Programs

The ArQuives offers presentations to organizations interested in Canadian LGBTQ2+ history and the founding of The ArQuives. Since 2015 we have presented in many cities across Canada including Victoria, Vancouver, Thunder Bay, Ottawa, London, Guelph, Toronto, Peel Region, Durham Region, Montreal and more. If your city or town is not on that list we would like to add you so please contact us! Presentations are variable in length depending on the nature and setting of the presentation.

We request an honorarium for presentations, but middle and high school groups, charities, and community groups will be charged on a sliding scale.

* Please note that during COVID-19 all in person tours and presentations are suspended. If you are interested in booking an online presentation, please see the form below.

Tours

House Tours

  • The ArQuives offers tours of the archive building itself, located at 34 Isabella Street. This tour allows members of your group to see how The ArQuives operates and a chance to view the wide variety of materials that The ArQuives collects. A brief presentation will accompany the house tour. We’re happy to show materials based on your group’s interest, or to provide a more general overview of the history and current functioning of The ArQuives themselves.
  • We offer regularly scheduled house tours twice a month: on the first Sunday of each month at 2.30pm, and the second Wednesday of each month at 6pm. These tours are by donation and attendance needs to be confirmed in advance. Please consult our Facebook and Twitter feeds for more information.
  • If your group is unavailable during our regularly scheduled tours, please send your request two months before the tour date. For specially scheduled tours, we request an honorarium and/or donation to The ArQuives.

Walking Tours

  • The ArQuives offers several walking tours in Toronto, including Church-Wellesley Village Tour, Outside the Village Tour, and the University of Toronto St. George Campus Tour. These tours focus on Canadian LGBTQ2+ history with a volunteer guide to answer your questions.
  • We offer regularly scheduled house tours twice a month: on the first Sunday of each month at 2.30pm, and the second Wednesday of each month at 6pm. These tours are by donation and attendance needs to be confirmed in advance. Please consult our Facebook and Twitter feeds for more information.
  • For private groups interested in scheduling a walking tour, we currently offer two 90-minute historic walking tours. We request an honorarium and/or donation to The ArQuives. Both walking tours are only available in late spring to early fall, due to the weather conditions.
  • 1. Church-Wellesley Village Tour covers LGBTQ2+ history after the Second World War.
  • 2. Downtown Tour (Dundas and Bay to King and Yonge) covers early to mid-twentieth century history.
  • 3. St.George Campus (University of Toronto campus) covers the history of the University of Toronto and student groups.

How to Book Our Educational Programs and Tours

To request a house tour, walking tour and/or presentation, please complete the online Tour & Presentation Request Form.
Only one request can be made at a time – please fill out additional forms for each request.

Please have the following information ready when you make your request:

  • Estimated group size and make-up (age range, special interests, affiliated organization, etc.)
  • Location of the presentation
  • Which tour(s) you would like to go on: Church–Wellesley Village Tour, Downtown Tour or The ArQuives House Tour
  • Any specific archival materials your group would be interested in seeing
  • Any accessibility requirement or mobility limitations. For walking tours, they consist of 90 minutes of walking and standing on flat terrain; they don’t require stairs. For house tours, our house has three stories, but only two are accessible with our lift.
  • A range of dates and times your group will be available, two months from now.
  • If you have any questions, please send an email to tours@arquives.ca