TORONTO, April 9, 2013 /CNW/ - The Doors Open Ontario 2013 season officially kicks off on April 27 with events in two communities - Guelph and Prince Edward County. This year's program features hundreds of communities participating in 55 events across the province.
Every year from April to October, communities across the province open the doors to hundreds of historic buildings, places of worship, museums, private homes, industrial areas, green buildings, heritage gardens and other interesting venues, some of which are rarely accessible to the public. Many of the participating sites offer special activities, such as tours, exhibitions and demonstrations - all free of charge.
The Doors Open Ontario 2013 theme - Cultural expressions - recognizes the relationship between heritage and the arts, and encourages Ontarians to celebrate the creative culture of their communities. Venues for the arts - including theatres, opera houses, art galleries, artist studios, recital halls and recording studios - will be open for tours.
Three new events are joining the program this year. Innisfil, Northumberland and Bradford West Gwillimbury are hosting events to tell the stories of their local heritage.
Trails and natural heritage sites will also take part. Participants can explore Ontario's breathtaking natural heritage along thousands of kilometres of walking, hiking and cycling trails, many of which will feature special tours and activities.
Since its launch in 2002, Doors Open Ontario has grown from 17 to 55 annual events, representing hundreds of communities across the province. In total, nearly 5 million visits have been made to 5,150 different sites. Visitors to Doors Open Ontario events have spent an estimated $39 million in Ontario's communities.
Visit www.doorsopenontario.on.ca for detailed event information, highlights and site details. The website also offers interactive tools to help users plan their Doors Open Ontario experience - social networking tools to share information with friends and family, a "My Favourites" feature to help create a travel itinerary and keep track of favourite sites, and a quick links tool to help narrow site searches.
This year, the Ontario Heritage Trust will print and distribute 1.1 million Doors Open Ontario brochures in support of the program. Look for a copy of the brochure in newspapers across the province during the week of April 15.
Doors Open Ontario is a program of the Ontario Heritage Trust, with funding support from the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. The Trust is an agency of the Government of Ontario dedicated to identifying, preserving, protecting and promoting Ontario's heritage.
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Doors Open Ontario 2013 Calendar of Events
| Community Name | Date |
| Guelph | April 27 |
| Prince Edward County | April 27 |
| Innisfil NEW! | May 4 |
| Peterborough | May 4 |
| Whitby | May 4 |
| Hamilton | May 4-5 |
| Norfolk | May 11 |
| Richmond Hill | May 11 |
| Georgian Bay | May 19 |
| Brockville-Thousand Islands | May 25-26 |
| Kincardine | May 25-26 |
| Orillia | May 25-26 |
| Toronto | May 25-26 |
| Stratford | June 1 |
| Whitchurch-Stouffville | June 1 |
| Collingwood | June 1-2 |
| Northumberland NEW! | June 1-2 |
| Ottawa | June 1-2 |
| Owen Sound | June 1-2 |
| Clarington | June 8 |
| Smiths Falls | June 9 |
| South Muskoka | June 15-16 |
| Fergus and Elora | June 22 |
| Kingston | June 22 |
| Huntsville and Lake of Bays | June 29-30 |
| Aurora | August 17 |
| Hills of Headwaters | August 17-18 |
| Georgina | August 24 |
| Cornwall and the Counties | September 7-8 |
| Haliburton Highlands-Minden | September 7-8 |
| Kawartha Lakes | September 8 |
| East Elgin | September 14 |
| Quinte West | September 14 |
| Brant | September 21 |
| Haldimand County | September 21 |
| Port Stanley-Sparta | September 21 |
| Waterloo Region | September 21 |
| Amherstburg | September 28 |
| Belleville and District | September 28 |
| Burlington | September 28 |
| Champlain Township | September 28 |
| Markham | September 28 |
| Mississauga | September 28 |
| Newmarket | September 28 |
| Oshawa | September 28 |
| Parry Sound | September 28 |
| St. Marys | September 28 |
| Gananoque | September 28-29 |
| London | September 28-29 |
| Middlesex | September 28-29 |
| Vaughan | September 28-29 |
| Halton Hills | September 29 |
| Bradford West Gwillimbury NEW! | October 5 |
| Pickering | October 5 |
| Niagara (binational) | October 18-20 |
SOURCE: Ontario Heritage Trust
Liane Nowosielski
Marketing and Communications Specialist
Telephone: 416-325-5032
Email: [email protected]
www.heritagetrust.on.ca
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