebellion. And yet, contextual factors, combined with the fateful decisions of those who represented the Crown and the Reform movement, made a rebellion possible.

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Ontario's military heritage — 3. The Great War (Donning the khaki)

The soldiers who fought overseas in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) experienced a war like no other before it. The ingenuity of the modern industrial age was used to construct international war machines designed for efficient and brutal destruction. And yet, all the sophisticated machinery, tools and weaponry still required flesh and blood to operate.

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Online exhibit

Ontario's military heritage — 4. Second World War (Military operations and experiences)

By the summer of 1940, Nazi Germany had conquered most of continental Europe, and the United Kingdom was defending itself against the German Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain. During these trying times, Canada became the United Kingdom’s most important ally. To make a meaningful difference in the war, Canada’s military would require expansion and modernization.

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Plaque

Wilberforce Settlement, The

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Plaque

William and Susannah Steward House

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Black history (2)

Property

Josiah Henson Museum of African-Canadian History

An estimated 30,000 Black refugees from slavery in the United States fled to Canada along the Underground Railroad. One of these freedom seekers was abolitionist, preacher and author Josiah Henson.

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Plaque

Solomon Moseby Affair 1837, The

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Bruce Trail (3)

Property

Devil's Monument

The Devil’s Monument comprises the Minhinick, LeFeuvre-Chupac and Schneider properties. The name refers to the presence of a flowerpot that has long been a draw for locals and tourists alike. It is the only complete flowerpot on land along the east side of the Bruce Peninsula.

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Property

Scotsdale Farm

Scotsdale Farm is undoubtedly one of the most picturesque places in Halton Hills. The farm is situated northwest of Georgetown and connects to Silvercreek Conservation Area and Bruce Trail.

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Property

Yaremko-Ridley Property

The 64-hectare (160-acre) Yaremko-Ridley Property, located just outside of the Town of Milton, contains mixed escarpment forest with stunning glacial valleys, rolling landscapes and numerous rock outcroppings and deposits.

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Buildings (55)

Property

Aberdeen Pavilion

Built for the Central Canada Exhibition Association, the Pavilion was named after the incumbent Governor General, The Earl of Aberdeen.

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Ashbridge Estate

Two acres of the original homestead and an 1854 house have been preserved to tell the Ashbridge story.

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Assumption Church

The Assumption Church has been associated with a Jesuit Huron mission at La Pointe du Montréal, the parish of L'Assumption du Détroit, since 1761.

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Property

Auld Kirk Presbyterian Church

One of Ramsay Township's oldest churches, Auld Kirk Presbyterian Church is associated with the early Scottish settlers.

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Property

Barnum House

Eliakim Barnum was in his early twenties when he emigrated from the United States in 1807. He chose to settle in Haldimand Township near the village of Grafton. By 1819, Barnum owned land, a thriving milling business, a tavern and a distillery.

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Property

Belleville City Hall

Built as a symbol of Belleville's growth and prosperity and as an expression of civic pride and confidence in the future, this building was one of a few civic complexes completed during the economic depression of 1873, and one of even fewer completed with the elaboration of interior and exterior fittings.

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Property

Benares

Benares is associated with the early settlement of the north shore of Lake Ontario. The house, home of Captain James Harris, is located on one of the earliest settled sites in the village of Clarkson's Corners (later shortened to Clarkson).

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Bethune-Thompson House

The Bethune-Thompson House in Williamstown owes its name to two prominent owners — the Reverend John Bethune and explorer David Thompson. But it was Peter Ferguson, an early settler, who first built a house on this site in 1784.

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Church of St. Alban the Martyr

Ottawa was selected as the permanent capital of the Province of Canada in 1857. With the growth of Ottawa's government and civil service population, a new congregation separated from the original Anglican parish, Christ Church on Spark Street.

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Church of St. John the Evangelist

St. John's Church is associated with the early settlement of the Scott's Mills or Scott's Plains area (now the City of Peterborough) by over 200 Irish immigrants in 1825.

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Duff-Baby House

Built in 1798 on the south shore of the Detroit River in Sandwich, the Duff-Baby House is named for its first two loyalist owners, Alexander Duff and James Baby.

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Dundurn Castle and Grounds

Dundurn Castle is located on lands formerly owned and occupied by Richard Beasley (1761-1842), merchant and politician, who settled here in 1793.

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Property

Elgin & Winter Garden Theatres

At this magnificent National Historic Site, you can bask in the gilded elegance of the Elgin Theatre, and then gaze at the leafy ceiling of the Winter Garden Theatre, seven storeys above the Elgin.

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Enoch Turner Schoolhouse

Toronto's Enoch Turner Schoolhouse is a provincially significant heritage site and the oldest school still standing in Toronto.

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Fleet Street Pumping Station

The great Carleton County Fire of 1870 and the Chicago Fire of 1871 led to the City of Ottawa engaging Thomas C. Keefer, a leading Canadian engineer, to design Ottawa's first system of water distribution.

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Fool's Paradise

Fool’s Paradise was the home and studio of Canadian landscape artist, writer and educator Doris McCarthy (1910-2010). The site overlooks Lake Ontario along Toronto’s Scarborough Bluffs.

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Property

Frontenac County Courthouse

With the growth in population in Kingston and with the increased complexity of the law, the 1796 courthouse and jail were deemed to be too small by the mid-19th century. The courthouse and jail were sold and contracts were let for the new courthouse in July 1855 on land obtained from the province.

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Property

Fulford Place

Discover the story of Senator George T. Fulford, explore the grand Fulford mansion and marvel at the many original family furnishings.

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Online exhibit

Fulford Place: A tribute to ambition

This magnificent 1,858-square-metre (20,000-square-foot) mansion was built in 1899-1901 for self-made millionaire and senator George Taylor Fulford I (1852-1905) and his family.

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Property

George Brown House

This fine Second Empire-style house was built for George Brown between 1874 and 1876. The elegance of his residence reflects his prominence as a Father of Confederation, founder of The Globe newspaper (now the Globe and Mail) and a leading Liberal politician.

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Property

Homewood Museum

Step back in time to 1800. Get a glimpse of the life of Dr. Solomon Jones (1756-1822), a United Empire Loyalist and the area’s first physician.

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Hudson's Bay Company Staff House

Moose Factory, an island just south of James Bay, was established in 1673 as the main trading post of the Hudson's Bay Company. It is Canada's oldest English-speaking community.

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Inge-Va

Located in the heart of Perth, this late-Georgian stone residence was built in 1823 for Reverend Michael Harris, the first Episcopalian minister in the district.

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Josiah Henson Museum of African-Canadian History

An estimated 30,000 Black refugees from slavery in the United States fled to Canada along the Underground Railroad. One of these freedom seekers was abolitionist, preacher and author Josiah Henson.

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Kenora Post Office

Designed by the federal Department of Public Works in stylistic blend of High Victorian, Second Empire and Richardsonian Romanesque, this predominantly brick building is characterized by a high, heavily rusticated, stone foundation.

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Leacock House

This building was constructed on Old Brewery Bay as a summer home for Stephen Leacock, world-renowned humorist and author.

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Macdonell-Williamson House

In 1813, after 19 years as a fur trader with the North West Company, John Macdonell (1768-1850) retired to Hawkesbury Township with his wife, Magdeleine Poitras — a Métis born on the Manitoba section of the Qu'Appelle River — and their children.

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Macpherson House

This house was built by Allan Macpherson, a leading local businessman, militia leader, magistrate and Napanee's first postmaster, in proximity to his general store on Dundas Street.

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Mather-Walls House

The Mather-Walls House in Keewatin (part of Kenora) reflects the vision of one man — John Mather.

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McMartin House

McMartin House was built in the American Federal style in 1830 for Daniel McMartin (1798-1869), one of the first lawyers in Perth.

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Middlesex County Courthouse

Rapid growth required the building of a separate but nearby County administration office in 1861 and a Registry Office in 1876. This building is associated with 19th-century judicial, governmental and administrative development in Ontario.

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Mississippi Valley Textile Museum

The entire mill complex is one of a few surviving Ottawa Valley textile manufacturing complexes from the late 19th century. In 1988, the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum acquired the Annex of the mill complex for use as a museum.

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Niagara Apothecary

Step through the doors of the Niagara Apothecary and see how pharmacists practised their profession over 100 years ago.

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Niagara District Court House

This building is associated with 19th-century judicial, governmental and administrative development in Ontario and is the third and only surviving courthouse erected for the former Niagara District. Its plan marks a transition to larger and more sophisticated court buildings after 1850 in order to include a wider range of functions.

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North Bay Canadian Pacific Railway Station

This station at North Bay was built in 1903 by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). Once an important hub of transnational rails, the North Bay CPR Station was home to the district divisional offices between 1901 and 1959.

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Ontario Heritage Centre

The Canadian Birkbeck Investment and Savings Company was the initial owner of what is today the Ontario Heritage Centre – the Ontario Heritage Trust's headquarters.

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Ontario Northland Railway Station

Built in 1910 for the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway, the Cobalt Station is associated with the early development of rail transportation and settlement in northern Ontario.

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Peel County Courthouse and Jail

Serving as Peel County's judicial and administrative centre until 1973, the courthouse was then leased to the municipality until 1980. It now serves as a museum and art gallery.

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Property

Pinhey Estate

Hamnet Kirkes Pinhey, a wealthy landed English gentleman and a successful merchant and veteran of the Napoleonic Wars, emigrated to Upper Canada in 1820 with a small fortune to develop an estate in the wilderness.

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Plaque

Precious Blood Cathedral

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Precious Blood Cathedral

Sault Ste. Marie was elevated to a diocese in 1904 and the church was selected as a diocesan Cathedral. In 1913, the Jesuits who had served the parish church and then the Cathedral were replaced by the secular clergy. It was renamed the Cathedral of Precious Blood in 1936.

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Redmond Heights

Located at Drummond Hill, Redmond Heights comprises part of the site of the Battle of Lundy's Lane.

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Ruthven Estate

Ruthven stands as a rare surviving example of that romantic combination of Classical architecture and picturesque landscape that characterized country estates of the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

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Scotsdale Farm

Scotsdale Farm is undoubtedly one of the most picturesque places in Halton Hills. The farm is situated northwest of Georgetown and connects to Silvercreek Conservation Area and Bruce Trail.

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Sharon Temple

The Sharon Temple is associated with the Children of Peace, a breakaway sect of the Society of Friends or Quakers, founded by David Willson. Willson and his wife emigrated from New York State in 1801 to join other Quakers in Upper Canada. By 1805, he had acquired 200 acres (80 hectares) in the Township of East Gwillimbury (York Region).

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Sir Harry Oakes Chateau

Explore the impressive chateau of the eccentric Sir Harry Oakes (1874-1943), the famous prospector of the gold-mining era that put Kirkland Lake on the map.

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St. Anne's Anglican Church

St. Anne's Anglican Church parish was founded on the present site in 1862. In 1907, a competition was held for the design of a new church.

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St. George's Cathedral

With its congregation dating to 1783, the Cathedral is associated with the first organized Anglican parish in Ontario.

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Stratford City Hall

The new City Hall on the site of Stratford's former town hall marked a notable addition to the late-19th-century streetscape.

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Tourist Pagoda

Constructed in the middle of the intersection of Water Street and the foot of River Road, the pagoda's function was to provide tourist information and present a welcoming gateway to the city. The structure provides this service to the present day.

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Victoria Hall

Founded in 1798 by United Empire Loyalists, Cobourg grew as an important milling and small manufacturing centre in Upper Canada. Harbour construction and a steady rise in population further spurred prosperity and the demand for a town hall.

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Welland County Courthouse

The Provisional County of Welland was separated from Lincoln County in 1851 with the requirement that the former build a courthouse and jail.

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Willowbank Estate

Willowbank is significant as a surviving mansion of the British colonial era in Canada that reflects the ideals of both classical revivalism and the picturesque tradition.

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Wolford Chapel

Wolford Chapel — a Trust-owned property in England — is associated with significant British elements of Ontario's heritage. It was built by John Graves Simcoe (1752-1806), the first Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada, to serve as a place of worship for his family on their estate.

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Woodchester Villa

Woodchester Villa was built in 1882 for Henry James Bird, owner of a local woollen mill. It was named after the English village of Woodchester, where he was born, near Stroud in the west of England in 1842.

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Buildings and structures (41)

Plaque

Ashbridge Estate, The

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Plaque

Auld Kirk 1836

Plaque commemorating Auld Kirk Presbyterian Church and cemetery

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Plaque

Barnum House

Eliakim Barnum came to this area in 1807 from the United States and began a thriving milling business, a tavern and distillery. With success, he was able to build this house — one of Ontario’s finest examples of neoclassical architecture. The house remained in the Barnum family until 1917.

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Plaque

Bay Queen Street Store, The

Originally Simpson’s department store, this landmark building was a Bay store from 1991 to 2025. It was the first building in Canada constructed with a load-bearing metal frame.

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Plaque

Belleville City Hall

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Plaque

Bethune-Thompson House

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Church of St. Peter, The

This church replaced an earlier building from 1820. Distinguished by stepped battlements on its façade, the new building was designed in the early Gothic revival style by noted architect Kivas Tully, who would later design Victoria Hall. The new building opened for service in 1854.

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Plaque

Church of the Holy Trinity 1847, The

When this church was built, it was then on the outskirts of Toronto. Henry Scadding, who lived in the house nearby, was the church’s first rector. Starting in the 20th century, it started offering programming and assistance to Toronto’s inner city.

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Plaque

Commissariat Building 1827

Today a museum, this structure is the oldest existing stone building in Ottawa. During the construction of the Rideau Canal, it was a storehouse, office and treasury. The building was turned over to the Canadian government in 1864.

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Plaque

Dundurn Castle 1832

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Plaque

École Guigues and Regulation 17, l'

Begun as a school, this building became a centre for minority rights agitation in Ontario in the early 20th century. When the provincial government issued a directive (known as Regulation 17) in 1912, it meant restricting French-language education. Opposition was widespread but particularly intense in Ottawa.

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Plaque

Enoch Turner School 1848, The

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Plaque

Fool's Paradise

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Plaque

Fort Henry

The first fort was built during the War of 1812. The present structures were built between 1832-37. Today, the site is a museum.

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Plaque

Fort Kaministiquia 1717

A small fort was established near here in 1717 by a French officer, replacing an earlier structure. It served as the base of operations for la Vérendrye, the famous explorer. A later fort of the same name was built downriver and renamed Fort William in 1807. It became the nucleus of the city.

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Plaque

Fort Rouillé

This plaque commemorates the last French post built in present-day Southern Ontario.

