Call for Volunteers: TSA Walking Tours – Tour Guide
Looking to share your love for Toronto and want to help further the public’s appreciation for and understanding of Toronto’s built environment? Come join us as a TSA Tour Guide!
Now entering its 13th season, our TSA Walking Tours program is among the Society’s largest public outreach programs. We offer a variety of high-quality, educational, and entertaining tours exploring Toronto’s modern and contemporary architecture and landscapes, while touching on issues of design and city building.
Our TSA Tour Guides are skilled ambassadors and educators, serving as interpreters of Toronto’s built environment. Our Tour Guides come from all walks of life, but they share a few common traits – they’re curious, reliable, and self-motivated. They are also flexible, open to feedback, and enjoy interacting with people from all over the world. Most importantly, they are passionate about architecture and Toronto and want to share this passion with others.
What to expect?
New TSA Tour Guides commit to giving a minimum of 2 public tours per month (approximately 8-10 tours during the season) during their first year as a Tour Guide. After that, a Tour Guide is expected to give a minimum of 6 tours a year. All Tour Guides are also expected to assist in training new guides and participate in the training sessions in April and May of each year. Guides will begin by learning one tour, but are encouraged to learn others.
Training involves both in-class and outdoor components. During their first year, new Tour Guides will be paired with existing Tour Guides for further on-the-job training.
The TSA Walking Tour season runs from the first weekend after Doors Open (June 3, 2023) to the weekend of Nuit Blanche (October 1, 2023). Tours happen on Saturdays, Sundays and some Holiday Mondays. Private tours are sometimes also provided during regular business hours on weekdays, based on Tour Guide availability.
2023 Tour Roster
This year’s tour roster includes the return of some crowd-favourites, as well as some new tours. Tours are subject to change and are listed here for information only.
Towers
Art and The Grange
Harbourfront
East Bayfront
Entertainment District
New Meets Old
North York City Centre
The Village
St. Lawrence
Important Dates
Application Deadline | March 19, 2023
Information Session | March 15, 2023
Interviews | Week of March 27-31, 2023
Orientation and Initial Training | Saturday, April 15 and Saturday, April 22, 2023
Training: Practice Tours | May 2023
Regular Tour Season | June 3, 2023 – October 1, 2023
Ready to Volunteer?
Please send us an email at tsa@torontosocietyofarchitects.ca with your resume and a short paragraph of why you want to volunteer as a TSA Tour Guide. Please note that only selected candidates will be contacted for an interview.
Applications are due by March 19, 2023.
Still have questions?
TSA Volunteering Information Session
DATE | Wednesday, March 15, 2023
TIME | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
LOCATION | Online via Zoom
About the Toronto Society of Architects
Established in 1887, the Toronto Society of Architects (TSA) is a non-profit volunteer-led organization dedicated to bringing people together to discuss, learn and explore around our shared passion for the built environment.
We are committed to the betterment of our city and have played an important advocacy role throughout Toronto’s history. We do this through a wide range of programs which foster welcoming and inclusive forums for debate and the exchange of ideas, stimulating critical thinking about the design and building issues of our time. Our public programming is complemented by initiatives supporting the personal growth and professional development of over 2000 TSA members. Membership is open to everyone and welcomes design professionals, students and the general public.
