Toronto Railway Museum

The Rotary Toronto Tree of Remembrance
2021-12-11 - 2021-12-24 | Roundhouse Park, 255 Bremner Blvd, Toronto, Ontario, m5v3m9, Canada
Rotary Tree of Remembrance
Starting this Saturday, December 11, 2021, The Rotary Toronto Tree of Remembrance will be set up in downtown Toronto in Roundhouse Park, come visit them at the tree or click here to donate: https://linktr.ee/RotaryToronto

Forget Me Not – Rotary Toronto Tree of Remembrance Donation

After selecting your donation amount, you will be asked to tell us “What do you want your ribbon to say” and they will write their name or a message and they will place a ribbon on the Tree of Remembrance on your behalf.
Donated funds will go to help support charitable organizations in the City of Toronto whose work improves the quality of life of seniors, youth and children, the marginalized and the Indigenous Community.

George Paginton: Life and Work (Online Lecture)
2021-11-18 20:00 - 21:30 (America/New_York)
George Paginton: Life and Work

Join us for our next online lecture, “George Paginton: Life and Work”, on November 18!
RESERVE YOUR FREE TICKET HERE
On November 18th, join the Toronto Railway Museum for the eighth installment in our Railway Ties lecture series. We are happy to partner with the Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives (PAMA) to present George Paginton: Life and Work on November 18th at 8 pm.

Inspired by the Canadian landscape, including the industrial scenes of Toronto’s Rail Lands, George Paginton’s direct, truthful and rugged depiction of Canada served him as a personal escape. A younger contemporary of the famed Group of Seven, his art shares in their painterly aspirations and has brought him in close proximity to their artistic milieu including the Studio Building in which some of the members shared working space. This informative lecture, led by Art Appraiser Kelly Juhasz and Curator Sharona Adamowicz-Clements, will provide an overview of Paginton’s life and work with a focus on his landscape and railway work, and will consider the impact of his secret past as a British Home Child on his artistic persona.

Following the presentation, attendees will have the opportunity to speak with the presenters and Toronto Railway Museum historians in a live Q&A session.

Tickets
Tickets for this event are free, although registration is required.

Attendees will get access to our exclusive Zoom meeting room, where they can engage directly with the presenters and museum historians in our post-lecture Q&A. Ticket holders also have a chance to win a copy of George Paginton: Painting a Nation, courtesy of PAMA.

About Kelly Juhasz

Kelly Juhasz is an Accredited Member of the International Society of Appraisers (ISA) and President of the Canadian Chapter. Kelly is a member of ISA’s Private Client Services Group, a group of qualified appraisers who have completed specialized training and hold senior level industry experience in dealing with High Net Worth Individuals. She was the winner of the 2021 Distinguished Service Award – Fine Art and the 2017 ISA Rising Leader award.

Kelly holds a Master of Information Studies, Archival Science from the University of Toronto and a BA (Hons), Art History from the University of Ottawa (partially completed at the University of Siena, Italy). She also holds a Master’s specialization in Knowledge Media Design, University of Toronto; a BA, Communications, University of Ottawa; and a Marketing Diploma from the Academy of Design.

Kelly works with the family of George Paginton to organize exhibitions, arrange for donations to Canadian institutions and museums, and represents the sale of paintings and sketches through private galleries across Canada.

About Sharona Adamowicz-Clements

Sharona Adamowicz-Clements (M.A., Art History) is an arts professional with over twenty years of experience in the field of Canadian Art. She is the Curator of Art at the Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives in Brampton. Previously she had worked as Curator at the McMichael Canadian art Collection in Kleinburg. Over the course of her career, she has organized and managed more than sixty historical and contemporary art exhibitions and has developed a keen interest in discovering new and untapped talent. She is the author of several publications including Diana Thorneycroft: Canada, Myth and History; Karine Giboulo: Through the Eyes of the Groundhog; Sarah Anne Johnson: Field Trip; and more recently, cowriter of George Paginton: Painting A Nation.

About PAMA

The Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives (PAMA) is a place to explore and learn about Peel Region. Its mandate is to be an accessible and safe space for the diverse communities of Brampton, Caledon and Mississauga to come together and celebrate arts, culture and heritage. PAMA strives to be a place where Region of Peel communities see themselves reflected and actively contribute to building a “Community for Life”.

Throughout the year, PAMA offers a variety of exhibitions, workshops and programs for all ages. Currently, it is undergoing a significant construction project, and will remain closed until early 2022 but continues to offer virtual exhibitions and online programming.

PAMA is located at 9 Wellington Street, East in Brampton. Visit pama.peelregion.ca to learn more.

Media Contact:
Erin Fernandes | Marketing Coordinator, PAMA | M: 416-312-3425 | Erin.fernandes@peelregion.ca

About the Toronto Railway Museum

The Toronto Railway Museum (TRM) brings people together by telling stories of Toronto’s railway heritage. The Museum is located in the heart of downtown Toronto and is typically open year-round. TRM presents exhibits, tours, educational programs and publications that broaden the understanding and appreciation of Toronto’s rich railway history. TRM is committed to telling the stories of the railways, and welcoming conversations of its varied experiences through its lecture series, exhibits and integrated programming with a mission to learn from the past to make the future better.

The Toronto Railway Museum would like to acknowledge the support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s Community Building Fund. More information is available here.

We would also like to thank the family of George Paginton for the gift of seven paintings and six sketches of the Roundhouse and Toronto rail yards.