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Plaque

King Edward Hotel, The

This grand hotel opened in 1903 and became almost immediately known as the “King Eddy.” It was designed to provide luxury and service in dramatic settings. The 18-storey tower, with its top-floor Crystal Ballroom, was added in 1920-21. Although threatened with demolition in the 1970s, the hotel was revitalized in the early 1980s and this plaque was unveiled in 2003 to commemorate the hotel’s 100th anniversary.

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Plaque

Lakehead University

Following a push by educators and business representatives for an institution of higher learning in Ontario’s northwest, the Lakehead Technical Institute was established in 1946. By 1965, it became Lakehead University and conferred its first degrees.

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Plaque

Loew's Yonge Street and Winter Garden Theatres

Now known as the Elgin & Winter Garden Theatres, this complex was designed by renowned architect Thomas Lamb for entrepreneur Marcus Loew as the Canadian flagship of his American theatre chain. The stacked theatres opened in 1913-14.

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Plaque

Macpherson House, The

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Plaque

Metropolitan United Church

This church was designed by architect Henry Langley in the high Victorian Gothic style. Constructed in 1872 to replace an earlier structure, it was badly damaged by fire in 1928 and rebuilt. It was here that the first General Council of the United Church met in 1925.

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Plaque

Moulton College

The last stop on this walking tour is Moulton College, which once stood at this site. The school was a girls’ preparatory school founded by Susan Moulton McMaster (as part of McMaster University in Hamilton) and was housed in the former McMaster residence located here.

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Plaque

Niagara Library, The

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Plaque

Old St. Andrew's Church

Built from local stone, this Presbyterian church was begun in 1830 on land acquired from Joseph Keeler, a prominent local merchant. Little altered since 1911, it remains one of the oldest surviving Presbyterian churches in Ontario.

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Plaque

Peel County Court House

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Plaque

Point Frederick

This strategic location was established for the defence of the loyalist settlement at Cataraqui (now Kingston).

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Plaque

Princes' Gates, The

The then-Prince of Wales and his brother opened this impressive entrance to the Canadian National Exhibition grounds in 1927.

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Plaque

Ryerson Polytechnical Institute

This university has had many names over the years. Established in 1948, it was named for Egerton Ryerson (founder of the province’s education system). In the 1970s, it was given limited degree-granting powers. It became a full university in 1993. Today, it is known as the Toronto Metropolitan University.

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Plaque

Senator George T. Fulford 1852-1905

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Plaque

Sharon Temple

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Plaque

Solomon Moseby Affair 1837, The

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Plaque

St. Anne's Anglican Church

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St. John's Church 1834

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St. Michael's Cathedral

This church is the main church of Canada’s largest English-speaking Catholic archdiocese. Begun in 1845, the site has seen several additions over the years — including the chancel window in 1858 and the tower and spire in 1867.

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Stanley Barracks

Named in honour of Governor General Lord Stanley (also of hockey fame), the Stanley Barracks have been here since the 1840s. Today, all that remains is this building, the Officers’ Quarters.

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Plaque

Stone Frigate, The

This building was constructed as a naval warehouse. By 1876, it was refitted to house the newly established Royal Military College of Canada.

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Plaque

Toronto Normal School

Established by Egerton Ryerson in 1847, the Toronto Normal School was the first provincial institution for the systematic training of elementary school teachers.

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Plaque

Victoria College

Teaching began at this new college in 1836. By 1841, they were granting degrees. In 1890, it federated with the University of Toronto and, two years later, left Cobourg.

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Plaque

Victoria Hall

This imposing classical structure was built as an expression of civic pride and confidence. Finished in 1860, it housed a courtroom and a concert hall. Its distinctive cupola remains a landmark. In 1983, it re-opened following an extensive restoration program.

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William and Susannah Steward House

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Woodchester Villa

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Communities (14)

Plaque

Ashbridge Estate, The

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Buxton Settlement, The

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Dawn Settlement, The

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Founding of Cobourg, The

In the first years of the 19th century, mills helped to establish a settlement here. Then came the completion of Kingston Road and harbour improvements. Known originally as Hamilton, Cobourg was incorporated as a town in 1850.

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Plaque

Founding of Colborne, The

A store established here around 1819 by Joseph Keeler, a prominent local merchant and early settler, provided the nucleus around which the community of Colborne began. The settlement thrived as more businesses started. The arrival of the Grand Trunk Railway in 1856 spurred further growth and, three years later, Colborne was incorporated as a village.

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Founding of London, The

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Loyalist Landing at Cataraqui 1784, The

After the end of the American Revolution, loyalist refugees came to Canada. One group came from New York State and landed near here at Cataraqui, now known as Kingston.

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Plaque

Marie-Rose Turcot 1887-1977

Turcot moved to Ottawa at the age of 20 to take a job in the civil service. Later, she became a journalist and writer, and also worked in broadcast journalism. She was active in several French-Canadian cultural organizations as well as a collector of Franco-Ontarian folk tales.

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Plaque

Moose Factory — Môsonîwi-Miništik

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Plaque

Mother Marie Thomas d’Aquin 1877-1963

Originally from near Bordeaux, France, Jeanne Branda felt a calling to become a nun and a teacher. In 1899, she joined the Dominican Sisters of Nancy, where she took on the name Sister Marie Thomas d’Aquin. She moved to the United States and then, while visiting Ottawa in 1914, agreed to head the Jeanne d’Arc Institute.

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Plaque

Thomas McKay 1792-1855

This Scottish-born master mason came to Ottawa to work on the entrance locks of the Rideau Canal and the first bridge that spanned the Ottawa River to connect Ottawa and Hull (now Gatineau). McKay built his residence, Rideau Hall, in 1838 — which was purchased by the Government of Canada to become the official residence of the Governor General.

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Plaque

Wilberforce Settlement, The

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William and Susannah Steward House

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Plaque

Yonge Street 1796

The longest street in the world was built by Ontario’s first lieutenant governor, John Graves Simcoe, to connect his recently founded Town of York with the naval base at Penetanguishene on Georgian Bay.

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Courthouse (6)

Property

Frontenac County Courthouse

With the growth in population in Kingston and with the increased complexity of the law, the 1796 courthouse and jail were deemed to be too small by the mid-19th century. The courthouse and jail were sold and contracts were let for the new courthouse in July 1855 on land obtained from the province.

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Property

Middlesex County Courthouse

Rapid growth required the building of a separate but nearby County administration office in 1861 and a Registry Office in 1876. This building is associated with 19th-century judicial, governmental and administrative development in Ontario.

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Property

Niagara District Court House

This building is associated with 19th-century judicial, governmental and administrative development in Ontario and is the third and only surviving courthouse erected for the former Niagara District. Its plan marks a transition to larger and more sophisticated court buildings after 1850 in order to include a wider range of functions.

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Plaque

Peel County Court House

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Property

Peel County Courthouse and Jail

Serving as Peel County's judicial and administrative centre until 1973, the courthouse was then leased to the municipality until 1980. It now serves as a museum and art gallery.

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Property

Welland County Courthouse

The Provisional County of Welland was separated from Lincoln County in 1851 with the requirement that the former build a courthouse and jail.

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Disasters (1)

Plaque

Noronic Disaster, The

A little-known disaster on the Great Lakes happened right here in the Toronto Harbour when a passenger cruiser, the Noronic, burned on September 19, 1949, taking 119 lives. This remains Toronto’s worst disaster.

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Easement property (32)

Property

Aberdeen Pavilion

Built for the Central Canada Exhibition Association, the Pavilion was named after the incumbent Governor General, The Earl of Aberdeen.

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Property

Assumption Church

The Assumption Church has been associated with a Jesuit Huron mission at La Pointe du Montréal, the parish of L'Assumption du Détroit, since 1761.

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Property

Auld Kirk Presbyterian Church

One of Ramsay Township's oldest churches, Auld Kirk Presbyterian Church is associated with the early Scottish settlers.

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Property

Belleville City Hall

Built as a symbol of Belleville's growth and prosperity and as an expression of civic pride and confidence in the future, this building was one of a few civic complexes completed during the economic depression of 1873, and one of even fewer completed with the elaboration of interior and exterior fittings.

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Property

Benares

Benares is associated with the early settlement of the north shore of Lake Ontario. The house, home of Captain James Harris, is located on one of the earliest settled sites in the village of Clarkson's Corners (later shortened to Clarkson).

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Property

Church of St. Alban the Martyr

Ottawa was selected as the permanent capital of the Province of Canada in 1857. With the growth of Ottawa's government and civil service population, a new congregation separated from the original Anglican parish, Christ Church on Spark Street.

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Church of St. John the Evangelist

St. John's Church is associated with the early settlement of the Scott's Mills or Scott's Plains area (now the City of Peterborough) by over 200 Irish immigrants in 1825.

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Property

Dundurn Castle and Grounds

Dundurn Castle is located on lands formerly owned and occupied by Richard Beasley (1761-1842), merchant and politician, who settled here in 1793.

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Property

Fleet Street Pumping Station

The great Carleton County Fire of 1870 and the Chicago Fire of 1871 led to the City of Ottawa engaging Thomas C. Keefer, a leading Canadian engineer, to design Ottawa's first system of water distribution.

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Property

Frontenac County Courthouse

With the growth in population in Kingston and with the increased complexity of the law, the 1796 courthouse and jail were deemed to be too small by the mid-19th century. The courthouse and jail were sold and contracts were let for the new courthouse in July 1855 on land obtained from the province.

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Property

Kenora Post Office

Designed by the federal Department of Public Works in stylistic blend of High Victorian, Second Empire and Richardsonian Romanesque, this predominantly brick building is characterized by a high, heavily rusticated, stone foundation.

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Property

Leacock House

This building was constructed on Old Brewery Bay as a summer home for Stephen Leacock, world-renowned humorist and author.

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Property

Macpherson House

This house was built by Allan Macpherson, a leading local businessman, militia leader, magistrate and Napanee's first postmaster, in proximity to his general store on Dundas Street.

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Property

Middlesex County Courthouse

Rapid growth required the building of a separate but nearby County administration office in 1861 and a Registry Office in 1876. This building is associated with 19th-century judicial, governmental and administrative development in Ontario.

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Property

Mississippi Valley Textile Museum

The entire mill complex is one of a few surviving Ottawa Valley textile manufacturing complexes from the late 19th century. In 1988, the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum acquired the Annex of the mill complex for use as a museum.

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Property

Niagara District Court House

This building is associated with 19th-century judicial, governmental and administrative development in Ontario and is the third and only surviving courthouse erected for the former Niagara District. Its plan marks a transition to larger and more sophisticated court buildings after 1850 in order to include a wider range of functions.

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Property

North Bay Canadian Pacific Railway Station

This station at North Bay was built in 1903 by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). Once an important hub of transnational rails, the North Bay CPR Station was home to the district divisional offices between 1901 and 1959.

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Property

Ontario Northland Railway Station

Built in 1910 for the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway, the Cobalt Station is associated with the early development of rail transportation and settlement in northern Ontario.

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Property

Peel County Courthouse and Jail

Serving as Peel County's judicial and administrative centre until 1973, the courthouse was then leased to the municipality until 1980. It now serves as a museum and art gallery.

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Property

Pinhey Estate

Hamnet Kirkes Pinhey, a wealthy landed English gentleman and a successful merchant and veteran of the Napoleonic Wars, emigrated to Upper Canada in 1820 with a small fortune to develop an estate in the wilderness.

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Property

Precious Blood Cathedral

Sault Ste. Marie was elevated to a diocese in 1904 and the church was selected as a diocesan Cathedral. In 1913, the Jesuits who had served the parish church and then the Cathedral were replaced by the secular clergy. It was renamed the Cathedral of Precious Blood in 1936.

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Property

Redmond Heights

Located at Drummond Hill, Redmond Heights comprises part of the site of the Battle of Lundy's Lane.

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Property

Ruthven Estate

Ruthven stands as a rare surviving example of that romantic combination of Classical architecture and picturesque landscape that characterized country estates of the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

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Property

Sharon Temple

The Sharon Temple is associated with the Children of Peace, a breakaway sect of the Society of Friends or Quakers, founded by David Willson. Willson and his wife emigrated from New York State in 1801 to join other Quakers in Upper Canada. By 1805, he had acquired 200 acres (80 hectares) in the Township of East Gwillimbury (York Region).

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Property

St. Anne's Anglican Church

St. Anne's Anglican Church parish was founded on the present site in 1862. In 1907, a competition was held for the design of a new church.

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St. George's Cathedral

With its congregation dating to 1783, the Cathedral is associated with the first organized Anglican parish in Ontario.

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Property

Stratford City Hall

The new City Hall on the site of Stratford's former town hall marked a notable addition to the late-19th-century streetscape.

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Property

Tourist Pagoda

Constructed in the middle of the intersection of Water Street and the foot of River Road, the pagoda's function was to provide tourist information and present a welcoming gateway to the city. The structure provides this service to the present day.

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Property

Victoria Hall

Founded in 1798 by United Empire Loyalists, Cobourg grew as an important milling and small manufacturing centre in Upper Canada. Harbour construction and a steady rise in population further spurred prosperity and the demand for a town hall.

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Property

Welland County Courthouse

The Provisional County of Welland was separated from Lincoln County in 1851 with the requirement that the former build a courthouse and jail.

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Property

Willowbank Estate

Willowbank is significant as a surviving mansion of the British colonial era in Canada that reflects the ideals of both classical revivalism and the picturesque tradition.

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Property

Woodchester Villa

Woodchester Villa was built in 1882 for Henry James Bird, owner of a local woollen mill. It was named after the English village of Woodchester, where he was born, near Stroud in the west of England in 1842.

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Education (12)

Plaque

École Guigues and Regulation 17, l'

Begun as a school, this building became a centre for minority rights agitation in Ontario in the early 20th century. When the provincial government issued a directive (known as Regulation 17) in 1912, it meant restricting French-language education. Opposition was widespread but particularly intense in Ottawa.

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Plaque

Enoch Turner School 1848, The

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Plaque

Lakehead University

Following a push by educators and business representatives for an institution of higher learning in Ontario’s northwest, the Lakehead Technical Institute was established in 1946. By 1965, it became Lakehead University and conferred its first degrees.

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Plaque

Moulton College

The last stop on this walking tour is Moulton College, which once stood at this site. The school was a girls’ preparatory school founded by Susan Moulton McMaster (as part of McMaster University in Hamilton) and was housed in the former McMaster residence located here.

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Plaque

Niagara Library, The

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Online exhibit

Ontario's military heritage — 3. The Great War (Schools and students at war)

Public schools, colleges and universities are widely recognized as establishments of learning and accreditation. During the Great War, however, schools in Ontario were mobilized for the war effort. School grounds were repurposed as sites for drills, military experiments and rehabilitation centres for returned soldiers. Some schools also incentivized their students to enlist and allowed their campuses to become recruitment grounds.

