Yonge & St. Clair: Reflections of Beauty

About the Tour

This walking tour explores the Yonge and St. Clair neighbourhood through the lens of beauty, self-care, and leisure—tracing how these concepts have evolved over time in the area’s built environment, cultural practices, and natural spaces. From Indigenous land stewardship to 20th-century elegance and modern wellness culture, the tour offers layered insights into how beauty has been shaped, displayed, and experienced in this part of the city.

Combining architectural heritage, oral history, public art, and green space, the tour invites participants to reflect on their own relationships with place, identity, and self-expression. Each stop along the route explores a different facet of beauty—whether visual, cultural, or personal—while engaging with larger questions about access and care.

About Your Tour Leader

Laura Rodriguez is a museum professional and historian with a deep appreciation for the quiet stories that shape a city. With roots that span across Canada, her path brought her back to Toronto in a moment of transition. Laura spent the last two years working near Yonge and St. Clair as a historical interpreter with the City of Toronto. With a background in Canadian history and a passion for museums, she is especially drawn to the intersections of wellness, natural spaces, and urban life.

Additional Presentations

This tour will also be presented on Saturday, September 27 at 11 am.

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 2 kilometres in length, and takes place mostly on city sidewalks and streets, and some non-paved urban 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.