George Paginton: Life and Work (Exhibit)
2021-11-18 12:00 - 2022-08-28 17:00 (America/New_York) | Toronto Railway Museum, 255 Bremner Blvd, Stall 17, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 3M9, Canada
George Paginton: Life and Work
The Toronto Railway Museum’s George Paginton exhibit features both paintings and pencil sketches of the artist.
Artist George Paginton was inspired by the industrial landscape – including the Toronto rail lands. The exhibit is included in museum admission. The exhibition is on display until Summer 2022.
About the George Paginton Exhibit
The Toronto Railway Museum’s George Paginton exhibit features both paintings and pencil sketches of the artist.
Inspired by the Canadian landscape, including the industrial scenes of Toronto’s Rail Lands, George Paginton’s direct, truthful and rugged depiction of Canada served him as a personal escape. A younger contemporary of the famed Group of Seven, his art shares in their painterly aspirations and has brought him in close proximity to their artistic milieu including the Studio Building in which some of the members shared working space.
The exhibit is on view in Stall 17 of the museum inside of the 1896 parlour car, Nova Scotia. Plan your visit or browse tickets.

Learn more about the making of the exhibit on our blog!

Through the Window of a Train: Online Lecture
2021-10-20 20:00 - 21:30 (America/New_York)
Through the Window of a Train: Hilarious, Hazardous, and Historical Memories from the Steam Era

Join us for our next online lecture, “Through the Window of a Train”, on October 20!

Join us on Wednesday October 20 (8 pm EST/ 7 pm CST) for the next online lecture in our 2021 online series. If you’ve ever been curious about the lives of people on board a moving train, or wanted to take a nostalgic trip back to the steam era, then you won’t want to miss this presentation!

Relive hilarious, hazardous, historical, and romantic moments as Barbara Lange reads a selection of short stories from Through the Window of a Train: A Canadian Railway Anthology (Borealis Press). Get a glimpse into the lives of railway workers, railway families, and train travelers from the bygone steam era when railways reigned supreme.

Following the presentation, attendees will have the opportunity to speak with the presenter and Toronto Railway Museum historians in a live Q&A session.

Tickets
Tickets are $15 (+HST and fees). Attendees will get access to our exclusive Zoom meeting room, where they can engage directly with the presenter and museum historians in our post-lecture Q&A. Ticket holders will also receive 1 adult ticket to the Toronto Railway Museum (valid until 12/31/2022) and have a chance to win one of several prizes. Stay tuned for details.

About Barbara Lange
Barbara Lange grew up in a railway family in England. Her father worked for British Railways. Train trips meant visits to relatives or friends, discovering new destinations, travelling to school, or a way to reach her office job in London. Most treasured memories were annual family holidays by train to England’s beaches.

After immigration to Canada, her curiosity about life surrounding Canada’s railways piqued, especially when she landed in Toronto in 1978 and stepped on board VIA’s flagship train The Canadian to complete her journey to Winnipeg. Train travel does not feature in daily life for most Winnipeggers as distances are too great. To help fill the void that she felt, Barbara became a member of the Winnipeg Railway Museum and loved to breathe in that familiar “railway” smell. She also enjoyed riding The Vintage Locomotive Society’s historic tourist train The Prairie Dog Central.

But the idea of collecting railway memories was never far from her mind. She interviewed people whenever she and husband, Larry Lange, a CN carman from the Transcona Repair and Maintenance Shops, travelled across Canada by train. In collaboration with 30 other writers, Through the Window of a Train: A Canadian Railway Anthology (Borealis Press) was published. Soon after its release in 2010 VIA Rail Canada included it in their souvenir selection, thus realizing Barbara’s dream for the book as a travel companion.

In 2019, CN celebrated CN100, its 100th anniversary, and published “100 Years of Building a Legacy Together” featuring memories, photographs, drawings, and historical material from a wide selection of sources. Several quotes from “Through the Window of a Train: A Canadian Railway Anthology” and Barbara’s second book “Memories of the Moonlight Special and Grand Beach Train Era” are included.

Another exciting CN100 event was CN’s Moving Celebration tour, a large-scale “showstopper” train which stopped in Quebec City, Halifax, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Regina in 2019, and New Orleans, Memphis, Chicago, Ottawa, Moncton, Toronto and Montreal in 2020. Barbara was thrilled to discover both her books in the “book box container” display.

About the Toronto Railway Museum
The Toronto Railway Museum (TRM) brings people together by telling stories of Toronto’s railway heritage. The Museum is located in the heart of downtown Toronto and is typically open year-round. TRM presents exhibits, tours, educational programs and publications that broaden the understanding and appreciation of Toronto’s rich railway history. TRM is committed to telling the stories of the railways, and welcoming conversations of its varied experiences through its lecture series, exhibits and integrated programming with a mission to learn from the past to make the future better.

Roundhouse Trivia
2021-10-15
To celebrate the John Street Roundhouse’s 92 anniversary, join us for a game of Roundhouse trivia through our Instagram stories. This trivia game will be virtual and held on Instagram.
On October 15, 1929, Canadian Pacific Railway’s John Street Roundhouse officially opened. How well do you know the Roundhouse? Find out on Friday, October 15 at 11:00am (ET). Visit our Instagram page and get ready to play Roundhouse trivia on our Instagram stories!
Want to learn more about the John Street Roundhouse? Plan your visit to the museum, or read more on our blog.

An aerial view of the CPR John Street Roundhouse Complex in the mid-1970’s. Courtesy of the Helmut G. Osterman Collection.