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Plaque

Ryerson Polytechnical Institute

This university has had many names over the years. Established in 1948, it was named for Egerton Ryerson (founder of the province’s education system). In the 1970s, it was given limited degree-granting powers. It became a full university in 1993. Today, it is known as the Toronto Metropolitan University.

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Plaque

Stephen Butler Leacock (England)

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Plaque

Stephen Butler Leacock (Ontario)

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Plaque

Stone Frigate, The

This building was constructed as a naval warehouse. By 1876, it was refitted to house the newly established Royal Military College of Canada.

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Plaque

Toronto Normal School

Established by Egerton Ryerson in 1847, the Toronto Normal School was the first provincial institution for the systematic training of elementary school teachers.

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Plaque

Victoria College

Teaching began at this new college in 1836. By 1841, they were granting degrees. In 1890, it federated with the University of Toronto and, two years later, left Cobourg.

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Edwardian (3)

Property

Elgin & Winter Garden Theatres

At this magnificent National Historic Site, you can bask in the gilded elegance of the Elgin Theatre, and then gaze at the leafy ceiling of the Winter Garden Theatre, seven storeys above the Elgin.

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Property

Fulford Place

Discover the story of Senator George T. Fulford, explore the grand Fulford mansion and marvel at the many original family furnishings.

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Property

Ontario Heritage Centre

The Canadian Birkbeck Investment and Savings Company was the initial owner of what is today the Ontario Heritage Centre – the Ontario Heritage Trust's headquarters.

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Environment (1)

Plaque

Fool's Paradise

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Exploration (2)

Plaque

Moose Factory — Môsonîwi-Miništik

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Plaque

Union of the North West and Hudson's Bay Companies

This plaque commemorates the merger of the rival North West and Hudson’s Bay Companies to settle ongoing — and bloody — disputes between the rival fur-trade companies.

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First nations (5)

Online exhibit

Ontario's military heritage — 1. War of 1812 (Battles in Upper Canada and the Great Lakes)

The British regulars, Canadian militia and Indigenous warriors won several battles in the summer of 1812. Their victories proved to the Americans that if they wanted to conquer Upper Canada, it would require a long and bitter struggle. The sections below explore the key battles in Upper Canada and the surrounding Great Lakes.

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Online exhibit

Ontario's military heritage — 1. War of 1812 (Life in a war zone)

Before the War of 1812, the lives of most of Upper Canada’s inhabitants involved hard work and offered few comforts. Even for the most skilled homesteaders, subsistence was precarious; bad harvests could bring a family to the brink of starvation. Unfortunately for these residents, life would become even more difficult with the onset of the War of 1812.

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Online exhibit

Ontario's military heritage — 1. War of 1812 (Upper Canada's soldiers)

In 1811, Major-General Isaac Brock was appointed as the senior military commander and senior member of Upper Canada’s executive council. It was Brock’s responsibility to manage the defences of Upper Canada. On taking office, Brock quickly recognized the province’s vulnerability.

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Online exhibit

Ontario's military heritage — 3. The Great War (Donning the khaki)

The soldiers who fought overseas in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) experienced a war like no other before it. The ingenuity of the modern industrial age was used to construct international war machines designed for efficient and brutal destruction. And yet, all the sophisticated machinery, tools and weaponry still required flesh and blood to operate.

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Online exhibit

Ontario's military heritage — 4. Second World War (Military operations and experiences)

By the summer of 1940, Nazi Germany had conquered most of continental Europe, and the United Kingdom was defending itself against the German Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain. During these trying times, Canada became the United Kingdom’s most important ally. To make a meaningful difference in the war, Canada’s military would require expansion and modernization.

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Franco-ontarian heritage (11)

Plaque

Almanda Walker-Marchand and the Fédération des femmes canadiennes-françaises

Walker-Marchand moved to Ottawa where she established this organization dedicated to helping French-Canadian soldiers and their families during and after the First World War. The organization expanded beyond Ottawa to form chapters in Francophone communities across Canada.

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Plaque

École Guigues and Regulation 17, l'

Begun as a school, this building became a centre for minority rights agitation in Ontario in the early 20th century. When the provincial government issued a directive (known as Regulation 17) in 1912, it meant restricting French-language education. Opposition was widespread but particularly intense in Ottawa.

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Plaque

Elisabeth Bruyère 1818-1876

Ottawa in the 1840s (still Bytown then) was a growing timber-trade village with a substantial French-Canadian population but no Catholic schools and few social services. In 1845, four nuns, led by Bruyère, arrived and establish a school, hospital and orphanage, as well as established many social services.

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Plaque

Father Pierre Potier 1708-1781

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Plaque

Fort Kaministiquia 1717

A small fort was established near here in 1717 by a French officer, replacing an earlier structure. It served as the base of operations for la Vérendrye, the famous explorer. A later fort of the same name was built downriver and renamed Fort William in 1807. It became the nucleus of the city.

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Plaque

Fort Rouillé

This plaque commemorates the last French post built in present-day Southern Ontario.

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Plaque

James Baby 1763-1833

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Plaque

Le Droit

In 1912, French-Canadian educational and religious groups came together to discuss the founding of a newspaper that could be used to protest Regulation 17, which severely restricted the teaching of French in Ontario schools. From this, Le Droit was born — a French-language daily newspaper. Le Droit continues to support and defend Franco-Ontarian rights.

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Plaque

Marie-Rose Turcot 1887-1977

Turcot moved to Ottawa at the age of 20 to take a job in the civil service. Later, she became a journalist and writer, and also worked in broadcast journalism. She was active in several French-Canadian cultural organizations as well as a collector of Franco-Ontarian folk tales.

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Plaque

Moose Factory — Môsonîwi-Miništik

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Plaque

Mother Marie Thomas d’Aquin 1877-1963

Originally from near Bordeaux, France, Jeanne Branda felt a calling to become a nun and a teacher. In 1899, she joined the Dominican Sisters of Nancy, where she took on the name Sister Marie Thomas d’Aquin. She moved to the United States and then, while visiting Ottawa in 1914, agreed to head the Jeanne d’Arc Institute.

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Fur trade (5)

Plaque

Fort Kaministiquia 1717

A small fort was established near here in 1717 by a French officer, replacing an earlier structure. It served as the base of operations for la Vérendrye, the famous explorer. A later fort of the same name was built downriver and renamed Fort William in 1807. It became the nucleus of the city.

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Plaque

James Baby 1763-1833

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Plaque

Moose Factory — Môsonîwi-Miništik

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Plaque

Union of the North West and Hudson's Bay Companies

This plaque commemorates the merger of the rival North West and Hudson’s Bay Companies to settle ongoing — and bloody — disputes between the rival fur-trade companies.

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Plaque

William McGillivray 1764-1825

Fort Kaministiquia was renamed Fort William in honour of this man, a Scot who rose through the ranks of the North West Company to become its principal director by 1804.

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Gardens (2)

Property

Fulford Place

Discover the story of Senator George T. Fulford, explore the grand Fulford mansion and marvel at the many original family furnishings.

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Online exhibit

Fulford Place: A tribute to ambition

This magnificent 1,858-square-metre (20,000-square-foot) mansion was built in 1899-1901 for self-made millionaire and senator George Taylor Fulford I (1852-1905) and his family.

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Industry and trade (11)

Plaque

Bay Queen Street Store, The

Originally Simpson’s department store, this landmark building was a Bay store from 1991 to 2025. It was the first building in Canada constructed with a load-bearing metal frame.

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Plaque

Canadian National Exhibition

This plaque commemorates the establishment of the Exhibition (the “Ex”), a national event that has occurred since 1912.

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Plaque

Fort Rouillé

This plaque commemorates the last French post built in present-day Southern Ontario.

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Plaque

Founding of Cobourg, The

In the first years of the 19th century, mills helped to establish a settlement here. Then came the completion of Kingston Road and harbour improvements. Known originally as Hamilton, Cobourg was incorporated as a town in 1850.

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Plaque

Founding of Colborne, The

A store established here around 1819 by Joseph Keeler, a prominent local merchant and early settler, provided the nucleus around which the community of Colborne began. The settlement thrived as more businesses started. The arrival of the Grand Trunk Railway in 1856 spurred further growth and, three years later, Colborne was incorporated as a village.

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Plaque

James Baby 1763-1833

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Plaque

Rideau Canal 1826-1832, The

This UNESCO World Heritage Site opened on May 24, 1832 to provide a secure military route between Upper and Lower Canada.

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Plaque

Rosamonds in Almonte, The

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Plaque

Rosvall and Voutilainen

In November 1929, two Finnish-Canadians left the Port Arthur area to recruit bushworkers for a strike. Their bodies were found the following spring. Many locals suspected foul play, but the coroner’s jury ruled the deaths as accidental drowning. The two men remain as martyrs to the cause of organized labour.

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Plaque

Senator George T. Fulford 1852-1905

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Plaque

Yonge Street 1796

The longest street in the world was built by Ontario’s first lieutenant governor, John Graves Simcoe, to connect his recently founded Town of York with the naval base at Penetanguishene on Georgian Bay.

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Jail (1)

Property

Peel County Courthouse and Jail

Serving as Peel County's judicial and administrative centre until 1973, the courthouse was then leased to the municipality until 1980. It now serves as a museum and art gallery.

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Museums (20)

Property

Benares

Benares is associated with the early settlement of the north shore of Lake Ontario. The house, home of Captain James Harris, is located on one of the earliest settled sites in the village of Clarkson's Corners (later shortened to Clarkson).

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Property

Duff-Baby House

Built in 1798 on the south shore of the Detroit River in Sandwich, the Duff-Baby House is named for its first two loyalist owners, Alexander Duff and James Baby.

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Property

Dundurn Castle and Grounds

Dundurn Castle is located on lands formerly owned and occupied by Richard Beasley (1761-1842), merchant and politician, who settled here in 1793.

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Property

Enoch Turner Schoolhouse

Toronto's Enoch Turner Schoolhouse is a provincially significant heritage site and the oldest school still standing in Toronto.

Learn more About Property Enoch Turner Schoolhouse in museum

Property

Fulford Place

Discover the story of Senator George T. Fulford, explore the grand Fulford mansion and marvel at the many original family furnishings.

Learn more About Property Fulford Place in museum

Property

Homewood Museum

Step back in time to 1800. Get a glimpse of the life of Dr. Solomon Jones (1756-1822), a United Empire Loyalist and the area’s first physician.

Learn more About Property Homewood Museum in museum

Property

Hudson's Bay Company Staff House

Moose Factory, an island just south of James Bay, was established in 1673 as the main trading post of the Hudson's Bay Company. It is Canada's oldest English-speaking community.

Learn more About Property Hudson's Bay Company Staff House in museum

Property

Josiah Henson Museum of African-Canadian History

An estimated 30,000 Black refugees from slavery in the United States fled to Canada along the Underground Railroad. One of these freedom seekers was abolitionist, preacher and author Josiah Henson.

Learn more About Property Josiah Henson Museum of African-Canadian History in museum

Property

Leacock House

This building was constructed on Old Brewery Bay as a summer home for Stephen Leacock, world-renowned humorist and author.

Learn more About Property Leacock House in museum

Property

Macdonell-Williamson House

In 1813, after 19 years as a fur trader with the North West Company, John Macdonell (1768-1850) retired to Hawkesbury Township with his wife, Magdeleine Poitras — a Métis born on the Manitoba section of the Qu'Appelle River — and their children.

Learn more About Property Macdonell-Williamson House in museum

Property

Macpherson House

This house was built by Allan Macpherson, a leading local businessman, militia leader, magistrate and Napanee's first postmaster, in proximity to his general store on Dundas Street.

Learn more About Property Macpherson House in museum

Property

Mather-Walls House

The Mather-Walls House in Keewatin (part of Kenora) reflects the vision of one man — John Mather.

Learn more About Property Mather-Walls House in museum

Property

Mississippi Valley Textile Museum

The entire mill complex is one of a few surviving Ottawa Valley textile manufacturing complexes from the late 19th century. In 1988, the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum acquired the Annex of the mill complex for use as a museum.

Learn more About Property Mississippi Valley Textile Museum in museum

Property

Niagara Apothecary

Step through the doors of the Niagara Apothecary and see how pharmacists practised their profession over 100 years ago.

Learn more About Property Niagara Apothecary in museum

Property

Peel County Courthouse and Jail

Serving as Peel County's judicial and administrative centre until 1973, the courthouse was then leased to the municipality until 1980. It now serves as a museum and art gallery.

Learn more About Property Peel County Courthouse and Jail in museum

Property

Pinhey Estate

Hamnet Kirkes Pinhey, a wealthy landed English gentleman and a successful merchant and veteran of the Napoleonic Wars, emigrated to Upper Canada in 1820 with a small fortune to develop an estate in the wilderness.

Learn more About Property Pinhey Estate in museum

Property

Redmond Heights

Located at Drummond Hill, Redmond Heights comprises part of the site of the Battle of Lundy's Lane.

Learn more About Property Redmond Heights in museum

Property

Ruthven Estate

Ruthven stands as a rare surviving example of that romantic combination of Classical architecture and picturesque landscape that characterized country estates of the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Learn more About Property Ruthven Estate in museum

Property

Sharon Temple

The Sharon Temple is associated with the Children of Peace, a breakaway sect of the Society of Friends or Quakers, founded by David Willson. Willson and his wife emigrated from New York State in 1801 to join other Quakers in Upper Canada. By 1805, he had acquired 200 acres (80 hectares) in the Township of East Gwillimbury (York Region).

Learn more About Property Sharon Temple in museum

Property

Sir Harry Oakes Chateau

Explore the impressive chateau of the eccentric Sir Harry Oakes (1874-1943), the famous prospector of the gold-mining era that put Kirkland Lake on the map.

Learn more About Property Sir Harry Oakes Chateau in museum

National Historic Site (12)

Property

Barnum House

Eliakim Barnum was in his early twenties when he emigrated from the United States in 1807. He chose to settle in Haldimand Township near the village of Grafton. By 1819, Barnum owned land, a thriving milling business, a tavern and a distillery.

Learn more About Property Barnum House in national historic site

Property

Bethune-Thompson House

The Bethune-Thompson House in Williamstown owes its name to two prominent owners — the Reverend John Bethune and explorer David Thompson. But it was Peter Ferguson, an early settler, who first built a house on this site in 1784.

