Discussions


The Lost & Found exhibit displayed in the Campbell House gardens features stone fragments from prominent downtown buildings demolished in the 60s/70s – these hand carved pieces represent a portion of Toronto’s history. The Lost & Found Discussion series aims to use the exhibit as a stage to further investigate the underrepresented, contested or lost parts of Toronto’s history while investigating how contemporary social values are contributing to evolving concepts of heritage value and significance.

Discussion No. 1 | Lost & Found: Rediscovering Fragments of Old Toronto- Exhibition Opening

Lost & Found is a permanent exhibition showcasing groupings of architectural fragments salvaged from iconic downtown buildings demolished over fifty years ago. Reflecting on the forces and people that shaped the landscape of Toronto, Lost & Found asks the viewer to consider the future of heritage conservation in the city and the way that these historical fragments can animate today’s urban spaces. 

This panel discussed the history of the selected stones, the history of conservation at the Guild Inn and the past and present approaches to heritage conservation in Toronto.

Moderator: Cathy Nasmith

Panelists:   Alex Avdichuk, Ralph Daley, Mikael Sydor 

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Discussion No. 2 | Contested Spaces and the Creation of Heritage

Tuesday, June 26th

Heritage sites are culturally complex, where the meaning of a place often differs between groups and individuals. A place’s value – whether historical, cultural, architectural, natural, social or economic – can be comprised of both physical and intangible elements.

In order to fully appreciate, learn from, and gain inspiration from our heritage sites, they require thoughtful planning and management that accounts for the numerous ways that a place can have significance for people. The discussion will be an open forum to discuss the complexities of heritage sites and contemplate ways to approach the intricacies of a sense of place.

Moderator: Cathy Nasmith

Panelists: Alexis Cohen, Cat Criger, Mary MacDonald, Alex Speigel

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Discussion No. 3 | The Stories of Our City

Thursday, August 16th – 6:30PM-8:00PM

Storytelling brings life to collective beliefs, ideas, knowledge and values; it connects people, inspiring them to recall aspects of their history and to see different perspectives. Our stories provide an intangible link to the past which continues to shape our communities today.

Toronto is a city with many stories – capturing the complete story of this city is an exciting challenge. In this discussion we hope to explore how the narrative of Toronto’s story changes when different voices add their stories. How can we use different understandings to broaden our interpretation of this city to tell a richer, more complex story? How can we bring multiple stories from communities together in a way that invites everyone to learn?

Moderator: Cheryl Thompson

Panelists: Maggie Hutcheson, John Lorinc