A new exhibit will bring to life the stories of 52 extraordinary women who made Toronto what it is today. The 52: Stories of Women Who Transformed Toronto opens on April 9 at the Museum of Toronto, and admission is free. 

Spanning from the 1800s to today, this exhibit shares the stories of women who have made groundbreaking contributions to our city in the fields of science, arts and culture, politics, sports, and civic life. 

These women are changemakers, rebels, and innovators. Many were “firsts” in their fields—the first female mayor, the founder of the first Indian dance company, the author of the first Indigenous work published in Canada. Some women you may instantly recognize: like Margaret Atwood, Penny Oleksiak, or Hazel McCallion, but others haven’t had their stories told—until now.

In addition to photographs, letters, and mementos, The 52 dives further into each woman’s story with filmed monologues written by 24 Canadian playwrights. As they walk through the exhibit, visitors will take in monologues that capture the lives of these iconic women—from their trailblazing work to their exhilarating personal stories. 

The monologues will be brought to life later this spring at Luminato Festival, with a series of live theatre performances from June 4-8.

“We felt it was important to tell the stories of these 52 iconic women in ways that extended beyond the pages of history books and into mini performances of their lives”, says Heidi Reitmaier, Executive Director of the Museum of Toronto. “This is an extraordinary exhibition, one that you have never seen or heard before.”

While countless others have shaped Toronto over the years, the exhibit features 52 women in recognition of the fact that 52% of Torontonians are women. Women’s contributions to society have historically been overlooked—so projects like this one are vital. Not only are these women’s lives documented and archived, but their stories are finally receiving the recognition they deserve, and hopefully inspiring a new generation of women changemakers. 

If you visited Nuit Blanche in 2023, you may remember an earlier iteration of this project. The 52 is an exhibit three years in the making and was made possible in collaboration with 150+ women, plus a women-led and funded investor campaign.

The 52: Stories of Women Who Transformed Toronto will run until December 20, 2025, at the Museum of Toronto.