Learn more About Property Bethune-Thompson House in national historic site

Property

Frontenac County Courthouse

With the growth in population in Kingston and with the increased complexity of the law, the 1796 courthouse and jail were deemed to be too small by the mid-19th century. The courthouse and jail were sold and contracts were let for the new courthouse in July 1855 on land obtained from the province.

Learn more About Property Frontenac County Courthouse in national historic site

Property

Fulford Place

Discover the story of Senator George T. Fulford, explore the grand Fulford mansion and marvel at the many original family furnishings.

Learn more About Property Fulford Place in national historic site

Property

George Brown House

This fine Second Empire-style house was built for George Brown between 1874 and 1876. The elegance of his residence reflects his prominence as a Father of Confederation, founder of The Globe newspaper (now the Globe and Mail) and a leading Liberal politician.

Learn more About Property George Brown House in national historic site

Property

Leacock House

This building was constructed on Old Brewery Bay as a summer home for Stephen Leacock, world-renowned humorist and author.

Learn more About Property Leacock House in national historic site

Property

McMartin House

McMartin House was built in the American Federal style in 1830 for Daniel McMartin (1798-1869), one of the first lawyers in Perth.

Learn more About Property McMartin House in national historic site

Property

Middlesex County Courthouse

Rapid growth required the building of a separate but nearby County administration office in 1861 and a Registry Office in 1876. This building is associated with 19th-century judicial, governmental and administrative development in Ontario.

Learn more About Property Middlesex County Courthouse in national historic site

Property

Mississippi Valley Textile Museum

The entire mill complex is one of a few surviving Ottawa Valley textile manufacturing complexes from the late 19th century. In 1988, the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum acquired the Annex of the mill complex for use as a museum.

Learn more About Property Mississippi Valley Textile Museum in national historic site

Property

Niagara Apothecary

Step through the doors of the Niagara Apothecary and see how pharmacists practised their profession over 100 years ago.

Learn more About Property Niagara Apothecary in national historic site

Property

Ontario Heritage Centre

The Canadian Birkbeck Investment and Savings Company was the initial owner of what is today the Ontario Heritage Centre – the Ontario Heritage Trust's headquarters.

Learn more About Property Ontario Heritage Centre in national historic site

Property

Ruthven Estate

Ruthven stands as a rare surviving example of that romantic combination of Classical architecture and picturesque landscape that characterized country estates of the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Learn more About Property Ruthven Estate in national historic site

Natural heritage (9)

Property

Cheltenham Badlands

The Cheltenham Badlands site is one of Ontario’s geological treasures, formed at the base of an ancient sea about 450 million years ago.

Learn more About Property Cheltenham Badlands in natural heritage

Property

Clarke Property

The Clarke property is located on the northern Bruce Peninsula and features spectacular views of the Lake Huron shoreline with numerous bays, low headlands, shoals and small islands.

Learn more About Property Clarke Property in natural heritage

Property

Devil's Monument

The Devil’s Monument comprises the Minhinick, LeFeuvre-Chupac and Schneider properties. The name refers to the presence of a flowerpot that has long been a draw for locals and tourists alike. It is the only complete flowerpot on land along the east side of the Bruce Peninsula.

Learn more About Property Devil's Monument in natural heritage

Property

Ellis Property

The Ellis Property is located 1 km (0.6 miles) north of Ball’s Falls Conservation Area, just west of the Jordan Historical Museum in the Town of Lincoln.

Learn more About Property Ellis Property in natural heritage

Property

Fleetwood Creek Natural Area

Fleetwood Creek Natural Area is located on the north slope of the Oak Ridges Moraine within the City of Kawartha Lakes. This 370-hectare (916.4-acre) property features glacial features such as kames, kettles and drumlins that form the headwaters of Fleetwood Creek.

Learn more About Property Fleetwood Creek Natural Area in natural heritage

Property

Great Manitou Island Property

Great Manitou Island — owned by the Ontario Heritage Trust — is the largest island in the Manitou Islands Provincial Nature Reserve, near North Bay.

Learn more About Property Great Manitou Island Property in natural heritage

Property

Ruthven Estate

Ruthven stands as a rare surviving example of that romantic combination of Classical architecture and picturesque landscape that characterized country estates of the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Learn more About Property Ruthven Estate in natural heritage

Property

Scotsdale Farm

Scotsdale Farm is undoubtedly one of the most picturesque places in Halton Hills. The farm is situated northwest of Georgetown and connects to Silvercreek Conservation Area and Bruce Trail.

Learn more About Property Scotsdale Farm in natural heritage

Property

Yaremko-Ridley Property

The 64-hectare (160-acre) Yaremko-Ridley Property, located just outside of the Town of Milton, contains mixed escarpment forest with stunning glacial valleys, rolling landscapes and numerous rock outcroppings and deposits.

Learn more About Property Yaremko-Ridley Property in natural heritage

Organizations (6)

Plaque

Almanda Walker-Marchand and the Fédération des femmes canadiennes-françaises

Walker-Marchand moved to Ottawa where she established this organization dedicated to helping French-Canadian soldiers and their families during and after the First World War. The organization expanded beyond Ottawa to form chapters in Francophone communities across Canada.

Learn more About Plaque Almanda Walker-Marchand and the Fédération des femmes canadiennes-françaises in organizations

Plaque

Canadian National Exhibition

This plaque commemorates the establishment of the Exhibition (the “Ex”), a national event that has occurred since 1912.

Learn more About Plaque Canadian National Exhibition in organizations

Plaque

Hugh Burnett and the National Unity Association

Learn more About Plaque Hugh Burnett and the National Unity Association in organizations

Plaque

Mother Marie Thomas d’Aquin 1877-1963

Originally from near Bordeaux, France, Jeanne Branda felt a calling to become a nun and a teacher. In 1899, she joined the Dominican Sisters of Nancy, where she took on the name Sister Marie Thomas d’Aquin. She moved to the United States and then, while visiting Ottawa in 1914, agreed to head the Jeanne d’Arc Institute.

Learn more About Plaque Mother Marie Thomas d’Aquin 1877-1963 in organizations

Plaque

Reverend Henry Scadding 1813-1901, The

Born in Devonshire, England, Scadding came to Canada in 1821. He was the first rector of the nearby Church of the Holy Trinity and authored many books on the history of Toronto. Scadding lived in this house from 1862 until his death.

Learn more About Plaque Reverend Henry Scadding 1813-1901, The in organizations

Plaque

Rosvall and Voutilainen

In November 1929, two Finnish-Canadians left the Port Arthur area to recruit bushworkers for a strike. Their bodies were found the following spring. Many locals suspected foul play, but the coroner’s jury ruled the deaths as accidental drowning. The two men remain as martyrs to the cause of organized labour.

Learn more About Plaque Rosvall and Voutilainen in organizations

Owned by the Trust (28)

Property

Ashbridge Estate

Two acres of the original homestead and an 1854 house have been preserved to tell the Ashbridge story.

Learn more About Property Ashbridge Estate in owned by the trust

Property

Barnum House

Eliakim Barnum was in his early twenties when he emigrated from the United States in 1807. He chose to settle in Haldimand Township near the village of Grafton. By 1819, Barnum owned land, a thriving milling business, a tavern and a distillery.

Learn more About Property Barnum House in owned by the trust

Property

Bethune-Thompson House

The Bethune-Thompson House in Williamstown owes its name to two prominent owners — the Reverend John Bethune and explorer David Thompson. But it was Peter Ferguson, an early settler, who first built a house on this site in 1784.

Learn more About Property Bethune-Thompson House in owned by the trust

Property

Cheltenham Badlands

The Cheltenham Badlands site is one of Ontario’s geological treasures, formed at the base of an ancient sea about 450 million years ago.

Learn more About Property Cheltenham Badlands in owned by the trust

Property

Clarke Property

The Clarke property is located on the northern Bruce Peninsula and features spectacular views of the Lake Huron shoreline with numerous bays, low headlands, shoals and small islands.

Learn more About Property Clarke Property in owned by the trust

Property

Devil's Monument

The Devil’s Monument comprises the Minhinick, LeFeuvre-Chupac and Schneider properties. The name refers to the presence of a flowerpot that has long been a draw for locals and tourists alike. It is the only complete flowerpot on land along the east side of the Bruce Peninsula.

Learn more About Property Devil's Monument in owned by the trust

Property

Duff-Baby House

Built in 1798 on the south shore of the Detroit River in Sandwich, the Duff-Baby House is named for its first two loyalist owners, Alexander Duff and James Baby.

Learn more About Property Duff-Baby House in owned by the trust

Property

Elgin & Winter Garden Theatres

At this magnificent National Historic Site, you can bask in the gilded elegance of the Elgin Theatre, and then gaze at the leafy ceiling of the Winter Garden Theatre, seven storeys above the Elgin.

Learn more About Property Elgin & Winter Garden Theatres in owned by the trust

Property

Ellis Property

The Ellis Property is located 1 km (0.6 miles) north of Ball’s Falls Conservation Area, just west of the Jordan Historical Museum in the Town of Lincoln.

Learn more About Property Ellis Property in owned by the trust

Property

Enoch Turner Schoolhouse

Toronto's Enoch Turner Schoolhouse is a provincially significant heritage site and the oldest school still standing in Toronto.

Learn more About Property Enoch Turner Schoolhouse in owned by the trust

Property

Fleetwood Creek Natural Area

Fleetwood Creek Natural Area is located on the north slope of the Oak Ridges Moraine within the City of Kawartha Lakes. This 370-hectare (916.4-acre) property features glacial features such as kames, kettles and drumlins that form the headwaters of Fleetwood Creek.

Learn more About Property Fleetwood Creek Natural Area in owned by the trust

Property

Fool's Paradise

Fool’s Paradise was the home and studio of Canadian landscape artist, writer and educator Doris McCarthy (1910-2010). The site overlooks Lake Ontario along Toronto’s Scarborough Bluffs.

Learn more About Property Fool's Paradise in owned by the trust

Property

Fulford Place

Discover the story of Senator George T. Fulford, explore the grand Fulford mansion and marvel at the many original family furnishings.

Learn more About Property Fulford Place in owned by the trust

Property

George Brown House

This fine Second Empire-style house was built for George Brown between 1874 and 1876. The elegance of his residence reflects his prominence as a Father of Confederation, founder of The Globe newspaper (now the Globe and Mail) and a leading Liberal politician.

Learn more About Property George Brown House in owned by the trust

Property

Great Manitou Island Property

Great Manitou Island — owned by the Ontario Heritage Trust — is the largest island in the Manitou Islands Provincial Nature Reserve, near North Bay.

Learn more About Property Great Manitou Island Property in owned by the trust

Property

Homewood Museum

Step back in time to 1800. Get a glimpse of the life of Dr. Solomon Jones (1756-1822), a United Empire Loyalist and the area’s first physician.

Learn more About Property Homewood Museum in owned by the trust

Property

Hudson's Bay Company Staff House

Moose Factory, an island just south of James Bay, was established in 1673 as the main trading post of the Hudson's Bay Company. It is Canada's oldest English-speaking community.

Learn more About Property Hudson's Bay Company Staff House in owned by the trust

Property

Inge-Va

Located in the heart of Perth, this late-Georgian stone residence was built in 1823 for Reverend Michael Harris, the first Episcopalian minister in the district.

Learn more About Property Inge-Va in owned by the trust

Property

Josiah Henson Museum of African-Canadian History

An estimated 30,000 Black refugees from slavery in the United States fled to Canada along the Underground Railroad. One of these freedom seekers was abolitionist, preacher and author Josiah Henson.

Learn more About Property Josiah Henson Museum of African-Canadian History in owned by the trust

Property

Macdonell-Williamson House

In 1813, after 19 years as a fur trader with the North West Company, John Macdonell (1768-1850) retired to Hawkesbury Township with his wife, Magdeleine Poitras — a Métis born on the Manitoba section of the Qu'Appelle River — and their children.

Learn more About Property Macdonell-Williamson House in owned by the trust

Property

Mather-Walls House

The Mather-Walls House in Keewatin (part of Kenora) reflects the vision of one man — John Mather.

Learn more About Property Mather-Walls House in owned by the trust

Property

McMartin House

McMartin House was built in the American Federal style in 1830 for Daniel McMartin (1798-1869), one of the first lawyers in Perth.

Learn more About Property McMartin House in owned by the trust

Property

Niagara Apothecary

Step through the doors of the Niagara Apothecary and see how pharmacists practised their profession over 100 years ago.

Learn more About Property Niagara Apothecary in owned by the trust

Property

Ontario Heritage Centre

The Canadian Birkbeck Investment and Savings Company was the initial owner of what is today the Ontario Heritage Centre – the Ontario Heritage Trust's headquarters.

Learn more About Property Ontario Heritage Centre in owned by the trust

Property

Scotsdale Farm

Scotsdale Farm is undoubtedly one of the most picturesque places in Halton Hills. The farm is situated northwest of Georgetown and connects to Silvercreek Conservation Area and Bruce Trail.

Learn more About Property Scotsdale Farm in owned by the trust

Property

Sir Harry Oakes Chateau

Explore the impressive chateau of the eccentric Sir Harry Oakes (1874-1943), the famous prospector of the gold-mining era that put Kirkland Lake on the map.

Learn more About Property Sir Harry Oakes Chateau in owned by the trust

Property

Wolford Chapel

Wolford Chapel — a Trust-owned property in England — is associated with significant British elements of Ontario's heritage. It was built by John Graves Simcoe (1752-1806), the first Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada, to serve as a place of worship for his family on their estate.

Learn more About Property Wolford Chapel in owned by the trust

Property

Yaremko-Ridley Property

The 64-hectare (160-acre) Yaremko-Ridley Property, located just outside of the Town of Milton, contains mixed escarpment forest with stunning glacial valleys, rolling landscapes and numerous rock outcroppings and deposits.

Learn more About Property Yaremko-Ridley Property in owned by the trust

Parliament (7)

Online exhibit

Layer by layer — 1. Introduction

With centuries of buildup above, archaeologists were not hopeful that anything from the First Parliament buildings survived below. In 2000, they dug down, layer by layer, until they passed the remains of the jail. Then, to everyone’s surprise, they found what they were looking for: evidence of Ontario’s cradle of democracy.

Learn more About online exhibit Layer by layer — 1. Introduction in parliament

Online exhibit

Layer by layer — 2. First Parliament throughout the ages

Indigenous people have lived on this land for over 13,000 years. Today, this land continues to be home to these communities and many other diverse Indigenous Peoples.

Learn more About online exhibit Layer by layer — 2. First Parliament throughout the ages in parliament

Online exhibit

Layer by layer — 3. Layers of history

Archaeologists began their excavations at the First Parliament site in the fall of 2000. The project was focused on finding the remains of the First Parliament buildings. In the 200 years since the buildings were constructed, the city has changed dramatically. With centuries of urban buildup, the archaeologists were not sure there would be anything left.

