Programs

At The ArQuives, we believe in the importance of acting as an educational resource to the community.

We offer a variety of programming for the LGBTQ2+ Community and the public, including presentations (in person or online), tours of The ArQuives facilities, history walking tours in Toronto, and Trivia Nights (in person and online).

Inquiries can be sent by email, and you can request a tour or presentation by filling out the following Form.

2025 Winter Holidays: Please note that any requests placed between December 15 and January 2 will be answered the week of January 5, 2026.

Presentations

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 and universities across Canada, including Victoria, Vancouver, Thunder Bay, Ottawa, London, Guelph, Toronto, Peel Region, Durham Region, Montreal and worldwide. Presentations are variable in length depending on the nature and setting of the presentation but are usually about 1 hour long.

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

  • The ArQuives and our Collections
  • The Canadian Gay Liberation Movement
  • The History of Pride in Canada
  • The Purge

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.

Walking Tours

 

  • The ArQuives offers several walking tours in Toronto, including the Church-Wellesley Village Tour, the 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.
  • 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. Due to the weather conditions, both walking tours are only available in late spring to early fall.
  • Church-Wellesley Village Tour covers LGBTQ2+ history after the Second World War.
  • Downtown Tour (Dundas and Bay to King and Yonge) covers early to mid-twentieth-century history.
  • St.George Campus (University of Toronto campus) covers the history of the University of Toronto and student groups.

Please note that walking tours are only available from May to October.

How to Book Our Educational Programs and Tours

To request a presentation, please complete this Tour & Presentation Request Form.

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 (we offer in-person presentations on a limited basis, depending on location and staff capacity);
  • Which tour(s) you would like to go on: Church–Wellesley Village Tour, Downtown Tour, UofT St. George Campus Tour, or The ArQuives House Tour;
  • Any specific archival materials your group would be interested in seeing (not applicable for outdoor tours);
  • Any accessibility requirement or mobility limitations. Walking tours consist of 90 minutes of walking and standing on flat terrain, and they don’t require stairs. For house tours, our house has three stories, but only two are accessible with our lift;
  • At least 3 dates and times your group will be available, two months in the future; and
  • If you have any questions, please email admin@arquives.ca.

2025 WINTER HOLIDAY CLOSURE: Please note that any presentation/tour requests submitted after December 15, 2025 will be responded to in early-January, 2026.