Don’t mess this up: You have two opportunities to experience Myseum of Toronto’s upcoming Myseum on the Move: Women of the Ward walking tour that explores Toronto’s “first immigrant neighbourhood.”

Starting from Church of the Holy Trinity (19 Trinity Square), the tour will wind through the city’s oldest neighbourhood, bound north and south by College and Queen, and east and west from Yonge to University. Expect to be taken back in time and see Toronto through the lens of four women: Jean Lumb, Cecilia Reynolds, Annie Whelan and Elizabeth Neufeld. Discover lesser-known herstory through the stories and achievements of these four resilient women who lived life to the fullest and deeply impacted their community.

A little about these beautiful spirits:

Jean Lumb: The owner of a Chinese restaurant who helped bridge the Chinese community with various politicians and Torontonians, ultimately breaking down barriers, specifically through Chinese culture and food.

Cecilia Reynolds: She joined the African-American community in Toronto after escaping slavery and initiated a long-standing correspondence with her former enslaver in order to obtain freedom for her mother and brother.

Annie Whelan: An Irish immigrant who became a bootlegger in order to support her family.

Elizabeth Neufeld: A Jewish-American social worker who established Central Neighbourhood House, the first settlement agency in Toronto.

Get to know the women who built our city. Walks are happening on Sunday, July 22 and Sunday, July 29, and they both kick off at 11 a.m. Don’t miss out on this amazing rediscovery of blocks you know well, but not fully. Tours will be led by John Lorinc and Tatum Taylor (editors of The Ward: The Life & Loss of Toronto’s First Immigrant Neighbourhood & The Ward Uncovered: The Archaeology of Everyday Life), and each stop will also include theatrical presentations and animated talks. 

This event is FREE, but you need to register to reserve your spot. We’ll be walking July 22, and we hope to see many of you there! The walks are each ninety minutes, so wear some comfy shoes.

Women of the Ward is part of a series of summer programming from Myseum called Myseum on the Move, which encourages the use of movement to explore the city’s natural, cultural and built history. The final Myseum on the Move event after Women of the Ward will be The Crombie Cruise, which are afternoon and evening ticketed boat tours led by former Toronto Mayor David Crombie and historian, journalist and author Mike Filey. The Crombie Cruise will set sail with a focus on the history of Toronto’s waterfront as well as an imagination of what it could be. Register now to attend either the afternoon or evening boat tours, which take place August 22.