Learn more About online exhibit Layer by layer — 3. Layers of history in parliament

Online exhibit

Layer by layer — 4. What is archaeology?

Artifacts and structures together form the physical history of past and present societies. By examining it all, we can better understand where and how people from the past lived. Excavations can tell us many things that books and records simply cannot.

Learn more About online exhibit Layer by layer — 4. What is archaeology? in parliament

Online exhibit

Layer by layer — 5. Learning from artifacts

One of the most exciting parts of working on an excavation site is uncovering artifacts. Archaeologists rarely find objects intact. But even fragments of the past can be thrilling discoveries. The smallest sherds can tell us a lot about how people used the site and give us a glimpse into their lives.

Learn more About online exhibit Layer by layer — 5. Learning from artifacts in parliament

Online exhibit

Layer by layer — 6. The legacy of First Parliament

The site of First Parliament played an important role in the history of Toronto and the province of Ontario. Fort York and First Parliament bookend the early city. These were the first two centres of colonial activity: military and administrative. It was a key part of the settlement’s foundation, establishing York as a political centre.

Learn more About online exhibit Layer by layer — 6. The legacy of First Parliament in parliament

Online exhibit

Layer by layer — Start: Archaeology in the heart of Toronto

Walking by the intersection of Front and Parliament streets in the heart of Toronto, you might not realize the history beneath your feet.

Learn more About online exhibit Layer by layer — Start: Archaeology in the heart of Toronto in parliament

People (29)

Plaque

Ashbridge Estate, The

Learn more About Plaque Ashbridge Estate, The in people

Plaque

Charlotte Elizabeth Whitton, O.C., C.B.E. 1896-1975

Whitton was the first woman mayor of Ottawa. Throughout her lifetime, she worked fiercely and energetically to improve social conditions.

Learn more About Plaque Charlotte Elizabeth Whitton, O.C., C.B.E. 1896-1975 in people

Plaque

Chloe Cooley and the 1793 Act to Limit Slavery in Upper Canada

Learn more About Plaque Chloe Cooley and the 1793 Act to Limit Slavery in Upper Canada in people

Plaque

Col. Elizabeth Smellie 1884-1968

This celebrated Canadian army nurse and public health authority served during the First and Second World Wars. She was the first woman to attain the rank of colonel in Canada’s Armed Forces.

Learn more About Plaque Col. Elizabeth Smellie 1884-1968 in people

Plaque

Elisabeth Bruyère 1818-1876

Ottawa in the 1840s (still Bytown then) was a growing timber-trade village with a substantial French-Canadian population but no Catholic schools and few social services. In 1845, four nuns, led by Bruyère, arrived and establish a school, hospital and orphanage, as well as established many social services.

Learn more About Plaque Elisabeth Bruyère 1818-1876 in people

Plaque

Father Pierre Potier 1708-1781

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Plaque

Fool's Paradise

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Plaque

Hon. George Brown 1818-1880

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Plaque

Honourable George Brown, The

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Plaque

Honourable Hamnet Kirks Pinhey, The

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Plaque

Honourable James Cockburn 1819-1883, The

This Father of Confederation came to Canada in 1832 as a child. After becoming a lawyer here in Cobourg, he entered politics and shared in drafting the plan for Confederation. In 1867, he was elected the first Speaker of the new House of Commons.

Learn more About Plaque Honourable James Cockburn 1819-1883, The in people

Plaque

Hugh Burnett and the National Unity Association

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Plaque

James Baby 1763-1833

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Plaque

Marie Dressler 1868-1934

Born in this house as Leila Maria Koerber, Marie Dressler became the stage name of this actress who became successful in silent and talking films — including alongside Charlie Chaplin and Greta Garbo. Dressler won an Academy Award in 1931.

Learn more About Plaque Marie Dressler 1868-1934 in people

Plaque

Marie-Rose Turcot 1887-1977

Turcot moved to Ottawa at the age of 20 to take a job in the civil service. Later, she became a journalist and writer, and also worked in broadcast journalism. She was active in several French-Canadian cultural organizations as well as a collector of Franco-Ontarian folk tales.

Learn more About Plaque Marie-Rose Turcot 1887-1977 in people

Plaque

Mother Marie Thomas d’Aquin 1877-1963

Originally from near Bordeaux, France, Jeanne Branda felt a calling to become a nun and a teacher. In 1899, she joined the Dominican Sisters of Nancy, where she took on the name Sister Marie Thomas d’Aquin. She moved to the United States and then, while visiting Ottawa in 1914, agreed to head the Jeanne d’Arc Institute.

Learn more About Plaque Mother Marie Thomas d’Aquin 1877-1963 in people

Plaque

Princes' Gates, The

The then-Prince of Wales and his brother opened this impressive entrance to the Canadian National Exhibition grounds in 1927.

Learn more About Plaque Princes' Gates, The in people

Plaque

Reverend Henry Scadding 1813-1901, The

Born in Devonshire, England, Scadding came to Canada in 1821. He was the first rector of the nearby Church of the Holy Trinity and authored many books on the history of Toronto. Scadding lived in this house from 1862 until his death.

Learn more About Plaque Reverend Henry Scadding 1813-1901, The in people

Plaque

Reverend John Stuart 1740-1811, The

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Plaque

Rosamonds in Almonte, The

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Plaque

Senator George T. Fulford 1852-1905

Learn more About Plaque Senator George T. Fulford 1852-1905 in people

Plaque

Sir Richard Bonnycastle 1791-1847

While at Fort Henry, check out the plaque to Bonnycastle, who played a significant role in the defence and economic development of the province.

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Plaque

Stephen Butler Leacock (England)

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Plaque

Stephen Butler Leacock (Ontario)

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Plaque

Thomas McKay 1792-1855

This Scottish-born master mason came to Ottawa to work on the entrance locks of the Rideau Canal and the first bridge that spanned the Ottawa River to connect Ottawa and Hull (now Gatineau). McKay built his residence, Rideau Hall, in 1838 — which was purchased by the Government of Canada to become the official residence of the Governor General.

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Plaque

William and Susannah Steward House

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Plaque

William McGillivray 1764-1825

Fort Kaministiquia was renamed Fort William in honour of this man, a Scot who rose through the ranks of the North West Company to become its principal director by 1804.

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Plaque

William Perkins Bull

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Plaque

William Weller 1799-1863

Weller contributed to some of Cobourg’s growth by offering a stagecoach operation between Hamilton and Montreal. In 1840, he made record time (37 hours and 40 minutes) conveying the Governor General from Toronto to Montreal.

Learn more About Plaque William Weller 1799-1863 in people

Place of worship (11)

Property

Assumption Church

The Assumption Church has been associated with a Jesuit Huron mission at La Pointe du Montréal, the parish of L'Assumption du Détroit, since 1761.

Learn more About Property Assumption Church in place of worship

Property

Auld Kirk Presbyterian Church

One of Ramsay Township's oldest churches, Auld Kirk Presbyterian Church is associated with the early Scottish settlers.

Learn more About Property Auld Kirk Presbyterian Church in place of worship

Property

Church of St. Alban the Martyr

Ottawa was selected as the permanent capital of the Province of Canada in 1857. With the growth of Ottawa's government and civil service population, a new congregation separated from the original Anglican parish, Christ Church on Spark Street.

Learn more About Property Church of St. Alban the Martyr in place of worship

Property

Church of St. John the Evangelist

St. John's Church is associated with the early settlement of the Scott's Mills or Scott's Plains area (now the City of Peterborough) by over 200 Irish immigrants in 1825.

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Property

Precious Blood Cathedral

Sault Ste. Marie was elevated to a diocese in 1904 and the church was selected as a diocesan Cathedral. In 1913, the Jesuits who had served the parish church and then the Cathedral were replaced by the secular clergy. It was renamed the Cathedral of Precious Blood in 1936.

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Plaque

Precious Blood Cathedral

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Property

Sharon Temple

The Sharon Temple is associated with the Children of Peace, a breakaway sect of the Society of Friends or Quakers, founded by David Willson. Willson and his wife emigrated from New York State in 1801 to join other Quakers in Upper Canada. By 1805, he had acquired 200 acres (80 hectares) in the Township of East Gwillimbury (York Region).

Learn more About Property Sharon Temple in place of worship

Property

St. Anne's Anglican Church

St. Anne's Anglican Church parish was founded on the present site in 1862. In 1907, a competition was held for the design of a new church.

Learn more About Property St. Anne's Anglican Church in place of worship

Property

St. George's Cathedral

With its congregation dating to 1783, the Cathedral is associated with the first organized Anglican parish in Ontario.

Learn more About Property St. George's Cathedral in place of worship

Plaque

St. John's Church 1834

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Property

Wolford Chapel

Wolford Chapel — a Trust-owned property in England — is associated with significant British elements of Ontario's heritage. It was built by John Graves Simcoe (1752-1806), the first Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada, to serve as a place of worship for his family on their estate.

Learn more About Property Wolford Chapel in place of worship

Plaque (93)

Plaque

Almanda Walker-Marchand and the Fédération des femmes canadiennes-françaises

Walker-Marchand moved to Ottawa where she established this organization dedicated to helping French-Canadian soldiers and their families during and after the First World War. The organization expanded beyond Ottawa to form chapters in Francophone communities across Canada.

Learn more About Plaque Almanda Walker-Marchand and the Fédération des femmes canadiennes-françaises in plaque

Plaque

Ashbridge Estate, The

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Plaque

Auld Kirk 1836

Plaque commemorating Auld Kirk Presbyterian Church and cemetery

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Plaque

Barnum House

Eliakim Barnum came to this area in 1807 from the United States and began a thriving milling business, a tavern and distillery. With success, he was able to build this house — one of Ontario’s finest examples of neoclassical architecture. The house remained in the Barnum family until 1917.

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Plaque

Bay Queen Street Store, The

Originally Simpson’s department store, this landmark building was a Bay store from 1991 to 2025. It was the first building in Canada constructed with a load-bearing metal frame.

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Plaque

Belleville City Hall

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Plaque

Bethune-Thompson House

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Plaque

Buxton Settlement, The

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Plaque

Canadian International Air Show

Begun in 1946, this renowned air show has fascinated audiences and forced people to look up into the skies above Toronto ever since.

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Plaque

Canadian National Exhibition

This plaque commemorates the establishment of the Exhibition (the “Ex”), a national event that has occurred since 1912.

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Plaque

Charlotte Elizabeth Whitton, O.C., C.B.E. 1896-1975

Whitton was the first woman mayor of Ottawa. Throughout her lifetime, she worked fiercely and energetically to improve social conditions.

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Plaque

Chloe Cooley and the 1793 Act to Limit Slavery in Upper Canada

Learn more About Plaque Chloe Cooley and the 1793 Act to Limit Slavery in Upper Canada in plaque

Plaque

Church of St. Peter, The

This church replaced an earlier building from 1820. Distinguished by stepped battlements on its façade, the new building was designed in the early Gothic revival style by noted architect Kivas Tully, who would later design Victoria Hall. The new building opened for service in 1854.

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Plaque

Church of the Holy Trinity 1847, The

When this church was built, it was then on the outskirts of Toronto. Henry Scadding, who lived in the house nearby, was the church’s first rector. Starting in the 20th century, it started offering programming and assistance to Toronto’s inner city.

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Plaque

Cobourg and Peterborough Railway 1852-1898, The

It was important to establish a railway line between Cobourg and Peterborough. In fact, the citizens of Cobourg were largely responsible for this particular line, which opened in 1854. Unfortunate circumstances — including debilitating ice along the Rice Lake bridge — made the line unsafe and, ultimately, unprofitable.

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Plaque

Col. Elizabeth Smellie 1884-1968

This celebrated Canadian army nurse and public health authority served during the First and Second World Wars. She was the first woman to attain the rank of colonel in Canada’s Armed Forces.

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Plaque

Commissariat Building 1827

Today a museum, this structure is the oldest existing stone building in Ottawa. During the construction of the Rideau Canal, it was a storehouse, office and treasury. The building was turned over to the Canadian government in 1864.

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Plaque

Dawn Settlement, The

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Plaque

École Guigues and Regulation 17, l'

Begun as a school, this building became a centre for minority rights agitation in Ontario in the early 20th century. When the provincial government issued a directive (known as Regulation 17) in 1912, it meant restricting French-language education. Opposition was widespread but particularly intense in Ottawa.

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Plaque

Elisabeth Bruyère 1818-1876

Ottawa in the 1840s (still Bytown then) was a growing timber-trade village with a substantial French-Canadian population but no Catholic schools and few social services. In 1845, four nuns, led by Bruyère, arrived and establish a school, hospital and orphanage, as well as established many social services.

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Plaque

Enoch Turner School 1848, The

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Plaque

Father Pierre Potier 1708-1781

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Plaque

First Provincial Parliament 1792, The

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Plaque

Fool's Paradise

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Plaque

Fort Henry

The first fort was built during the War of 1812. The present structures were built between 1832-37. Today, the site is a museum.

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Plaque

Fort Kaministiquia 1717

A small fort was established near here in 1717 by a French officer, replacing an earlier structure. It served as the base of operations for la Vérendrye, the famous explorer. A later fort of the same name was built downriver and renamed Fort William in 1807. It became the nucleus of the city.

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Plaque

Fort Rouillé

This plaque commemorates the last French post built in present-day Southern Ontario.

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Plaque

Founding of Cobourg, The

In the first years of the 19th century, mills helped to establish a settlement here. Then came the completion of Kingston Road and harbour improvements. Known originally as Hamilton, Cobourg was incorporated as a town in 1850.

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Plaque

Founding of Colborne, The

A store established here around 1819 by Joseph Keeler, a prominent local merchant and early settler, provided the nucleus around which the community of Colborne began. The settlement thrived as more businesses started. The arrival of the Grand Trunk Railway in 1856 spurred further growth and, three years later, Colborne was incorporated as a village.

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Plaque

Founding of London, The

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Plaque

Hon. George Brown 1818-1880

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Plaque

Honourable George Brown, The

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Plaque

Honourable Hamnet Kirks Pinhey, The

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Plaque

Honourable James Cockburn 1819-1883, The

This Father of Confederation came to Canada in 1832 as a child. After becoming a lawyer here in Cobourg, he entered politics and shared in drafting the plan for Confederation. In 1867, he was elected the first Speaker of the new House of Commons.

