Let’s hear it for volunteers!
April 14 – 20 is National Volunteer Week, the perfect opportunity to say THANK YOU to the over 260 TSA volunteers that make our initiatives possible. And as part of this celebration, we have shared the stories of five volunteers—so see our posts below to meet Barbora Vokac Taylor, Kamran Hemani, Michelle Chan, Heba Al-Fayez, and Channa Weerasinghe as they tell us a little bit about why they volunteer with us and learn about their contributions to our Society. Thank you volunteers!
Barbora Vokac Taylor
Barbora has served on the TSA Executive since 2015, but her volunteer journey began back in 2013 after attending a TSA Building tour of the Regent Park Aquatic Centre. After that experience, she was hooked and signed up to help out with this popular program. You might have even caught her as one of our TSA hosts in our virtual building tours right here on Instagram! Barbora’s past contributions also include co-leading our yearly participation at Doors Open Toronto. In 2023, Barbora was elected as Vice-Chair of our Society and her role shifted to leading the governance and big-picture discussions of the TSA.
“I joined the TSA because I wanted to help promote architectural work in the city and to work on initiatives that share strong work with both our design community and also with the public. However, I ended up learning a great deal myself. Since then, my interest has expanded to promoting educational resources and to help build a strong community of like-minded professionals and interested members of the public, through initiatives like Doors Open.
The opportunity to work together with this diverse, talented, and dedicated group has been inspiring, as well as personally and professionally satisfying. At this point, I’m not sure who is contributing to who.”
Kamran Hemani
Kamran Hemani has been a volunteer with the TSA for just over a year, and in that short time, he’s already made a lasting impact on our work. You’ll often find him helping out during our TSA CONNECT sessions—our signature structured networking event for students, newcomers, and emerging practitioners—and he has quickly become a vital member of our volunteer team. The enthusiasm, organisation skills, and dedication shown by Kamran at TSA events, while also balancing his architectural education at the University of Toronto, is truly commendable, and we’re excited to see where Kamran’s volunteering journey takes him. Thank you Kamran!
“Volunteering with the TSA during architecture school has exposed me to various spheres of the industry, enriching my creative journey and informing my career decisions. Immersed in the TSA’s atmosphere, I’ve cultivated a wealth of knowledge from professionals, strengthening my connections and reinforcing my commitment to volunteering.”
Michelle Chan
Michelle joined the TSA’s Film Committee back in 2021 as an opportunity to connect with her fellow film lovers in the architecture and design world. She has helped to develop many TSA Playlists, curated lists of free-to-stream films covering issues in the built environment, and has been an invaluable member of the TSA team in our partnership with the annual Architecture and Design Film Festival in Toronto (ADFF). Beyond the Film Committee, Michelle is also a master gingerbread artist, with her creations for TSA Gingerbread City always being fan-favourites—and we’re excited to work on further gingerbread-themed projects together. Thank you Michelle!
“I volunteer with the TSA because I enjoy connecting with and giving back to the Toronto architecture community. I love watching architecture & design documentaries and it’s been amazing to turn a personal pastime into something to share with others.”
Heba Al-Fayez
If you’ve ever attended our Art & The Grange TSA Tour, you’ve probably met Heba! She first joined the TSA back in 2021 as researcher for our then nascent virtual tours, helping us explore Guild Park and Art on the Spadina Line (check them out on our Stories Highlights!). Wishing to continue to sharing her passion for Toronto’s architecture with others, Heba then joined us as one of our amazing TSA tours guides, leading locals and visitors alike through some of Toronto’s most iconic spaces. Though Heba is still a dedicated TSA Tour Guide, she has also joined us this year as an Initiative Lead, overseeing the TSA’s Kids & Youth Outreach efforts as we strengthen our connections with youth across a variety of TSA programming. She does all this while balancing her architectural education at Toronto Metropolitan University! It’s been an honour to watch Heba’s growth within the TSA and we are so thankful for all her contributions – thank you Heba!
“I started volunteering with the TSA after my first year of (online) architecture school in an effort to learn more about architecture in the city, even if I couldn’t explore it in person. From the beginning, I felt right at home with so many passionate people who love learning and teaching others—and I haven’t left since!”
Channa Weerasinghe
Channa has volunteered with the TSA since 2022, and in less than 2 years, he has had a significant impact on so many different TSA initiatives. You’ve probably crossed paths with Channa at Open Studio, ADFF, the TSA BASH, or at a TSA CONNECT session, where he’s often been an invaluable support as a moderator and event support volunteer. With his work with the TSA and other volunteer organizations like the Society of South Asian Architects, Channa illustrates his passion for connecting and supporting other newcomers making their way into the profession in Ontario. Whenever we need a helping hand, Channa is always among the first to volunteer and his enthusiasm is contagious. Thank you Channa—we look forward to continuing to work together in the future!
“I joined the TSA to network and discover the industry of architecture in Ontario, but I stayed with the TSA because of its diverse, intelligent and compassionate interactions. As a long-standing organisation, it successfully continues to maintain a youthful and progressive attitude of the industry, and towards its variety of members, while actively connecting and educating Toronto one event at a time. And this is absolutely inspirational!”