Thanksgiving Hours
2021-10-11 08:00 - 2021-10-13 17:00 (America/New_York)
Please note the Toronto Railway Museum’s Thanksgiving hours:
Thanksgiving Hours:
Saturday, October 9: Open 12:00-5:00pm
Sunday, October 10: Open 12:00-5:00pm

Monday, October 11: Closed
Tuesday, October 12: Closed
Wednesday, October 13: Closed

Regular hours resume on Thursday, October 14

Stall 17 Museum
The museum space in Stall 17 is open to visitors on October 9 and 10, and closed from October 11 to 13. Stop by to enjoy your favourite exhibits or browse our most popular gift shop items. The gift shop at Don Station remains closed. We are looking forward to welcoming you back to the museum! Masks are mandatory and museum capacity is limited. Please review our reopening announcement prior to your visit. Museum admission tickets should be pre-booked in advance.

All Aboard the Safety Train: Railway Safety in Canada
2021-09-29 19:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York)
All Aboard the Safety Train: Railway Safety in Canada
Join us on Wednesday September 29th for the next online lecture in our 2021 series, Railway Ties. In honor of Railway Safety week, September 21-27, 2021, the Toronto Railway Museum has partnered with Operation Lifesaver Canada to advocate for railway safety and offer an exclusive peek at what goes on behind the scenes to keep Canadians safe on the rails.
This online event will be led by experts Peter Mohyla and Rob Romano (Operation Lifesaver Canada). Firstly, it will include a tour of the Whitby Rail Facility. Learn more about railway safety and how to “Stop Track Tragedies”. Event attendees will get a behind the scenes peek at what goes into a trip inspection before a train departs the station. Following the presentation, attendees will have the opportunity to speak with the presenters and Toronto Railway Museum historians in a live Q&A session. Event attendees have a chance to win some great prizes from our friends at Ripley’s Aquarium and more. Get your tickets now!
To learn more about railway safety and how to stop track tragedies, join us for our latest lecture in the series!
Tickets
Tickets are $15 (+ HST and fees). Attendees will get access to our exclusive Zoom meeting room, where they can engage directly with the presenters and museum historians in our post-lecture Q&A. Ticket holders also have a chance to win one of several prizes, including a family pass to Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada, and prizes from Operation Lifesaver, Steam Whistle Brewing, and the Toronto Blue Jays!
Tickets available on Eventbrite here.
About Peter Mohyla
Peter Mohyla has been with GO Transit for 33 years serving as a special constable and currently as a Community Safety Officer. He also chairs the Operation Lifesaver Ontario Committee and sits on the national Operation Lifesaver advisory committee.
For 32 years Peter has been promoting the OL rail safety messaging and working with a variety of community partners such as emergency responders, partners in the rail industry such as CN, CP, VIA Rail and government agencies such as the Ministry of Transportation.
Peter has been recognized for his devotion to promoting rail safety by being awarded the Ministry of Transportation Road Safety Achievement Award in the category of Road Safety Professional. In 2016 he was awarded the Operation Lifesaver Roger Cyr award for his work and dedication in promoting rail safety in Canada.
About Rob Romano
Rob Romano started with Bombardier Rail Transportation in 1997 as an Equipment maintainer ( Locomotive and Coach repair shops, Rail Equipment Operator). He then began working for GO Transit in 2013 as a Coach Rail Equipment officer and in 2015 transferred to the Rail Maintenance expansion group as a Rail Facility Specialist. Currently, Rob is the Supervisor of Facility maintenance and contract compliance at the Whitby Rail Maintenance Facility. In 2016 he received a Metrolinx Linx award for team work (During the construction of Whitby Rail Maintenance Facility).
About the Toronto Railway Museum (TRM)
The Toronto Railway Museum (TRM) brings people together by telling stories of Toronto’s railway heritage. The Museum is located in the heart of downtown Toronto and is typically open year-round. TRM presents exhibits, tours, educational programs and publications that broaden the understanding and appreciation of Toronto’s rich railway history. TRM is committed to telling the stories of the railways, and welcoming conversations of its varied experiences through its lecture series, exhibits and integrated programming with a mission to learn from the past to make the future better.
Links for more info:
https://www.operationlifesaver.ca/initiatives/campaigns/today-is-better/
https://www.crisisservicescanada.ca/en/
https://www.operationlifesaver.ca/

Museum Closed
2021-09-19
Please note the Toronto Railway Museum is closed on Sunday, September 19. Both the museum in Stall 17 of the John Street Roundhouse and the Miniature Train ride will be closed. Learn more about our operating hours, and plan your museum visit, here.
That being said, the museum will operate as normal when regular hours resume on Wednesday, September 22. We look forward to welcoming you to the museum and aboard the Mini Train soon! Visit our Eventbrite page to purchase tickets online.

Labour Day Long Weekend
2021-09-04 12:00 - 2021-09-06 17:00 (America/New_York)
The Toronto Railway Museum is OPEN for Labour Day Long Weekend. Visit the museum in Stall 17 of the John Street Roundhouse and ride the Mini Train!

Hours:
Saturday, September 4: Open 12:00-5:00pm
Sunday, September 5: Open 12:00-5:00pm
Monday, September 6: Open 12:00-5:00pm
Tuesday, September 7: Closed
Wednesday, September 8: Closed

Regular hours resume on Thursday, September 9.

Stall 17 Museum
The museum space in Stall 17 is open to visitors on Labour Day weekend. Stop by to enjoy your favourite exhibits again or browse our most popular gift shop items. The gift shop at Don Station remains closed. We are looking forward to welcoming you back to the museum! Masks are mandatory and museum capacity is limited. Please review our reopening announcement prior to your visit. Museum admission tickets should be pre-booked in advance.

Mini Train
On Saturday, September 4, Sunday, September 5, and Monday, September 6, the Miniature Train will run from 12:00-5:00pm (weather dependent). To clarify, each Miniature Train trip will depart with limited riders to accommodate for physical distancing, and face masks are mandatory on the platform and aboard the train.