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Plaque

Hugh Burnett and the National Unity Association

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Plaque

James Baby 1763-1833

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Plaque

King Edward Hotel, The

This grand hotel opened in 1903 and became almost immediately known as the “King Eddy.” It was designed to provide luxury and service in dramatic settings. The 18-storey tower, with its top-floor Crystal Ballroom, was added in 1920-21. Although threatened with demolition in the 1970s, the hotel was revitalized in the early 1980s and this plaque was unveiled in 2003 to commemorate the hotel’s 100th anniversary.

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Plaque

King's Royal Regiment of New York, The

This plaque commemorates the largest Loyalist corps raised during the American Revolution. And it was right here in Kingston.

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Plaque

Lakehead University

Following a push by educators and business representatives for an institution of higher learning in Ontario’s northwest, the Lakehead Technical Institute was established in 1946. By 1965, it became Lakehead University and conferred its first degrees.

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Plaque

Last Fatal Duel 1833, The

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Plaque

Le Droit

In 1912, French-Canadian educational and religious groups came together to discuss the founding of a newspaper that could be used to protest Regulation 17, which severely restricted the teaching of French in Ontario schools. From this, Le Droit was born — a French-language daily newspaper. Le Droit continues to support and defend Franco-Ontarian rights.

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Plaque

Loew's Yonge Street and Winter Garden Theatres

Now known as the Elgin & Winter Garden Theatres, this complex was designed by renowned architect Thomas Lamb for entrepreneur Marcus Loew as the Canadian flagship of his American theatre chain. The stacked theatres opened in 1913-14.

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Plaque

Loyalist Landing at Cataraqui 1784, The

After the end of the American Revolution, loyalist refugees came to Canada. One group came from New York State and landed near here at Cataraqui, now known as Kingston.

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Plaque

Macpherson House, The

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Plaque

Marie Dressler 1868-1934

Born in this house as Leila Maria Koerber, Marie Dressler became the stage name of this actress who became successful in silent and talking films — including alongside Charlie Chaplin and Greta Garbo. Dressler won an Academy Award in 1931.

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Plaque

Marie-Rose Turcot 1887-1977

Turcot moved to Ottawa at the age of 20 to take a job in the civil service. Later, she became a journalist and writer, and also worked in broadcast journalism. She was active in several French-Canadian cultural organizations as well as a collector of Franco-Ontarian folk tales.

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Plaque

Metropolitan United Church

This church was designed by architect Henry Langley in the high Victorian Gothic style. Constructed in 1872 to replace an earlier structure, it was badly damaged by fire in 1928 and rebuilt. It was here that the first General Council of the United Church met in 1925.

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Plaque

Militia Garrison 1837-38

This plaque commemorates the services of the first permanent garrison in Kingston, assembled to defend the city during the Upper Canada Rebellion.

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Plaque

Moose Factory — Môsonîwi-Miništik

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Plaque

Mother Marie Thomas d’Aquin 1877-1963

Originally from near Bordeaux, France, Jeanne Branda felt a calling to become a nun and a teacher. In 1899, she joined the Dominican Sisters of Nancy, where she took on the name Sister Marie Thomas d’Aquin. She moved to the United States and then, while visiting Ottawa in 1914, agreed to head the Jeanne d’Arc Institute.

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Plaque

Moulton College

The last stop on this walking tour is Moulton College, which once stood at this site. The school was a girls’ preparatory school founded by Susan Moulton McMaster (as part of McMaster University in Hamilton) and was housed in the former McMaster residence located here.

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Plaque

Niagara Library, The

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Plaque

Noronic Disaster, The

A little-known disaster on the Great Lakes happened right here in the Toronto Harbour when a passenger cruiser, the Noronic, burned on September 19, 1949, taking 119 lives. This remains Toronto’s worst disaster.

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Plaque

Old St. Andrew's Church

Built from local stone, this Presbyterian church was begun in 1830 on land acquired from Joseph Keeler, a prominent local merchant. Little altered since 1911, it remains one of the oldest surviving Presbyterian churches in Ontario.

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Plaque

Peel County Court House

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Plaque

Pigeon River Road, The

This abandoned roadway was used to deliver the mail for a decade until the Canadian Pacific Railway was completed in 1882.

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Plaque

Point Frederick

This strategic location was established for the defence of the loyalist settlement at Cataraqui (now Kingston).

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Plaque

Precious Blood Cathedral

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Plaque

Princes' Gates, The

The then-Prince of Wales and his brother opened this impressive entrance to the Canadian National Exhibition grounds in 1927.

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Plaque

Queen's Rangers, The

This plaque honours the first British regiment raised specifically for service in Upper Canada (now Ontario).

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Plaque

Reverend Henry Scadding 1813-1901, The

Born in Devonshire, England, Scadding came to Canada in 1821. He was the first rector of the nearby Church of the Holy Trinity and authored many books on the history of Toronto. Scadding lived in this house from 1862 until his death.

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Plaque

Reverend John Stuart 1740-1811, The

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Plaque

Rideau Canal 1826-1832, The

This UNESCO World Heritage Site opened on May 24, 1832 to provide a secure military route between Upper and Lower Canada.

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Plaque

Rosamonds in Almonte, The

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Plaque

Rosvall and Voutilainen

In November 1929, two Finnish-Canadians left the Port Arthur area to recruit bushworkers for a strike. Their bodies were found the following spring. Many locals suspected foul play, but the coroner’s jury ruled the deaths as accidental drowning. The two men remain as martyrs to the cause of organized labour.

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Plaque

Rush-Bagot Agreement, The

This plaque commemorates the agreement that officially ended the War of 1812. It is still technically in force today.

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Plaque

Ryerson Polytechnical Institute

This university has had many names over the years. Established in 1948, it was named for Egerton Ryerson (founder of the province’s education system). In the 1970s, it was given limited degree-granting powers. It became a full university in 1993. Today, it is known as the Toronto Metropolitan University.

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Plaque

Second Invasion of York 1813, The

This plaque in Coronation Park commemorates a key battle in the War of 1812 on the shores of Toronto (then York).

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Plaque

Senator George T. Fulford 1852-1905

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Plaque

Sharon Temple

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Plaque

Sir Richard Bonnycastle 1791-1847

While at Fort Henry, check out the plaque to Bonnycastle, who played a significant role in the defence and economic development of the province.

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Plaque

Solomon Moseby Affair 1837, The

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Plaque

St. Anne's Anglican Church

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Plaque

St. John's Church 1834

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Plaque

St. Michael's Cathedral

This church is the main church of Canada’s largest English-speaking Catholic archdiocese. Begun in 1845, the site has seen several additions over the years — including the chancel window in 1858 and the tower and spire in 1867.

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Plaque

Stanley Barracks

Named in honour of Governor General Lord Stanley (also of hockey fame), the Stanley Barracks have been here since the 1840s. Today, all that remains is this building, the Officers’ Quarters.

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Plaque

Stephen Butler Leacock (England)

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Plaque

Stephen Butler Leacock (Ontario)

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Plaque

Stone Frigate, The

This building was constructed as a naval warehouse. By 1876, it was refitted to house the newly established Royal Military College of Canada.

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Plaque

Thomas McKay 1792-1855

This Scottish-born master mason came to Ottawa to work on the entrance locks of the Rideau Canal and the first bridge that spanned the Ottawa River to connect Ottawa and Hull (now Gatineau). McKay built his residence, Rideau Hall, in 1838 — which was purchased by the Government of Canada to become the official residence of the Governor General.

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Plaque

Toronto Normal School

Established by Egerton Ryerson in 1847, the Toronto Normal School was the first provincial institution for the systematic training of elementary school teachers.

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Plaque

Union of the North West and Hudson's Bay Companies

This plaque commemorates the merger of the rival North West and Hudson’s Bay Companies to settle ongoing — and bloody — disputes between the rival fur-trade companies.

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Plaque

Victoria College

Teaching began at this new college in 1836. By 1841, they were granting degrees. In 1890, it federated with the University of Toronto and, two years later, left Cobourg.

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Plaque

Victoria Hall

This imposing classical structure was built as an expression of civic pride and confidence. Finished in 1860, it housed a courtroom and a concert hall. Its distinctive cupola remains a landmark. In 1983, it re-opened following an extensive restoration program.

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Plaque

Warriors' Day Parade, The

Near the entrance to the Exhibition grounds is this plaque that honours war veterans.

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Plaque

Western Route of the CPR, The

In June 1875, the first sod on the Canadian Pacific Railway’s line from the Lakehead to the West was turned here in Fort William. The last spike was driven in 1885.

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Plaque

Wilberforce Settlement, The

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Plaque

William and Susannah Steward House

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Plaque

William McGillivray 1764-1825

Fort Kaministiquia was renamed Fort William in honour of this man, a Scot who rose through the ranks of the North West Company to become its principal director by 1804.

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Plaque

William Perkins Bull

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Plaque

William Weller 1799-1863

Weller contributed to some of Cobourg’s growth by offering a stagecoach operation between Hamilton and Montreal. In 1840, he made record time (37 hours and 40 minutes) conveying the Governor General from Toronto to Montreal.

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Plaque

Woodchester Villa

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Plaque

Yonge Street 1796

The longest street in the world was built by Ontario’s first lieutenant governor, John Graves Simcoe, to connect his recently founded Town of York with the naval base at Penetanguishene on Georgian Bay.

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Politics and law (23)

Plaque

Belleville City Hall

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Plaque

Charlotte Elizabeth Whitton, O.C., C.B.E. 1896-1975

Whitton was the first woman mayor of Ottawa. Throughout her lifetime, she worked fiercely and energetically to improve social conditions.

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Plaque

Chloe Cooley and the 1793 Act to Limit Slavery in Upper Canada

Learn more About Plaque Chloe Cooley and the 1793 Act to Limit Slavery in Upper Canada in politics and law

Plaque

First Provincial Parliament 1792, The

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Plaque

Fort Henry

The first fort was built during the War of 1812. The present structures were built between 1832-37. Today, the site is a museum.

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Plaque

Founding of London, The

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Plaque

Hon. George Brown 1818-1880

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Plaque

Honourable George Brown, The

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Plaque

Honourable Hamnet Kirks Pinhey, The

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Plaque

Honourable James Cockburn 1819-1883, The

This Father of Confederation came to Canada in 1832 as a child. After becoming a lawyer here in Cobourg, he entered politics and shared in drafting the plan for Confederation. In 1867, he was elected the first Speaker of the new House of Commons.

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Plaque

Hugh Burnett and the National Unity Association

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Plaque

Last Fatal Duel 1833, The

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Plaque

Militia Garrison 1837-38

This plaque commemorates the services of the first permanent garrison in Kingston, assembled to defend the city during the Upper Canada Rebellion.

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Plaque

Peel County Court House

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Plaque

Rush-Bagot Agreement, The

This plaque commemorates the agreement that officially ended the War of 1812. It is still technically in force today.

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Plaque

Senator George T. Fulford 1852-1905

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Plaque

Solomon Moseby Affair 1837, The

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Plaque

Stephen Butler Leacock (England)

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Plaque

Stephen Butler Leacock (Ontario)

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Plaque

Stone Frigate, The

This building was constructed as a naval warehouse. By 1876, it was refitted to house the newly established Royal Military College of Canada.

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Plaque

Thomas McKay 1792-1855

This Scottish-born master mason came to Ottawa to work on the entrance locks of the Rideau Canal and the first bridge that spanned the Ottawa River to connect Ottawa and Hull (now Gatineau). McKay built his residence, Rideau Hall, in 1838 — which was purchased by the Government of Canada to become the official residence of the Governor General.

Learn more About Plaque Thomas McKay 1792-1855 in politics and law

Plaque

Victoria Hall

This imposing classical structure was built as an expression of civic pride and confidence. Finished in 1860, it housed a courtroom and a concert hall. Its distinctive cupola remains a landmark. In 1983, it re-opened following an extensive restoration program.

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Plaque

William Perkins Bull

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Religion (22)

Property

Assumption Church

The Assumption Church has been associated with a Jesuit Huron mission at La Pointe du Montréal, the parish of L'Assumption du Détroit, since 1761.

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Plaque

Auld Kirk 1836

Plaque commemorating Auld Kirk Presbyterian Church and cemetery

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Plaque

Buxton Settlement, The

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Property

Church of St. Alban the Martyr

Ottawa was selected as the permanent capital of the Province of Canada in 1857. With the growth of Ottawa's government and civil service population, a new congregation separated from the original Anglican parish, Christ Church on Spark Street.

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Property

Church of St. John the Evangelist

St. John's Church is associated with the early settlement of the Scott's Mills or Scott's Plains area (now the City of Peterborough) by over 200 Irish immigrants in 1825.

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Plaque

Church of St. Peter, The

This church replaced an earlier building from 1820. Distinguished by stepped battlements on its façade, the new building was designed in the early Gothic revival style by noted architect Kivas Tully, who would later design Victoria Hall. The new building opened for service in 1854.

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Plaque

Church of the Holy Trinity 1847, The

When this church was built, it was then on the outskirts of Toronto. Henry Scadding, who lived in the house nearby, was the church’s first rector. Starting in the 20th century, it started offering programming and assistance to Toronto’s inner city.

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Plaque

Elisabeth Bruyère 1818-1876

Ottawa in the 1840s (still Bytown then) was a growing timber-trade village with a substantial French-Canadian population but no Catholic schools and few social services. In 1845, four nuns, led by Bruyère, arrived and establish a school, hospital and orphanage, as well as established many social services.

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Plaque

Father Pierre Potier 1708-1781

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Plaque

Metropolitan United Church

This church was designed by architect Henry Langley in the high Victorian Gothic style. Constructed in 1872 to replace an earlier structure, it was badly damaged by fire in 1928 and rebuilt. It was here that the first General Council of the United Church met in 1925.

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Plaque

Mother Marie Thomas d’Aquin 1877-1963

Originally from near Bordeaux, France, Jeanne Branda felt a calling to become a nun and a teacher. In 1899, she joined the Dominican Sisters of Nancy, where she took on the name Sister Marie Thomas d’Aquin. She moved to the United States and then, while visiting Ottawa in 1914, agreed to head the Jeanne d’Arc Institute.

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Plaque

Old St. Andrew's Church

Built from local stone, this Presbyterian church was begun in 1830 on land acquired from Joseph Keeler, a prominent local merchant. Little altered since 1911, it remains one of the oldest surviving Presbyterian churches in Ontario.

Learn more About Plaque Old St. Andrew's Church in religion

Property

Precious Blood Cathedral

Sault Ste. Marie was elevated to a diocese in 1904 and the church was selected as a diocesan Cathedral. In 1913, the Jesuits who had served the parish church and then the Cathedral were replaced by the secular clergy. It was renamed the Cathedral of Precious Blood in 1936.

