Event Type : Adult Planned

Help us celebrate Thanksgiving!

The first official, annual Thanksgiving in Canada was celebrated on 6 November 1879, though Indigenous peoples in Canada have a history of celebrating the fall harvest that predates the arrival of European settlers. Sir Martin Frobisher and his crew are credited as the first Europeans to celebrate a Thanksgiving ceremony in North America, in 1578. They were followed by the inhabitants of New France under Samuel de Champlain in 1606. The celebration featuring the uniquely North American turkey, squash and pumpkin was introduced to Nova Scotia in the 1750s and became common across Canada by the 1870s. In 1957, Thanksgiving was proclaimed an annual event to occur on the second Monday of October. It is an official statutory holiday in all provinces and territories except Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia.

The Moore Park Ravine is a lush, tree-lined stretch of land that offers one of the most beautiful nature walks in the city.

Making up the last leg of the nine-kilometre Beltline Trail—which extends through the city from west to east—the ravine runs from the Mount Pleasant Cemetery down to Evergreen Brickworks.

A former brick making factory, Evergreen Brick Works is now a place where the world can experience sustainable practices that enable flourishing cities of the future. Evergreen Brick Works connects citizens, business, academia and government to shape our cities for the better. For real. Open daily and year-round, Evergreen Brick Works engages visitors in a full suite of attractions and events including our Saturday Farmers’ Market, nature trails for hiking and cycling, site tours, exhibits, conferences, festivals, nature-based camps for youth and a sustainable garden market and eco-store.

Walking tour of Toronto’s downtown Chinatown and food sampling

Energetic Chinatown hosts a variety of Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai and Japanese restaurants that range from dim sum and pho to modern fusion. The animated Asian open-air markets and shops along Spadina Avenue offer fresh fruits and vegetables, along with herbal medicine and souvenirs. Chinese New Year celebrations draw tourists and locals to live stage shows, martial arts demonstrations and lion dances. ― Google

While we attempt to run all activities scheduled, from time to time, scheduled activities may change due to factors such as weather, scheduling, etc. 

The Art Gallery of Ontario is an art museum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The museum is located in the Grange Park neighbourhood of downtown Toronto, on Dundas Street West between McCaul and Beverley streets just east of Chinatown.

The AGO’s collection spans from 100 A.D. to the present and is focused on the following areas:

The Canadian collection vividly documents the development of the nation’s art heritage since pre-Confederation, including one of the largest and finest Inuit art collections in the world. The collection includes pivotal works by Cornelius Krieghoff, Lucius O’Brien, James Wilson Morrice, Tom Thomson, the Group of Seven, David Milne, Emily Carr, Paul-Emile Borduas, Joyce Wieland and Kenojuak Ashevak.

Masterpieces of European art include works by renowned artists such as Anthony van Dyck, Thomas Gainsborough, Auguste Rodin, Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Paul Cézanne, Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso and René Magritte.

The Thomson Collection at the AGO includes a broad range of works, from European to Canadian art, ship models and decorative arts. Its European collection includes 900 works from the 12th to the 19th century, featuring Peter Paul Rubens’ 17th-century masterpiece, The Massacre of the Innocents. The Canadian collection includes signature works by Cornelius Krieghoff, Paul Kane, Lawren Harris, and Paul-Emile Borduas. The Thomson Collection of ship models features pieces from the Napoleonic era to the 19th century, and the decorative arts collection includes more than 500 objects of international significance, including the 12th-century Malmesbury Chasse.

The AGO maintains a comprehensive collection of Contemporary art spanning from 1960 to the present, reflecting global developments in artistic practice across all media, including painting, sculpture, works on paper, photography, projection art and installation art. The collection is defined by strong holdings of leading Canadian artists such as David Altmejd, Brian Jungen, Jeff Wall, Shirley Wiitasalo and punctuated with major works by international artists such as Mona Hatoum, Gerhard Richter, Doris Salcedo, Tino Sehgal, Cindy Sherman, Richard Serra, Kara Walker and Andy Warhol.

Artists represented in career-spanning depth include Iain Baxter& / N.E. Thing Co, David Blackwood, Jack Bush, Paterson Ewen, Betty Goodwin, General Idea, Robert Motherwell, Kazuo Nakamura, Greg Curnoe and Michael Snow.

The AGO houses the world’s largest public collection of works by internationally renowned British sculptor Henry Moore.

A collection of more than 40,000 photographs represents the emergence of the medium in all its artistic, cultural and social diversity. The collection includes works by 19th-century British, French, American and Canadian photographers, and 20th-century modernists, including a significant group of 1850s prints by British photographer Linnaeus Tripe, one of the foremost collections of works by Czech photographer Josef Sudek, and more than 18,000 press photographs from the Klinsky Press Agency taken in the 1930s and 40s.

The AGO’s collection of African art is not only the largest of its kind in a Canadian art museum, but also one of the most prestigious collections of African art in Canada. This collection of 95 artworks spans several centuries and is acutely focused on sculptural and figural works from west and central Africa. Pieces in the collection are made with an array of materials that are reflective of the sculptural traditions in their respective areas, including beeswax, copper alloys, glass beads, iron, ivory, soapstone and wood.

The Royal Ontario Museum is a museum of art, world culture and natural history in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is one of the largest museums in North America and the largest in Canada. It attracts more than one million visitors every year, making the ROM the most-visited museum in Canada.

Along with fresh new exhibits, ROM’s permanent collection includes around one million objects of art and culture gathered from around the world. With objects dating back to a range of time periods, from prehistoric civilization to present-day, visitors can explore the artwork, archaeology, fashion, and decor of ancient Asian, European, Greek, Roman, African, and Indigenous culture.

ROM holds Canada’s largest collection of natural history specimens, giving visitors the chance to explore an extensive treasure trove of findings. Perhaps the most alluring is the collection of gems that sparkle and shine as you walk through the gallery. Diamonds aside, if you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to have the fossil of a 200 year-old dinosaur tower over you, or what it’s like to walk through a bat cave, check out ROM.

Don’t forget to enjoy the views and look up when you’re at the museum—you just might find the ROM’s gorgeous mosaicked ceiling!

Fun facts about the ROM

• ROM was founded in 1914
• ROM is located on ancestral lands of several First Nations
• ROM’s courtyard is a public space where Torontonians can enjoy a garden and a view of the crystal-shaped facade
• ROM is the biggest museum in Canada
• ROM is the fifth biggest museum in North America
• The museum is home to more than 13 million objects, including artwork, fossils, cultural items and more
• The museum’s dinosaur fossils span hundreds of millions of years

This captivating setting is enjoyed all year long for people of all ages. During the Spring, Summer and Fall enjoy the soothing sounds of the large water fountain and pond. Many seasonal activities are planned throughout the year at Nathan Philips Square. In the winter the water fountain turns into an outdoor Ice Rink.

Take in the downtown sites while pleasure skating, or enjoy a quick bite beside the rink at Hero Certified Burgers. Enjoy a leisurely stroll around the Eaton Centre Shopping Centre, visit City Hall, walk Yonge Street or check out nearby Dundas Square. This hot spot is a great place to add to your destination must see list.

• TTC Information: Located at Toronto City Hall. Take the subway to Queen Station and walk west along Queen Street (north side) just past Bay Street.