Every year there is a free event around London, Ontario called Doors Open London: Untold Stories of the “Forest City”:https://www.londonheritage.ca/doorsopenlondon. This year I checked it out and got to see a few buildings that I hadn’t seen before, some because they’re not usually open to the public. Places that charge an entrance fee waive the cost for the event.
This year, 2019, there were 39 locations participating in the two day event. Some were open both Saturday and Sunday and others were only open on one or the other day. Some places I had been to already (1st Hussars Museum; Banting House National Historic Site; Eldon House; and Museum London) so I focused on seeing new buildings, particularly those not usually open for viewing.
I picked up a brochure and planned my weekend to take in a few things I wanted to be sure to see: The A. Chisholm Building that houses Hassen Law offices downtown; Grosvenor Lodge near Western University; the Canada Life Building downtown; Elmwood Lawn Bowling Club in Wortley Village; and St. Paul’s Cathedral downtown. The brochure details the times each location is open and provides maps so you can plan your routes. There are far more places than is possible to see in the two days and there is a wide range of interests covered. Many of the locations provide refreshments so you can graze your way through the days. I’ve written pieces on each location I visited. You never know what you’re going to find behind the open doors and I was surprised by a couple of things that reminded me of places I have visited in the UK. I’ll definitely be looking for this event again next year to see which buildings are included. There are some art deco buildings downtown that I would love to see participate so we can see what they look like inside.