Above all, we’re looking forward to bringing the Miniature Train back for the weekend! We ask for your patience as museum staff navigate these new challenges. Tickets go on sale at 11:30am (ET) for the day of; bookmark our Eventbrite page here.

Fighting For Freedom: The Railway Weaves Through Black Canadians' History
2021-08-19 20:00 - 21:30 (America/New_York)
Join us on August 19 for the next online lecture in our 2021 series, Railway Ties. In celebration of Emancipation Day in Canada, Kathy Grant stops at railway crossings through time to share some stories of Black Canadians. The stops include trains, our Black veterans, the porters, a couple of the Royal Tours and Emancipation Day on August 1st.
In this lecture we will be highlighting seven WWI and WWII Veterans who worked for railways including those who worked on the Royal Trains as Porters, were involved in famous raids, invasions, influential legal change, became senators and train crashes. These men include Jean Napoleon Maurice, Percy Corbin, Robert Strong, Judge George Carter, Lester Brown, Walter Modesty and Calvin Ruck. To learn more about these amazing men and their stories, join us for our latest lecture in the series!
Tickets available now through Eventbrite.
VIP Tickets ($25+HST and fees): Includes the lecture and an exclusive Q&A with Kathy Grant and TRM Historians. VIP Attendees will also have the chance to win prizes including:
1 year subscription to Ancestry.ca
2 tickets to Montreal courtesy of VIA Rail
1 prize pack from the Amherstburg Freedom Museum (includes family admission and museum shop gift card)
1 prize pack from the Chatham-Kent Black Historical Society & Black Mecca Museum (includes tour gift certificate and sweatshirt)
General Admission ($10+HST and fees): Includes YouTube stream link to view the lecture only
About Kathy Grant
Born in Montreal to Barbadian immigrants, Kathy Grant is a public historian and founder of Legacy Voices, which ensures Black Canadian History is documented and preserved. Kathy has made educational presentations to municipalities, schools, and community organizations, and works to promote an inclusive approach to storytelling and historical documentation. Kathy was invited by the French Embassy in Ottawa to attend the 95th Anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge and subsequently invited by the War Museum in Ottawa to present her No.2 Construction Battalion/Great War exhibit for the 100th Anniversary of the No.2 on Remembrance Day in 2016. Over the past decade Kathy has undertaken extensive research on the contributions of African Canadians in the First World War and assisted Veterans Affairs Canada in the development of the department’s commemorative resources on the military service of Black Canadians.

Kathy is a 2020 recipient of the 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women award in the category of “History”. Kathy was selected to work with YAP films as lead historian in an upcoming documentary on Black soldiers who served Canada in the Second World War. The documentary airs on the History Channel Remembrance Day 2021.
About the Toronto Railway Museum (TRM)
The Toronto Railway Museum (TRM) brings people together by telling stories of Toronto’s railway heritage. The Museum is located in the heart of downtown Toronto and is typically open year-round. TRM presents exhibits, tours, educational programs and publications that broaden the understanding and appreciation of Toronto’s rich railway history. TRM is committed to telling the stories of the railways, and welcoming conversations of its varied experiences through its lecture series, exhibits and integrated programming with a mission to learn from the past to make the future better.

Rails Through Aurora
2021-07-21 19:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York)
RAILS THROUGH AURORA
In partnership with the Aurora Historical Society, join us for “Rails Through Aurora”, our next online lecture on July 21!
TRM History Team Member Adam Peltenburg presents “Rails Through Aurora”. The community of Aurora, Ontario has a long and storied history of railways dating back before Canada’s confederation. This presentation will offer a comprehensive history of the railways of Aurora and its surroundings from 1853 to the present. Moreover, Adam will cover the important people and events involved in the construction of these railways. The presentation will be supported by captivating visuals including maps and photographs.
Adam will dive into the history of the railways through Aurora including Canadian National Railway, Ontario Northland Railway, and the Ontario, Simcoe and Huron Railway.
Tickets available on the Aurora Historical Society website.

ABOUT
About Adam Peltenburg
Adam is an amateur historian and volunteer webmaster for the Toronto Railway Historical Association, who operate the Toronto Railway Museum. He has authored historical content on the TRHA website. He is also part of TRHA’s History Team, a group of local historians who specialize in Toronto’s railway history. In conclusion, Adam’s work involves interpreting and presenting local railway history. He does this in a way that can be enjoyed equally by other historians and the public at large in an online format.
About the Aurora Historical Society
The Aurora Historical Society was founded in 1963. It dedicates itself to the preservation of Aurora’s heritage. A non-profit governed by a volunteer Board, the Society owns and operates Hillary House National Historic Site. To sum up, the Aurora Historical Society hosts a variety of community oriented events throughout each year. It is always happy to welcome new members, volunteers and visitors.
About the Toronto Railway Museum
The Toronto Railway Museum (TRM) brings people together by telling stories of Toronto’s railway heritage. The Museum is located in the heart of downtown Toronto. It is typically open year-round. TRM presents exhibits, tours, educational programs and publications that broaden the understanding and appreciation of Toronto’s railway history. Additionally, TRM is committed to telling the stories of the
railways. We welcome conversations of varied experiences through its lecture series, exhibits and integrated programming. TRM has a mission to learn from the past to make the future better.

