About the Tour

Explore the rich history and cultural contributions of Little Italy on College Street, one of Toronto’s most vibrant and historically significant neighborhoods. Highlighting various key historical sites, businesses, and institutions that have shaped the Italian-Canadian experience from the early 20th century to the current day. This walk integrates historical research, storytelling, and interactive elements to create an immersive understanding of the community’s impact on the city’s social and cultural fabric. This tour was developed and offered in partnership with the Mariano A. Elia Chair in Italian-Canadian Studies at York University.

About Your Tour Leader

This tour was developed and will be led by Samantha Greco. Samantha is a 2nd generation Italian-Canadian residing in Tkaronto. She graduated from the University of Toronto, Master of Information program in 2021 where she honed her passions of archival preservation, library science, oral histories and how these fit into wider historical narratives. Her grandparents from both sides immigrated from Pachino, Sicily at varying points of the “boom” period of immigration after WWII. She has always grappled with the in-betweenness that comes with transnational identities and has explored these emotions in the form of poetry and essays. She is excited to have this opportunity to learn more of her heritage and share the rich history of Little Italy with you on this walking tour.

Tour Dates

This tour is offered on Thursday, October 9 and Sunday, October 26.

Further Information

This tour runs rain or shine and lasts approximately 90 minutes. Please wear comfortable walking shoes and consider bringing sunscreen and water to make your tour as enjoyable as possible.

 This tour is approximately 1 kilometre in distance and takes place predominantly on paved city sidewalks and streets. There are some unpaved portions of the route that take place in city parks.

If you have any questions prior to the tour, please contact us at
[email protected]. If you have any issues finding the group on the day of the tour, you can reach staff on-site at (647) 542-3450.

This tour uses individual audio headsets. All registered participants will be provided with an individual headset that will allow you to hear the live tour guide throughout the tour.

If you share our passion for accessible and inclusive heritage programming, we invite you to make a donation while on the tour to help fund one of our next walks. Staff can accept donations via cash, credit, or debit card onsite, and gifts of $20+ will receive a charitable tax receipt.