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Plaque

Precious Blood Cathedral

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Plaque

Reverend Henry Scadding 1813-1901, The

Born in Devonshire, England, Scadding came to Canada in 1821. He was the first rector of the nearby Church of the Holy Trinity and authored many books on the history of Toronto. Scadding lived in this house from 1862 until his death.

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Plaque

Reverend John Stuart 1740-1811, The

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Plaque

Sharon Temple

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Property

St. Anne's Anglican Church

St. Anne's Anglican Church parish was founded on the present site in 1862. In 1907, a competition was held for the design of a new church.

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Plaque

St. Anne's Anglican Church

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Property

St. George's Cathedral

With its congregation dating to 1783, the Cathedral is associated with the first organized Anglican parish in Ontario.

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Plaque

St. John's Church 1834

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Plaque

St. Michael's Cathedral

This church is the main church of Canada’s largest English-speaking Catholic archdiocese. Begun in 1845, the site has seen several additions over the years — including the chancel window in 1858 and the tower and spire in 1867.

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Schools (2)

Property

Enoch Turner Schoolhouse

Toronto's Enoch Turner Schoolhouse is a provincially significant heritage site and the oldest school still standing in Toronto.

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Property

Willowbank Estate

Willowbank is significant as a surviving mansion of the British colonial era in Canada that reflects the ideals of both classical revivalism and the picturesque tradition.

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Scientific and technological innovations (3)

Plaque

Canadian National Exhibition

This plaque commemorates the establishment of the Exhibition (the “Ex”), a national event that has occurred since 1912.

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Online exhibit

Ontario's military heritage — 4. Second World War (Industry and research)

Ontario was a mineral-rich province that offered many strategic resources for military production. It also had a large population. According to the 1941 census, Ontario had 3.8 million residents, of which 62 per cent lived in urban areas. The combination of Ontario’s large population and mineral-rich land made it an ideal industrial hub for war production.

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Plaque

Senator George T. Fulford 1852-1905

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Sports and recreation (1)

Plaque

Canadian National Exhibition

This plaque commemorates the establishment of the Exhibition (the “Ex”), a national event that has occurred since 1912.

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Theatre (1)

Property

Elgin & Winter Garden Theatres

At this magnificent National Historic Site, you can bask in the gilded elegance of the Elgin Theatre, and then gaze at the leafy ceiling of the Winter Garden Theatre, seven storeys above the Elgin.

Learn more About Property Elgin & Winter Garden Theatres in theatre

Trails (6)

Property

Cheltenham Badlands

The Cheltenham Badlands site is one of Ontario’s geological treasures, formed at the base of an ancient sea about 450 million years ago.

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Property

Devil's Monument

The Devil’s Monument comprises the Minhinick, LeFeuvre-Chupac and Schneider properties. The name refers to the presence of a flowerpot that has long been a draw for locals and tourists alike. It is the only complete flowerpot on land along the east side of the Bruce Peninsula.

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Property

Ellis Property

The Ellis Property is located 1 km (0.6 miles) north of Ball’s Falls Conservation Area, just west of the Jordan Historical Museum in the Town of Lincoln.

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Property

Fleetwood Creek Natural Area

Fleetwood Creek Natural Area is located on the north slope of the Oak Ridges Moraine within the City of Kawartha Lakes. This 370-hectare (916.4-acre) property features glacial features such as kames, kettles and drumlins that form the headwaters of Fleetwood Creek.

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Property

Scotsdale Farm

Scotsdale Farm is undoubtedly one of the most picturesque places in Halton Hills. The farm is situated northwest of Georgetown and connects to Silvercreek Conservation Area and Bruce Trail.

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Property

Yaremko-Ridley Property

The 64-hectare (160-acre) Yaremko-Ridley Property, located just outside of the Town of Milton, contains mixed escarpment forest with stunning glacial valleys, rolling landscapes and numerous rock outcroppings and deposits.

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Transportation systems and communications (12)

Plaque

Cobourg and Peterborough Railway 1852-1898, The

It was important to establish a railway line between Cobourg and Peterborough. In fact, the citizens of Cobourg were largely responsible for this particular line, which opened in 1854. Unfortunate circumstances — including debilitating ice along the Rice Lake bridge — made the line unsafe and, ultimately, unprofitable.

Learn more About Plaque Cobourg and Peterborough Railway 1852-1898, The in transportation systems and communications

Plaque

Commissariat Building 1827

Today a museum, this structure is the oldest existing stone building in Ottawa. During the construction of the Rideau Canal, it was a storehouse, office and treasury. The building was turned over to the Canadian government in 1864.

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Plaque

Founding of Cobourg, The

In the first years of the 19th century, mills helped to establish a settlement here. Then came the completion of Kingston Road and harbour improvements. Known originally as Hamilton, Cobourg was incorporated as a town in 1850.

Learn more About Plaque Founding of Cobourg, The in transportation systems and communications

Plaque

Founding of Colborne, The

A store established here around 1819 by Joseph Keeler, a prominent local merchant and early settler, provided the nucleus around which the community of Colborne began. The settlement thrived as more businesses started. The arrival of the Grand Trunk Railway in 1856 spurred further growth and, three years later, Colborne was incorporated as a village.

Learn more About Plaque Founding of Colborne, The in transportation systems and communications

Plaque

Le Droit

In 1912, French-Canadian educational and religious groups came together to discuss the founding of a newspaper that could be used to protest Regulation 17, which severely restricted the teaching of French in Ontario schools. From this, Le Droit was born — a French-language daily newspaper. Le Droit continues to support and defend Franco-Ontarian rights.

Learn more About Plaque Le Droit in transportation systems and communications

Plaque

Pigeon River Road, The

This abandoned roadway was used to deliver the mail for a decade until the Canadian Pacific Railway was completed in 1882.

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Plaque

Queen's Rangers, The

This plaque honours the first British regiment raised specifically for service in Upper Canada (now Ontario).

Learn more About Plaque Queen's Rangers, The in transportation systems and communications

Plaque

Rideau Canal 1826-1832, The

This UNESCO World Heritage Site opened on May 24, 1832 to provide a secure military route between Upper and Lower Canada.

Learn more About Plaque Rideau Canal 1826-1832, The in transportation systems and communications

Plaque

Thomas McKay 1792-1855

This Scottish-born master mason came to Ottawa to work on the entrance locks of the Rideau Canal and the first bridge that spanned the Ottawa River to connect Ottawa and Hull (now Gatineau). McKay built his residence, Rideau Hall, in 1838 — which was purchased by the Government of Canada to become the official residence of the Governor General.

Learn more About Plaque Thomas McKay 1792-1855 in transportation systems and communications

Plaque

Western Route of the CPR, The

In June 1875, the first sod on the Canadian Pacific Railway’s line from the Lakehead to the West was turned here in Fort William. The last spike was driven in 1885.

Learn more About Plaque Western Route of the CPR, The in transportation systems and communications

Plaque

William Weller 1799-1863

Weller contributed to some of Cobourg’s growth by offering a stagecoach operation between Hamilton and Montreal. In 1840, he made record time (37 hours and 40 minutes) conveying the Governor General from Toronto to Montreal.

Learn more About Plaque William Weller 1799-1863 in transportation systems and communications

Plaque

Yonge Street 1796

The longest street in the world was built by Ontario’s first lieutenant governor, John Graves Simcoe, to connect his recently founded Town of York with the naval base at Penetanguishene on Georgian Bay.

Learn more About Plaque Yonge Street 1796 in transportation systems and communications

Visitor attraction (4)

Property

Cheltenham Badlands

The Cheltenham Badlands site is one of Ontario’s geological treasures, formed at the base of an ancient sea about 450 million years ago.

Learn more About Property Cheltenham Badlands in visitor attraction

Property

Elgin & Winter Garden Theatres

At this magnificent National Historic Site, you can bask in the gilded elegance of the Elgin Theatre, and then gaze at the leafy ceiling of the Winter Garden Theatre, seven storeys above the Elgin.

Learn more About Property Elgin & Winter Garden Theatres in visitor attraction

Property

Fulford Place

Discover the story of Senator George T. Fulford, explore the grand Fulford mansion and marvel at the many original family furnishings.

Learn more About Property Fulford Place in visitor attraction

Property

Josiah Henson Museum of African-Canadian History

An estimated 30,000 Black refugees from slavery in the United States fled to Canada along the Underground Railroad. One of these freedom seekers was abolitionist, preacher and author Josiah Henson.

Learn more About Property Josiah Henson Museum of African-Canadian History in visitor attraction

War and conflict (45)

Plaque

Almanda Walker-Marchand and the Fédération des femmes canadiennes-françaises

Walker-Marchand moved to Ottawa where she established this organization dedicated to helping French-Canadian soldiers and their families during and after the First World War. The organization expanded beyond Ottawa to form chapters in Francophone communities across Canada.

Learn more About Plaque Almanda Walker-Marchand and the Fédération des femmes canadiennes-françaises in war and conflict

Plaque

Canadian International Air Show

Begun in 1946, this renowned air show has fascinated audiences and forced people to look up into the skies above Toronto ever since.

Learn more About Plaque Canadian International Air Show in war and conflict

Plaque

Col. Elizabeth Smellie 1884-1968

This celebrated Canadian army nurse and public health authority served during the First and Second World Wars. She was the first woman to attain the rank of colonel in Canada’s Armed Forces.

Learn more About Plaque Col. Elizabeth Smellie 1884-1968 in war and conflict

Plaque

Fort Henry

The first fort was built during the War of 1812. The present structures were built between 1832-37. Today, the site is a museum.

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Plaque

Fort Rouillé

This plaque commemorates the last French post built in present-day Southern Ontario.

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Plaque

Honourable Hamnet Kirks Pinhey, The

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Plaque

King's Royal Regiment of New York, The

This plaque commemorates the largest Loyalist corps raised during the American Revolution. And it was right here in Kingston.

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Plaque

Loyalist Landing at Cataraqui 1784, The

After the end of the American Revolution, loyalist refugees came to Canada. One group came from New York State and landed near here at Cataraqui, now known as Kingston.

Learn more About Plaque Loyalist Landing at Cataraqui 1784, The in war and conflict

Plaque

Militia Garrison 1837-38

This plaque commemorates the services of the first permanent garrison in Kingston, assembled to defend the city during the Upper Canada Rebellion.

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Plaque

Moose Factory — Môsonîwi-Miništik

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Plaque

Niagara Library, The

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Online exhibit

Ontario's military heritage — 1. War of 1812

On June 1, 1812, American President James Madison requested authorization from the United States Congress to declare war on the United Kingdom. Accompanying his request, Madison issued a war message outlining why he and his political supporters, known as the War Hawks, believed that war was necessary.

Learn more About online exhibit Ontario's military heritage — 1. War of 1812 in war and conflict

Online exhibit

Ontario's military heritage — 1. War of 1812 (Battles in Upper Canada and the Great Lakes)

The British regulars, Canadian militia and Indigenous warriors won several battles in the summer of 1812. Their victories proved to the Americans that if they wanted to conquer Upper Canada, it would require a long and bitter struggle. The sections below explore the key battles in Upper Canada and the surrounding Great Lakes.

Learn more About online exhibit Ontario's military heritage — 1. War of 1812 (Battles in Upper Canada and the Great Lakes) in war and conflict

Online exhibit

Ontario's military heritage — 1. War of 1812 (Life in a war zone)

Before the War of 1812, the lives of most of Upper Canada’s inhabitants involved hard work and offered few comforts. Even for the most skilled homesteaders, subsistence was precarious; bad harvests could bring a family to the brink of starvation. Unfortunately for these residents, life would become even more difficult with the onset of the War of 1812.

Learn more About online exhibit Ontario's military heritage — 1. War of 1812 (Life in a war zone) in war and conflict

Online exhibit

Ontario's military heritage — 1. War of 1812 (Resources)

On June 1, 1812, American President James Madison requested authorization from the United States Congress to declare war on the United Kingdom. Accompanying his request, Madison issued a war message outlining why he and his political supporters, known as the War Hawks, believed that war was necessary.

Learn more About online exhibit Ontario's military heritage — 1. War of 1812 (Resources) in war and conflict

Online exhibit

Ontario's military heritage — 1. War of 1812 (Upper Canada's soldiers)

In 1811, Major-General Isaac Brock was appointed as the senior military commander and senior member of Upper Canada’s executive council. It was Brock’s responsibility to manage the defences of Upper Canada. On taking office, Brock quickly recognized the province’s vulnerability.

Learn more About online exhibit Ontario's military heritage — 1. War of 1812 (Upper Canada's soldiers) in war and conflict

Online exhibit

Ontario's military heritage — 2. Rebellions and incursions

During the War of 1812, the inhabitants of Upper Canada and its neighbouring Indigenous territories witnessed large-scale battles, sieges of towns and forts, raiding and pillaging, and naval warfare on the Great Lakes. Upper Canada survived the American invasion, but the colony continued to face military threats throughout the early to mid-19th century.

Learn more About online exhibit Ontario's military heritage — 2. Rebellions and incursions in war and conflict

Online exhibit

Ontario's military heritage — 2. Rebellions and incursions (Resources)

Explore these resources to learn more about this fascinating part of Canada’s and Ontario’s history.

Learn more About online exhibit Ontario's military heritage — 2. Rebellions and incursions (Resources) in war and conflict

Online exhibit

Ontario's military heritage — 2. Rebellions and incursions (The Fenian Raids in Canada West)

The Fenian threat heightened public support for the Canadian militia as the British Colonial Office sought to reduce its military commitments in the colonies. It also reinforced support for Canadian Confederation in 1867. In these and other ways, the Fenian raids were significant in Ontario’s military and political development.

Learn more About online exhibit Ontario's military heritage — 2. Rebellions and incursions (The Fenian Raids in Canada West) in war and conflict

Online exhibit

Ontario's military heritage — 2. Rebellions and incursions (The Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837-38)

Few anticipated that demands for political reform in Upper Canada would culminate in an armed rebellion. And yet, contextual factors, combined with the fateful decisions of those who represented the Crown and the Reform movement, made a rebellion possible.

Learn more About online exhibit Ontario's military heritage — 2. Rebellions and incursions (The Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837-38) in war and conflict

Online exhibit

Ontario's military heritage — 3. The Great War

With the war against Germany now a reality, Canada’s federal parliamentarians assembled for an emergency session. Politicians on both sides of the House rallied to the cause and professed their wholehearted commitment to the Allied war effort. As they proclaimed in their speeches, the war was a noble struggle to defend peace and democracy against German autocracy and militaristic culture.