Mini Train Weekends
2021-07-10 12:00 - 2021-10-10 17:00 (America/New_York)
Mini Train season is coming to a close! Join us for two more weekends – October 2 and 3 and October 9 and 10. Sunday, October 10 will be the last day to catch the Mini Train this year. We were thrilled to see the return of the train to our operations and are already counting down the days until next season.
Each Miniature Train weekend trip will depart with limited riders to accommodate for physical distancing, and face masks are mandatory on the platform and aboard the train. Mini Train tickets go on sale at 11:30am on Saturdays and Sundays for the day, and should be purchased online here.
Children under 14 years must be accompanied by an adult. Passengers must be seated – Sorry, no babes in arms.
Above all, we’re looking forward to bringing the Miniature Train back for the weekend! We ask for your patience as museum staff navigate these new challenges.
The Toronto Railway Museum is delighted to announce it has been awarded the #SafeTravels Stamp by the World Travel & Tourism Council for adopting health and hygiene global standardized protocols. The Safe Travels Stamp is an international symbol designed to allow travelers to recognize governments and companies around the world, which have adopted health and hygiene, standardized protocols.

Mini Train Pop-up Weekend
2021-07-03 12:00 - 2021-07-04 17:00 (America/New_York)
Upon entry to Step 2 of the Ontario reopening plan, the Toronto Railway Museum will host a Miniature Train “pop-up” weekend. On Saturday, July 3 and Sunday, July 4, the Miniature Train will run from 12:00-5:00pm (weather dependent). To clarify, each Miniature Train trip will depart with limited riders to accommodate for physical distancing, and face masks are mandatory on the platform and aboard the train.
Above all, we’re looking forward to bringing the Miniature Train back for the weekend! We ask for your patience as museum staff navigate these new challenges.

Historic Places Days 2021
2021-07-03 08:00 - 2021-07-31 17:00 (America/New_York)
Celebrating National Historic Places
This summer the National Trust for Canada invites you to time travel by virtually visiting historic places across Canada. Hundreds of sites are waiting to be discovered, including the Toronto Railway Museum. As an official participating site, we’ll be celebrating Historic Places Days from July 3 to 31.

The Toronto Railway Museum is located in the heart of the historic John Street Roundhouse. It was was built in 1929 by the Canadian Pacific Railway. The Roundhouse is a National Historic Site. You can discover more about the John Street Roundhouse on the blog here.

The museum tells the stories of Toronto’s railways through static and interactive exhibits inside of Stall 17, as well as by leading guided tours through the rolling stock and rail buildings in the collection. Explore our Museum From Home activities here and join us as we celebrate in July!

Check out this blog post for ways to participate in Historic Places Days 2021, including a June contest, digital selfie tool, and more! Moreover, stay tuned for more details as we approach the July 3, 2021 launch date. Follow along on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and sign up for our newsletter here to stay in the know.

Historic Places Days begins on July 3, 2021!

“Canada Historic Places Days marks a summer celebration that profiles and promotes Canada’shistoric places from coast-to-coast. This year, while the doors of many historic places remainclosed, we are encouraging Canadians to connect with their country’s diverse heritage online. Ourvirtual festivities are set to kick off on July 3rd and will continue through to the end of July.”

Outdoor Tours
2021-07-01 12:30 - 2021-07-23 16:30 (America/New_York) | Toronto Railway Museum, 255 Bremner Blvd, Stall 17, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 3M9, Canada
Uncover the stories of Toronto’s railways with our outdoor tours! The Toronto Railway Museum Outdoor Tour explores how Toronto’s railways shaped the social landscape of the city since their introduction in the early 1800s. How were Toronto’s oldest communities impacted by the development of the railways? Further, what stories do our train cars tell? Join us to find out! Tours are in-depth, guided walking tours that take visitors around the museum grounds and tour length is approximately 30 minutes.
Firstly, outdoor tours take place entirely outdoors and do not enter the museum space or inside the train cars as per Stage 1 of the Ontario reopening plan. Masks are mandatory throughout the duration of the guided tour. Also, groups should maintain a physical distance of 2 metres from other visitors and TRM staff. Finally, all guided tour tickets must be pre-booked in advance. Timed ticketing will accommodate reduced visitor numbers and physical distancing. Tours run 4 times per day: 12:30pm, 2:00pm, 3:00pm, and 4:00pm! Pre-book your tickets here.
The Toronto Railway Museum is delighted to announce it has been awarded the #SafeTravels Stamp by the World Travel & Tourism Council for adopting health and hygiene global standardized protocols. The Safe Travels Stamp is an international symbol designed to allow travelers to recognize governments and companies around the world, which have adopted health and hygiene, standardized protocols.

Summer Instagram Giveaway
2021-06-24 11:00 - 2021-06-30 23:30 (America/New_York)
We are thrilled to announce our summer giveaway! Restrictions are beginning to lift and local attractions are reopening. Therefore, we’ve teamed up with 4 wonderful partners to bring you the most exciting Summer prize pack EVER!⁠

⁠
Kick off your summer vacation with over $1450.00 worth of prizes. That is to say, here are the participating partners in the giveaway:
⁠
– 4 General Admission Tickets to the CN Tower⁠
– 4 Tickets From Toronto to Ottawa brought to you by VIA Rail⁠ Canada
– An Outdoor Art Print of the Iconic Toronto Railway Museum Mural⁠ courtesy of Off The Wall On The Fence
– A $100 Gift Certificate to the Chef’s House⁠
– 4 Tickets to the Toronto Railway Museum⁠
How to Enter the Summer Giveaway:
To sum up, to enter the summer giveaway visit our Instagram page. Contest closes on Wednesday June 30 at 11:59pm and is open to residents of Ontario ONLY. Additionally, winner will be announced on Thursday July 1 on Instagram stories! Moreover, the winner will be contacted directly via DM by @OffTheWallOnTheFence. ⁠Good luck!

CLICK HERE TO ENTER ON THE TORONTO RAILWAY MUSEUM INSTAGRAM

We’re looking forward to celebrating the start of the summer season here in Toronto. Above all, we encourage you to support local as restrictions begin to lift.

