Every year from April to October, Ontario Heritage Trust works with communities across the province to showcase some of the most interesting and beautiful cultural sites and buildings.

This year Doors Open is happening on September 30 in Brampton from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a handful of the city’s historical sites opening their doors to the public for exploration. Here are 7 that you definitely need to check out.

1. Alderlea

Located just behind Gage Park, Alderlea is an iconic heritage-building-turned-event-venue in the city. Having undergone careful restoration for adaptive reuse, this 19th-century mansion is elegant inside and out, and deserves to be explored. It will probably star in a few Instagram posts, too.

2. Gardens of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Visitors are welcome to join walking tours of the magnificent gardens that surround the church’s temple. Picture a serene bit of paradise tucked away behind one of the city’s busiest intersections. The gardens have lots of fountains, archways, flowers, tall trees, and benches to enjoy.

3. Historic Bovaird House

Historic Bovaird House is an exceptional example of a mid-19th-century Ontario farmhouse, built in the Georgian style. The house has been restored to its original appearance with authentic artifacts and period craftsmanship. It has five fireplaces, the original plank floors, and hand-blown window panes. Rumour is it’s also haunted.

4. Mount Pleasant Rec Centre

The Mount Pleasant Recreation Centre is a restored historical Canadian Pacific Railway station that was into a cultural facility in the area’s Civic Square. Shared with the Peel District School Board and the local library, this landmark building is now an integral part of the community, connecting the past with the future.



5. Peel Art Gallery

Peel Art Gallery Museum and Archives (PAMA) is a great place to engage with and explore heritage and culture, and you can do it for free during doors open. Explore PAMA’s galleries and new expansion as well as the old Peel County Courthouse and learn about the history it holds. The jailhouse and museum are celebrating 150 years this year, along with Canada.

6. The Rose Theatre

The Rose Theatre is a 5,946-square metre (64,000-square-foot) state-of-the-art performing arts complex with an 868-seat theatre and 100-seat secondary hall. The sandstone blocks, African wood trim veneers, expansive marble-granite floors and natural lighting of the interior create a warm ambiance that is worth exploring if you’ve never had the chance to set foot inside.

7. Elias The Prophet Ukrainian Church You won’t see interesting architecture like this every day. This parish was founded in 1976 to serve Brampton’s Ukrainian Catholics. The site itself was purchased in 1986, chartered as a cemetery in 1993, with a temple built in 1995. The original timber structure burned down in 2014 and was rebuilt in 2016. The building, which can be seen from Heritage Road and Bovaird Drive, replicates churches found in the Carpathian region of Ukraine.

Click here to find more buildings to explore during Doors Open.

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