Learn more About online exhibit Ontario's military heritage — 3. The Great War in war and conflict

Online exhibit

Ontario's military heritage — 3. The Great War (Anti-alien hostility)

During the war, the term “enemy aliens” was used to draw attention to the threat posed by these non-naturalized residents of so-called enemy origin. Often the use of this designation ignored ethnic particularities, such as how Ukrainian immigrants refuted association with the Austro-Hungarian empire.

Learn more About online exhibit Ontario's military heritage — 3. The Great War (Anti-alien hostility) in war and conflict

Online exhibit

Ontario's military heritage — 3. The Great War (Donning the khaki)

The soldiers who fought overseas in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) experienced a war like no other before it. The ingenuity of the modern industrial age was used to construct international war machines designed for efficient and brutal destruction. And yet, all the sophisticated machinery, tools and weaponry still required flesh and blood to operate.

Learn more About online exhibit Ontario's military heritage — 3. The Great War (Donning the khaki) in war and conflict

Online exhibit

Ontario's military heritage — 3. The Great War (Ontario's wartime economy)

In August 1914, the people of Ontario were coping with a major recession. The onset of the Great War further compounded pre-existing hardships because access to British credit was suspended, stock exchanges closed, Atlantic shipping ceased and public fears led to a rush of gold withdrawals. Gradually, international and national efforts restored economic stability, and the financial shock of going to war dissipated.

Learn more About online exhibit Ontario's military heritage — 3. The Great War (Ontario's wartime economy) in war and conflict

Online exhibit

Ontario's military heritage — 3. The Great War (Resources)

Learn more about the Great War through these additional sources.

Learn more About online exhibit Ontario's military heritage — 3. The Great War (Resources) in war and conflict

Online exhibit

Ontario's military heritage — 3. The Great War (Schools and students at war)

Public schools, colleges and universities are widely recognized as establishments of learning and accreditation. During the Great War, however, schools in Ontario were mobilized for the war effort. School grounds were repurposed as sites for drills, military experiments and rehabilitation centres for returned soldiers. Some schools also incentivized their students to enlist and allowed their campuses to become recruitment grounds.

Learn more About online exhibit Ontario's military heritage — 3. The Great War (Schools and students at war) in war and conflict

Online exhibit

Ontario's military heritage — 4. Second World War

On September 1, 1939, Adolf Hitler invaded Poland and demonstrated to Western leaders that their policy of appeasement would not deter large-scale conflict. Drawing on their diplomatic guarantees of Polish independence, the United Kingdom and France declared war against Nazi Germany on September 3. Canada, which was a self-governing colony under the Statute of Westminster, made its own declaration of war a week later.

Learn more About online exhibit Ontario's military heritage — 4. Second World War in war and conflict

Online exhibit

Ontario's military heritage — 4. Second World War (Civilian victims of war)

Throughout the war, thousands of so-called “guest children” from the United Kingdom were brought to Ontario and other provinces until they could be reunited with their families under more stable and peaceful circumstances. Ontario, however, was not a refuge for everyone. The selection and screening of guest children were marked by racial and religious barriers. Social discrimination was also evident in Ontario’s internment camps.

Learn more About online exhibit Ontario's military heritage — 4. Second World War (Civilian victims of war) in war and conflict

Online exhibit

Ontario's military heritage — 4. Second World War (Industry and research)

Ontario was a mineral-rich province that offered many strategic resources for military production. It also had a large population. According to the 1941 census, Ontario had 3.8 million residents, of which 62 per cent lived in urban areas. The combination of Ontario’s large population and mineral-rich land made it an ideal industrial hub for war production.

Learn more About online exhibit Ontario's military heritage — 4. Second World War (Industry and research) in war and conflict

Online exhibit

Ontario's military heritage — 4. Second World War (Military operations and experiences)

By the summer of 1940, Nazi Germany had conquered most of continental Europe, and the United Kingdom was defending itself against the German Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain. During these trying times, Canada became the United Kingdom’s most important ally. To make a meaningful difference in the war, Canada’s military would require expansion and modernization.

Learn more About online exhibit Ontario's military heritage — 4. Second World War (Military operations and experiences) in war and conflict

Online exhibit

Ontario's military heritage — 4. Second World War (Resources)

This narrative cannot possibly tell every story about the Second World War. Explore these resources for more information.

Learn more About online exhibit Ontario's military heritage — 4. Second World War (Resources) in war and conflict

Online exhibit

Ontario's military heritage — 5. Cold War and military restructuring (Cold War air defence)

On July 27, 1953, an armistice brought an uneasy end to three years of fighting on the Korean peninsula. Among the 26,000 Canadians who served, 312 were killed in combat. The end of the Korean War was an important turning point in Canadian military history because it was followed by a shift away from conventional warfare. Instead, Canadian military strategy focused on addressing the threat of nuclear war with the Soviet Union.

Learn more About online exhibit Ontario's military heritage — 5. Cold War and military restructuring (Cold War air defence) in war and conflict

Online exhibit

Ontario's military heritage — 5. Cold War and military restructuring (Modernizing the Canadian Forces)

Since the end of the Second World War, the Canadian military has developed new capabilities, structures and roles for its domestic and international operations. Some of these dynamics have been discussed in the section on Cold War air defence, which examines the development of Ontario’s aviation industry and Ontario’s integration into NORAD.

Learn more About online exhibit Ontario's military heritage — 5. Cold War and military restructuring (Modernizing the Canadian Forces) in war and conflict

Online exhibit

Ontario's military heritage — 5. Cold War defence and military restructuring

Many historians trace the origin of the Cold War to one of the most unlikely places — Ontario. Three days after the surrender of Japan, a cipher clerk named Igor Gouzenko defected from the Soviet Embassy in Ottawa. He brought with him documents revealing the existence of a Soviet espionage network in Canada.

Learn more About online exhibit Ontario's military heritage — 5. Cold War defence and military restructuring in war and conflict

Online exhibit

Ontario's military heritage — 5. Cold War defence and military restructuring (Resources)

Explore these resources about the Cold War to learn more about this fascinating time in our history.

Learn more About online exhibit Ontario's military heritage — 5. Cold War defence and military restructuring (Resources) in war and conflict

Plaque

Point Frederick

This strategic location was established for the defence of the loyalist settlement at Cataraqui (now Kingston).

Learn more About Plaque Point Frederick in war and conflict

Plaque

Queen's Rangers, The

This plaque honours the first British regiment raised specifically for service in Upper Canada (now Ontario).

Learn more About Plaque Queen's Rangers, The in war and conflict

Plaque

Rideau Canal 1826-1832, The

This UNESCO World Heritage Site opened on May 24, 1832 to provide a secure military route between Upper and Lower Canada.

Learn more About Plaque Rideau Canal 1826-1832, The in war and conflict

Plaque

Rush-Bagot Agreement, The

This plaque commemorates the agreement that officially ended the War of 1812. It is still technically in force today.

Learn more About Plaque Rush-Bagot Agreement, The in war and conflict

Plaque

Second Invasion of York 1813, The

This plaque in Coronation Park commemorates a key battle in the War of 1812 on the shores of Toronto (then York).

Learn more About Plaque Second Invasion of York 1813, The in war and conflict

Plaque

Sir Richard Bonnycastle 1791-1847

While at Fort Henry, check out the plaque to Bonnycastle, who played a significant role in the defence and economic development of the province.

Learn more About Plaque Sir Richard Bonnycastle 1791-1847 in war and conflict

Plaque

Stanley Barracks

Named in honour of Governor General Lord Stanley (also of hockey fame), the Stanley Barracks have been here since the 1840s. Today, all that remains is this building, the Officers’ Quarters.

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Plaque

Stone Frigate, The

This building was constructed as a naval warehouse. By 1876, it was refitted to house the newly established Royal Military College of Canada.

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Plaque

Warriors' Day Parade, The

Near the entrance to the Exhibition grounds is this plaque that honours war veterans.

Learn more About Plaque Warriors' Day Parade, The in war and conflict

Plaque

Yonge Street 1796

The longest street in the world was built by Ontario’s first lieutenant governor, John Graves Simcoe, to connect his recently founded Town of York with the naval base at Penetanguishene on Georgian Bay.

Learn more About Plaque Yonge Street 1796 in war and conflict

Women's history (17)

Plaque

Almanda Walker-Marchand and the Fédération des femmes canadiennes-françaises

Walker-Marchand moved to Ottawa where she established this organization dedicated to helping French-Canadian soldiers and their families during and after the First World War. The organization expanded beyond Ottawa to form chapters in Francophone communities across Canada.

Learn more About Plaque Almanda Walker-Marchand and the Fédération des femmes canadiennes-françaises in women's history

Plaque

Charlotte Elizabeth Whitton, O.C., C.B.E. 1896-1975

Whitton was the first woman mayor of Ottawa. Throughout her lifetime, she worked fiercely and energetically to improve social conditions.

Learn more About Plaque Charlotte Elizabeth Whitton, O.C., C.B.E. 1896-1975 in women's history

Plaque

Chloe Cooley and the 1793 Act to Limit Slavery in Upper Canada

Learn more About Plaque Chloe Cooley and the 1793 Act to Limit Slavery in Upper Canada in women's history

Plaque

Col. Elizabeth Smellie 1884-1968

This celebrated Canadian army nurse and public health authority served during the First and Second World Wars. She was the first woman to attain the rank of colonel in Canada’s Armed Forces.

Learn more About Plaque Col. Elizabeth Smellie 1884-1968 in women's history

Plaque

Elisabeth Bruyère 1818-1876

Ottawa in the 1840s (still Bytown then) was a growing timber-trade village with a substantial French-Canadian population but no Catholic schools and few social services. In 1845, four nuns, led by Bruyère, arrived and establish a school, hospital and orphanage, as well as established many social services.

Learn more About Plaque Elisabeth Bruyère 1818-1876 in women's history

Plaque

Fool's Paradise

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Plaque

Marie Dressler 1868-1934

Born in this house as Leila Maria Koerber, Marie Dressler became the stage name of this actress who became successful in silent and talking films — including alongside Charlie Chaplin and Greta Garbo. Dressler won an Academy Award in 1931.

Learn more About Plaque Marie Dressler 1868-1934 in women's history

Plaque

Marie-Rose Turcot 1887-1977

Turcot moved to Ottawa at the age of 20 to take a job in the civil service. Later, she became a journalist and writer, and also worked in broadcast journalism. She was active in several French-Canadian cultural organizations as well as a collector of Franco-Ontarian folk tales.

Learn more About Plaque Marie-Rose Turcot 1887-1977 in women's history

Plaque

Mother Marie Thomas d’Aquin 1877-1963

Originally from near Bordeaux, France, Jeanne Branda felt a calling to become a nun and a teacher. In 1899, she joined the Dominican Sisters of Nancy, where she took on the name Sister Marie Thomas d’Aquin. She moved to the United States and then, while visiting Ottawa in 1914, agreed to head the Jeanne d’Arc Institute.

Learn more About Plaque Mother Marie Thomas d’Aquin 1877-1963 in women's history

Online exhibit

Ontario's military heritage — 1. War of 1812 (Battles in Upper Canada and the Great Lakes)

The British regulars, Canadian militia and Indigenous warriors won several battles in the summer of 1812. Their victories proved to the Americans that if they wanted to conquer Upper Canada, it would require a long and bitter struggle. The sections below explore the key battles in Upper Canada and the surrounding Great Lakes.

Learn more About online exhibit Ontario's military heritage — 1. War of 1812 (Battles in Upper Canada and the Great Lakes) in women's history

Online exhibit

Ontario's military heritage — 1. War of 1812 (Life in a war zone)

Before the War of 1812, the lives of most of Upper Canada’s inhabitants involved hard work and offered few comforts. Even for the most skilled homesteaders, subsistence was precarious; bad harvests could bring a family to the brink of starvation. Unfortunately for these residents, life would become even more difficult with the onset of the War of 1812.

Learn more About online exhibit Ontario's military heritage — 1. War of 1812 (Life in a war zone) in women's history

Online exhibit

Ontario's military heritage — 1. War of 1812 (Upper Canada's soldiers)

In 1811, Major-General Isaac Brock was appointed as the senior military commander and senior member of Upper Canada’s executive council. It was Brock’s responsibility to manage the defences of Upper Canada. On taking office, Brock quickly recognized the province’s vulnerability.

Learn more About online exhibit Ontario's military heritage — 1. War of 1812 (Upper Canada's soldiers) in women's history

Online exhibit

Ontario's military heritage — 3. The Great War (Donning the khaki)

The soldiers who fought overseas in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) experienced a war like no other before it. The ingenuity of the modern industrial age was used to construct international war machines designed for efficient and brutal destruction. And yet, all the sophisticated machinery, tools and weaponry still required flesh and blood to operate.

Learn more About online exhibit Ontario's military heritage — 3. The Great War (Donning the khaki) in women's history

Online exhibit

Ontario's military heritage — 3. The Great War (Ontario's wartime economy)

In August 1914, the people of Ontario were coping with a major recession. The onset of the Great War further compounded pre-existing hardships because access to British credit was suspended, stock exchanges closed, Atlantic shipping ceased and public fears led to a rush of gold withdrawals. Gradually, international and national efforts restored economic stability, and the financial shock of going to war dissipated.

Learn more About online exhibit Ontario's military heritage — 3. The Great War (Ontario's wartime economy) in women's history

Online exhibit

Ontario's military heritage — 3. The Great War (Schools and students at war)

Public schools, colleges and universities are widely recognized as establishments of learning and accreditation. During the Great War, however, schools in Ontario were mobilized for the war effort. School grounds were repurposed as sites for drills, military experiments and rehabilitation centres for returned soldiers. Some schools also incentivized their students to enlist and allowed their campuses to become recruitment grounds.

Learn more About online exhibit Ontario's military heritage — 3. The Great War (Schools and students at war) in women's history

Online exhibit

Ontario's military heritage — 4. Second World War (Industry and research)

Ontario was a mineral-rich province that offered many strategic resources for military production. It also had a large population. According to the 1941 census, Ontario had 3.8 million residents, of which 62 per cent lived in urban areas. The combination of Ontario’s large population and mineral-rich land made it an ideal industrial hub for war production.

Learn more About online exhibit Ontario's military heritage — 4. Second World War (Industry and research) in women's history

Online exhibit

Ontario's military heritage — 4. Second World War (Military operations and experiences)

By the summer of 1940, Nazi Germany had conquered most of continental Europe, and the United Kingdom was defending itself against the German Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain. During these trying times, Canada became the United Kingdom’s most important ally. To make a meaningful difference in the war, Canada’s military would require expansion and modernization.

Learn more About online exhibit Ontario's military heritage — 4. Second World War (Military operations and experiences) in women's history