The Crowd Went Wild! Canadian Baseball’s Love Affair with the Railway
2021-06-17 19:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York)
The next event in our online lecture series, Railway Ties
Join us on June 17 for the next online lecture in our 2021 series: The Crowd Went Wild! Presented by Canada’s premier baseball historian, William Humber, discover the role the railways played in popularizing baseball in Canada. Proceeds from ticket sales will go towards future programming and support the collection, preservation, restoration of Canadian rail artifacts and important historical interpretation at the TRM.
Canadian baseball’s biggest myth is how Americans imposed it on us. Not so! We shared with them the modern game’s evolution from its folk roots. In some ways, Canadians had an even bigger role. The railway system brought this early role to full maturity. Its independent growth in Ontario, between 1854-1873, was railway reliant. Railway porters were likely the first African-Canadian team in 1869. In 1934, Babe Ruth started his epical trip to Japan with a rail stopover in Moose Jaw. The crowd on a Saskatchewan platform went wild! To this day the GO train or subway takes most people to Blue Jays games and the VIA stopover in St. Marys Ontario is a homerun drive to Canada’s Baseball Hall of Fame.
About William Humber
William Humber of Bowmanville entered Canada’s Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018 for championing the game’s history in Canada. Author of 12 books including five on baseball, he is often asked to comment on baseball by amongst others the CBC and the Rogers Sportsnet. For the past 43 years he has taught a “Baseball Spring Training for Fans” course, (on-line this year), preparing fans for the season ahead. He is a respected member of the Society for American Baseball Research’s 19th century research community.
About the Toronto Railway Museum (TRM)
The Toronto Railway Museum (TRM) brings people together by telling stories of Toronto’s railway heritage. The Museum is located in the heart of downtown Toronto and is typically open year-round. TRM presents exhibits, tours, educational programs and publications that broaden the understanding and appreciation of Toronto’s rich railway history. TRM is committed to telling the stories of the railways, and welcoming conversations of its varied experiences through its lecture series, exhibits and integrated programming with a mission to learn from the past to make the future better.
Tickets
VIP Tickets:
$25 (+ fees and HST) with access to Zoom link, plus the live Q&A with William Humber and Toronto Railway Museum Historians. VIP attendees will have the chance to win multiple prizes, including signed Blue Jays memorabilia and Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada tickets! They will also receive a free gift from our friends at Steam Whistle Brewing.
General Admission:
$10 (+ fees and HST) with access to YouTube link
Tickets available now on Eventbrite.
Hurry! The first 50 VIP ticket purchasers will get a free Blue Jays hat! Pick up only.

Doors Open at the TRM
2021-05-29 - 2021-05-30
Toronto Railway Museum participates in Doors Open celebrations every year. As we are not able to gather at the museum this year, we decided to recognize the weekend with virtual activities.
Firstly, to get an inside look at the John Street Roundhouse, the home of the Toronto Railway Museum, check out the video below:

Secondly, on May 29th at 11 am, join us on our Instagram. We’ll be hosting a special trivia contest. Learn more about our past Doors Open events and have a chance to win a gift card for The Rec Room!
We look forward to welcoming you back to the museum when it is safe to do so. Remember you can always access our TRM From Home activities. Thank you for celebrating Doors Open 2021 with us!
Be sure to check out other Digital Doors Open activities happening this month.

International Museum Day with TRM
2021-05-18
Celebrate International Museum Day with the Toronto Railway Museum!
While the museum is closed, we’re happy to celebrate International Museum Day with our at home activities.
Firstly, learn about our collection by exploring our audio guide! While you can use it at the museum, you can also explore our audio guide from home. Feel free to follow along here.
Next, explore the Toronto Railway Historical Association (TRHA). The TRHA, who operate the Toronto Railway Museum, have many historical articles on their website. Dive in to explore more local history. Start with the TRHA Blog.
You can find the rest of our Toronto Railway Museum from Home activities here
Still looking for more? Check out events around the world with ICOM’s interactive map.

The Ties That Bind: Virtual Screening and Q&A
2021-05-13 19:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York)
With the Foundation to Commemorate the Chinese Railroad Workers in Canada (FCCRWC), we’re proud to present the next event in our 2021 lecture series!
Join us on May 13 for a screening of the FCCRWC’s film, The Ties that Bind with a post-show Q&A with a representative from the Foundation and Toronto Railway Museum historians. The Ties That Bind preserves a seldom told part of Canada’s history and we are pleased to present the film as we celebrate Asian Heritage Month in May.
About The Ties That Bind
Between 1881 and 1885, over 17,000 Chinese men came to Canada to work as labourers on the construction of the western section of the transcontinental railroad. Today, many Chinese Canadians are direct descendants of these men. The Ties That Bind: Building the CPR, Building a Place in Canada tells their story, and how their forebears contributed to nation building.
The famous “Last Spike” photograph tells only one part of the story. The people looking at the camera are white. Not one Chinese man is present. In this final moment, the story of the Chinese railway worker – their labour, sacrifice, and struggles – is omitted from the historical record.
The Ties That Bind examines the struggle of the Chinese Canadian community to establish an identity and roots in Canada. Through archival evidence and research about the men who came from China to build the transcontinental railway in the 1880s, and the use of oral testimony of their descendants, The Ties That Bind preserves a seldom told part of Canada’s history.
About the Foundation to Commemorate the Chinese Railroad Workers in Canada (FCCRWC)
The Foundation to Commemorate the Chinese Railroad Workers in Canada (FCCRWC) is a registered charitable organization. The goals of the foundation include promoting the understanding and awareness of the contribution to Canada by the Chinese Railroad Workers who participated in the construction of the first transcontinental railway (the CPR) that united Canada geographically and politically; promoting the awareness of the government’s legislation of unjust Immigration Acts against the Chinese pioneers and their families; establishing scholarships; and sponsoring other Canadian charitable organizations to promote Chinese Canadian History.
Email: fccrwc@gmail.com
Website: https://www.mhso.ca/tiesthatbind/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FCCRWC/ (@FCCRWC)
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChineseRailroad (@ChineseRailroad)
About the Toronto Railway Museum (TRM)
The Toronto Railway Museum (TRM) brings people together by telling stories of Toronto’s railway heritage. The Museum is located in the heart of downtown Toronto and is typically open year-round. TRM presents exhibits, tours, educational programs and publications that broaden the understanding and appreciation of Toronto’s rich railway history. TRM is committed to telling the stories of the railways, and welcoming conversations of its varied experiences through its lecture series, exhibits and integrated programming with a mission to learn from the past to make the future better.
All funds raised from ticket sales will go directly back into supporting TRM and FCCRWC programming. Thank you!
Tickets available on Eventbrite.

