2025 Annual Report
Explore how Heritage Toronto brought people together to explore Toronto’s shared past and peoples’ lived experiences last year.
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Thriving under pressure
Our organization is about people—those who shaped our city’s history and those who reflect on this history to make a meaningful contribution to the city’s future. Among this group are our supporters, Toronto City Council, community partners, and volunteers. Together, we have successfully faced rapid changes in the sector and achieved amazing results in our public programming.
Over the last five years, under the guidance of our outgoing Chair of the Board, Liza Chalaidopoulos, visits to digital programs grew 139%, and website users are up 328%. We invested in audio technology and prioritized a low-fee model for our 30-year-old Tours program, increasing its revenues by 200%. We expanded our commitment to accessible experiences for all Torontonians, launching the Equity Heritage Initiative and introducing free community event programming. Last year, free attendance accounted for 62% of all participants for our in-person programs.
With thanks to Liza and all our supporters and partners, we will build on this foundation, ensuring the public impact of heritage programming soars.
– Allison Bain, Executive Director
As I end my role as Chair, I am grateful for the opportunity to reflect on the accomplishments of the last five years. Both tumultuous and triumphant, my term began with lockdowns and physical distancing. We both met these challenges and thrived, forging a path forward.
I have been fortunate to experience the dedication of people in this organization—Allison, the staff, volunteers, and my fellow Board members. As a volunteer for eight years, I am proud to have worked alongside them in ensuring the diverse stories of Toronto’s people, places, and events are told.
Although we faced increasing pressure on our work from those who would reassert colonial narratives and undermine equity-based perspectives, together we continued fact-based discussions and debates on our city’s heritage, while also taking delight and joy in the fun and sometimes silly aspects of Toronto’s history. While my time here has come to a close, I will continue to cheer Heritage Toronto on as an advocate, champion, and life-long supporter.
– Liza Chalaidopoulos, Chair, Board of Directors
2025 Financials
Review our 2025 financial statements below.
Our Board
We are thankful to our publicly appointed board of directors for their leadership and service to our agency.
Thank you to our 2025 supporters and heritage champions.
With your generous support, we continue to connect people to Toronto’s diverse histories through our programs and offer opportunities to emerging historians who make heritage more relevant, inclusive, and accessible.
Program Highlights
Last year, we continued to build on our public programming, bringing Toronto’s stories to life through guided tours, community events, and new plaques across the city.
Emerging Historians
Through the Emerging Historians program, Heritage Toronto continued to support the next generation of heritage professionals in 2025, creating paid opportunities for 37 young people to lead tours and workshops, produce digital stories, and contribute creative and community-engaged work across the organization.
Equity Heritage Initiative
Through the Equity Heritage Initiative, Heritage Toronto deepened its equity-based work in 2025 by strengthening community partnership practices and supporting projects that connect broader, more inclusive stories of the city to the future of heritage work.
State of Heritage
In March 2025, we launched State of Heritage 2025: From Community Voices to Action. Our Advisory Task Force, composed of community leaders from equity-deserving backgrounds, consulted 21 professionals and nearly 500 stakeholders to produce 15 recommendations on rethinking the role of heritage in future city-building. From decolonizing heritage practices to improving funding for equity-deserving groups, the wide-ranging recommendations challenge us to enact real change.
Volunteers
Volunteers remained at the heart of Heritage Toronto’s work in 2025, with 114 individuals contributing over 700 hours of support, helping to deliver public programs, strengthen community connections, and advance more inclusive volunteer engagement practices.