[.ca] Doors Open Toronto: Illuminating the City's Great Spaces (ISBN 0676974988)

Amazon.ca:
Former Toronto mayor John Sewell traces his city's rich architectural heritage in Doors Open Toronto, an offbeat and rewarding illustrated guide to some of Hogtown's most significant structures that boasts more than 200 new and historical photos, plus maps. Sewell's considerable wit and deep-rooted passion for the city come through in every richly researched mini-chapter, each of which provides an historical and stylistic analysis of one building. Torontonians and tourists alike will appreciate his insight and candour--in his art, as in his life, John Sewell doesn't pull political punches. "Like many legislatures," he writes in his four-page passage on the Ontario Legislative Building, "this one is in a park-like setting disconnected from the life of the city, a characteristic some would say is deliberate and often reflected in the body's decisions." Sewell's outspoken advocacy for neighbourhood and architectural heritage preservation has shaped his career, both in the political arena and as an urban affairs writer. In addition to weekly columns for eye Weekly, his five books include The Shape of the City: Toronto Struggles with Modern Planning. Doors Open Toronto was inspired by the annual architectural open house that brings over 100,000 visitors to participating sites during one weekend each May. (Toronto was the first North American city to adopt the popular European cultural heritage festival.) Sewell's choice of buildings does not pretend to be exhaustive; he concentrates on those that have participated in past Doors Open events. Toronto-based poet and novelist Anne Michaels (Fugitive Pieces) provides a lyrical introduction. For readers who want to know even more about the city, Sewell suggests as a companion volume Greg Gatenby's Toronto: A Literary Guide. --Deirdre Hanna