National Train Day with the TRM
2021-05-08
Celebrate National Train Day with the Toronto Railway Museum!
While the museum is closed, we’re happy to celebrate National Train Day with our at home activities.
Firstly, test your Toronto railway knowledge with an online crossword puzzle inspired by the city’s first railway, the Ontario, Simcoe & Huron! You can play online or print out and enjoy!
Next, have you ever seen a pink locomotive? Our TRM colouring pages let you colour the Toronto Railway Museum’s collection the way you want! Download them here.
You can find the rest of our Toronto Railway Museum from Home activities here.
Be sure to join us at our next virtual lecture, The Ties That Bind, on May 13th. Tickets available now.

Virtual Lecture: Royal Train Tours of Canada
2021-04-21 18:30 - 21:00 (America/New_York)
Virtual Lecture: Royal Train Tours of Canada
In Honour of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s 95th Birthday
Conducted by Royal Historian, Carolyn Harris
Wednesday, April 21 6:30 – 9 p.m.
#TRMxRoyalTrains
Tickets now on sale!

Welcome to the Toronto Railway Museum’s 2021 Virtual Lecture Series— part of our “10th Anniversary Take Two” campaign.

Join us on a journey to the past as we examine Royal Tours of Canada during the 19th century through today. We will celebrate Her Majesty’s 95th Birthday and our rich Royal ties by looking back on our beloved Monarch’s many rail tours across Canada. We will also review the 2020 UK Royal train tour of William and Catherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, to thank essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Be the first to receive ticket information by subscribing to our e-newsletter.

The Toronto Railway Museum relies on your support to continue our mission to collect, preserve, and interpret Toronto’s railway history for everyone to enjoy for years to come. All funds raised from ticket sales will go directly back into supporting programming.

General Tickets
– $10 with access to YouTube link
– Chance to win prize via social media

VIP – Limited number available
– $25 with access to Zoom link
– Live Q&A with Carolyn Harris and train expert
– Chance to win multiple prizes including a Moet gift basket and more!

Official event schedule will be released in the upcoming weeks – stay tuned!

BUY TICKETS NOW
Contact
For Sponsorship, Partnership or Media Inquiries:

Jacqueline Tyler
TRM Volunteer Committee Marketing and PR
info@jacquelinetyler.com
@jacquelinetylerPR
JacquelineTyler.com
About Carolyn Harris
Dr. Carolyn Harris is an instructor in history at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies. She received her Ph.D in European history from Queen’s University in 2012. Her writing concerning the history of monarchy in the UK, Europe, and Canada has appeared in numerous publications including the Globe and Mail, Ottawa Citizen, Smithsonian Magazine and the BBC History Magazine, and she is the author of 3 books: Magna Carta and Its Gifts to Canada, Queenship and Revolution in Early Modern Europe: Henrietta Maria and Marie Antoinette and Raising Royalty: 1000 Years of Royal Parenting. She is currently co-editing a book series about royal consorts, English Consorts: Power, Influence, Dynasty. She lives in Toronto.
About Toronto Railway Museum (TRM)
Located in Roundhouse Park, in the heart of downtown Toronto. We share the stories of Toronto’s railway history.
About Toronto Railway Historical Association (TRHA)
Established in 2001 to work with the City of Toronto to establish a railway museum at the John Street Roundhouse. The TRHA is incorporated and is a Federally registered charity. Its primary purpose is to promote the development of the TRM.

Virtual Model Train Show - Holiday Edition
2020-12-12 11:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | Toronto Railway Museum, 255 Bremner Blvd, Stall 17, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 3M9, Canada
Join us from home for a festive virtual model train show on Saturday, December 12! Send us a photo of your model train layout and we’ll include it in our virtual show.

Email your photo submission to manager@trha.ca
Tune in to our Instagram stories on Saturday, December 12 at 11:00 AM EST to “attend” the show.

We will also share a compilation of the photos on our Facebook page.

Deadline for submissions: Friday, December 11 12:00 PM EST.

For more virtual activities, check out Toronto Railway Museum From Home.

The Cattle Car: Stepping In and Out of Darkness
2020-10-18 | Roundhouse Park, 255 Bremner Blvd, Toronto, Ontario, m5v3m9, Canada
The Toronto Railway Museum is proud to partner with ShadowLight to present this exhibit in Roundhouse Park.
Please join ShadowLight as we officially unveil the Cattle Car: Stepping In and Out of Darkness to the public! ShadowLight has been working extremely hard to bring you this immersive, 360 degree exhibit and the time has finally come! We will be having both an online event, where you can watch with your family as well as the opportunity to tour the Cattle Car in person!

