Barbara Worthy
Special to The Lake Report

Once again, on Saturday, Oct. 19, Doors Open Niagara-on-the-Lake is inviting locals and visitors to celebrate the many heritage treasures that this historical town has to offer.

Under the banner of Doors Open Ontario and co-ordinated by the Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum, the public is encouraged to explore some of the most unique and appealing sites and businesses Niagara has to offer.

Doors Open Ontario is a provincewide heritage tourism initiative led by the Ontario Heritage Trust.

Each year, communities across Ontario open local sites of interest for free public tours, ensuring Ontario’s diverse heritage can be accessed by individuals and families of all socioeconomic backgrounds.

The program was launched in 2002 to create access, awareness and excitement about the province’s heritage, showcasing buildings, natural spaces, infrastructure and cultural landscapes that shape and define our communities.

Fifteen local Niagara sites are participating on Oct. 19.

Most sites will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with free admission, welcoming guides and the chance to learn something new about our living and built history — from art and architecture to bikes, parks, breweries and churches.

This year’s participants are:

• Clare’s Harley-Davidson of Niagara with its reclaimed and re-purposed architecture, and the fully restored, much-loved Diana Sweets restaurant. 
• The Exchange Brewery, housed in Niagara’s original 1880 telephone exchange building, with its flagship brews, tasting room and bottle shop.
• Grace United Church, designed by William Thomas, and celebrating its 200th anniversary this year.
• The Niagara Apothecary, where you can step through the doors to see how pharmacists practised their profession over 100 years ago.
• Niagara’s 1847 District Courthouse, with its history of saints and sinners while serving as the official county seat of Niagara District until 1862.
• Niagara Lodge No. 2, rarely open to the public, and the oldest Masonic lodge in Ontario.
• Niagara Pumphouse Arts Centre, overlooking the Niagara River, and offering a variety of arts programs, exhibitions and events, for all ages.
• Ravine Vineyard Estate Winery, steeped in history, where visitors can always enjoy their award-winning wines and world-class farm-to-table cuisine.
• Queenston’s RiverBrink Art Museum, overlooking the Niagara River, where visitors can also view outstanding works on loan from contemporary artists, and Canadian and international collections.
• Shaw Festival Theatre, the Shaw’s largest venue with 856 seats, built in the modernist style and the fabulous showpiece of one of Canada’s finest theatre companies. Note: Tours depart every 15 minutes between 9 and 10 a.m., with each tour an hour long.
• St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, originally built in 1795, burned during the War of 1812, destroyed by a cyclone in 1855, and now inviting visitors to take a pew and enjoy its beauty. 
• St. Mark’s Anglican Church, the oldest Anglican church in continuous use in Ontario, completed in 1804, damaged in the War of 1812, and home to some of the finest stained glass in the province.
• Voices of Freedom Park, the award-winning interactive park created to honour and understand the Town’s Black history, with an accompanying audio-visual walking tour. The Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum’s “Tiny Museum” will also be onsite with a mobile exhibition.
• Willowbank, grand and statuesque, built in 1834-36 in the Greek classical revival style, and since 2006 home to the School of Restoration Arts, unique in North America.
• The Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum, which showcases the history of the town through its vast collection, community programs, education outreach and exhibitions. The current exhibit “The Prettiest Town – Beyond the Bricks and Mortar” explores the detail and beauty of some of NOTL’s heritage homes.
• Also, to complement the occasion on Oct. 19 at the museum, local chef Pam Mundy will share heritage cooking tips, recipes, and baking samples at the museum, including a background on the history of baking powder and its essential use for military baking.  Visitors will be able to enjoy Queen Victoria sponge cakes, 1770s war cakes, Pam’s classic shortbread, and cookies with rose water icing.

Visitors are encouraged to check opening and closing hours before visiting, as some sites have limited viewing times.

More details can be found at doorsopenontario.on.ca by clicking on Niagara-on-the-Lake.

This is a rain or shine event — whatever the weather the doors will be wide open, the welcome mat is there and you can even keep your shoes on.