Many East Toronto locations, including R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant, to be featured at Doors Open 2025

By COLE HESSION

The City of Toronto’s annual Doors Open event is set for this weekend.

Doors Open 2025 will take place on Saturday, May 24, and Sunday, May 25, and will see some 150 buildings across the city open their doors for residents to take tours and learn more about them.

In the East Toronto area, some of these buildings that will be open to the public during Doors Open 2025 are the R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant, Todmorden Mills, the Don Jail, the Kew Beach Lawn Bowling Club and Beach United Church.

Located on Queen Street East at the foot of Victoria Park Avenue, the R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant is a Toronto landmark. Built in the 1930s, it is the city’s largest collection of Art Deco style structures.

It provides an average of 400 million litres of safe drinking water to Toronto every single day and is recognized as a National Historic Civil Engineering Site. Doors Open hours for the plant will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both May 24 and 25.

Todmorden Mills is a historic site and museum built in the Victorian era to house mills of different types including paper, wheat, a former brewery and even a wildflower preserve. It is located at 67 Pottery Rd., and Doors Open hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 24 and 25.

The Historic Don Jail at Hennick Bridgepoint Hospital is a decommissioned prison which shut down in 1977 after being used for more than 150 years. It is now the administrative building for the hospital. The Don Jail is located at 1 Bridgepoint Dr., and Doors Open hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on May 24 and 25.

The Kew Beach Lawn Bowling Club is situated at the edge of the Kew Gardens park at 12 Lee Ave. As well as lawn bowling, the club also offers croquet. The Doors Open hours will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both May 24 and 25.

The Beach United Church is a multi-purpose building and church that holds great cultural importance to the East End and the Beach community. It was built in 1915 and underwent a major renovation that was finished in 2014. Located at 140 Wineva Ave., Doors Open hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 24 and 25.

As part of this year’s Doors Open, there are also a number of Neighbourhood Tours planned at various locations across the city. For East Toronto residents, the Riverside area will be the focus of the From Ballparks to Backstage tour.

The walk will examine the area’s rich sports heritage, from Sunlight Park – Toronto’s first baseball grounds – to historic bicycle races and curling on the Don River. It will also look at the revitalization of Joel Weeks Park, a vibrant public space featuring playful art, and also examine the neighbourhood’s theatrical history with stories of The Opera House, Teck Theatre, Comedy Alley and more.

The From Ballparks to Backstage walking tours are set for 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on May 24 and May 25. Advance tickets are required for this free walking tour and are available at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/from-ballparks-to-backstage-a-legacy-of-play-at-the-riverside-tickets-1299718967419?aff=oddtdtcreator

For more information on the buildings, or the tours, please visit the City of Toronto’s website to learn more about the Doors Open 2025 at https://www.toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/festivals-events/doors-open-toronto/