Museum closed
2020-10-14 | Toronto Railway Museum, 255 Bremner Blvd, Stall 17, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 3M9, Canada
The Toronto Railway Museum is closed on Wednesday, October 14th in lieu of Thanksgiving. We will reopen on Thursday, October 15th.

Online Lecture: Toronto Union Stations
2020-10-01 20:00 - 21:30 UTC
Join us for the final lecture in our 10th anniversary series, Toronto Union Stations 1927-2020!

About Toronto Union Stations, 1927-2020

After almost 25 years of planning and construction, Toronto’s fourth Union Station opened to great fanfare in August 1927 with a visit by the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VIII. Over the following decades, the station would witness the Depression, World War II, the railway’s transition from steam to diesel motive power, the decline of intercity and long-distance passenger trains, the near demolition of the building in the 1960s, and the repurposing of the station as commuter hub. After Union Station was acquired by the City of Toronto in the 21st century, a renovation and restoration process began that would take almost as long as its initial construction a century earlier. An extensive array of photographs, maps, diagrams and animations will illustrate the history of this National Historic Site.
The lecture will be presented digitally through the WebEx platform in one evening and divided into two sections with a short break in the middle. Once you register for this lecture, please review the Order Confirmation that you will receive from Eventbrite. It contains all of the relevant information needed to access our online event.
Don’t forget to register and reserve your space! Please note that lecture capacity is limited due to the hosting platform used.

Tickets for our Online Lecture, Toronto Union Stations 1927-2020, now available on Eventbrite.
ABOUT DEREK BOLES:
Derek Boles is the chief historian of the Toronto Railway Museum and a founding member of the Toronto Railway Historical Association. He wrote several articles and a book on Toronto’s railway history and led many popular railway-themed walks for Heritage Toronto, where he served as a board member for seven years and consulted and researched several railway historic plaques installed throughout the city, many of them commemorating the city’s railway history. From 2006 to 2012, he led monthly tours of Union Station and hosted the annual Doors Open event at that venue. In 2015, Derek received the Canadian Railroad Historical Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Be sure to check out the rest of our virtual offerings on the TRM from Home page.

Museum closed
2020-09-09 | Toronto Railway Museum, 255 Bremner Blvd, Stall 17, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 3M9, Canada
The museum will be closed on Wednesday, September 9th in lieu of Labour Day. We will reopen on Thursday, September 10th.

Online Lecture: Toronto Union Stations, 1858-1925
2020-09-03 20:00 - 21:30 (America/Halifax)
Take a virtual tour of Toronto’s Union Stations and see the evolution of one of Toronto’s most famous landmarks!

About this Event

Toronto has had four Union Stations, including the current one. The first was a modest structure west of York Street that opened in 1858. Derek Boles uncovered a few previously unseen images of this station. The second was a far grander building that opened in 1873. That station was so extensively modified and expanded in the 1890s that it should be considered the third. The fourth and current Union Station was built between 1915 and 1920, but not opened until 1927. This lecture covers the first three and the construction of today’s Union Station. A subsequent lecture deals with the facility in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
We present this lecture digitally through the WebEx platform in one evening and divided into two sections with a short break in the middle. Once you register for this lecture, please review the Order Confirmation that you will receive from Eventbrite. It contains all of the relevant information needed to access our online event.
Don’t forget to register and reserve your space! The hosting platform limits the number of spots available.
Tickets for our Online Lecture, Toronto Union Station 1858-1927, now available on Eventbrite.
ABOUT DEREK BOLES:
Derek Boles is the chief historian of the Toronto Railway Museum and a founding member of the Toronto Railway Historical Association. He wrote several articles and a book on Toronto’s railway history and led many popular railway-themed walks for Heritage Toronto, where he served as a board member for seven years and consulted and researched several railway historic plaques installed throughout the city, many of them commemorating the city’s railway history. From 2006 to 2012, he led monthly tours of Union Station and hosted the annual Doors Open event at that venue. In 2015, Derek received the Canadian Railroad Historical Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Be sure to check out the rest of our virtual offerings on the TRM from Home page.

Online Lecture Steam Locomotives of John St, Part 2
2020-08-06 20:00 - 21:30 (America/New_York)
See what went on inside the historic John Street Roundhouse from the comfort of your home at our next online lecture!

About this online lecture

Toronto Railway Museum historian Derek Boles will continue with his online lecture on the Canadian Pacific Railway’s steam locomotives at Toronto’s John Street Roundhouse. Part two of this mini-series will deal with some of the railway’s most iconic engines, including the 4-8-4 Northerns, the 4-6-4 Hudsons and Royal Hudsons, and the 4-4-4 Jubilees. Also included are the more utilitarian yard engines as well as foreign motive power of the New York Central and Toronto, Hamilton & Buffalo.

The lecture will be presented digitally through the WebEx platform in one evening and divided into two sections with a short break in the middle. Once you register for this lecture, please review the Order Confirmation that you will receive from Eventbrite. It contains all of the relevant information needed to access our online event.

Don’t forget to register and reserve your space! Please note that lecture capacity is limited due to the hosting platform used.

Don’t forget to register and reserve your space! Please note that online lecture capacity is limited due to the hosting platform used.

Cover Image: David A. Oram, “A John St. Morning”

ABOUT DEREK BOLES:

Derek Boles is the chief historian of the Toronto Railway Museum and a founding member of the Toronto Railway Historical Association. He has authored several articles and a book on Toronto’s railway history and led many popular railway-themed walks for Heritage Toronto, for which he was a board member for seven years. From 2006 to 2012, he provided monthly tours of Union Station and hosted the annual Doors Open event at that venue. In 2015, Derek was the recipient of the Canadian Railroad Historical Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Purchase tickets on Eventbrite.
