Upcoming Events
Call for Volunteers | Tour Guides
Looking to share your love for Toronto and lend your skills to furthering the public’s appreciation and understanding of Toronto’s built environment? Come join us as a volunteer TSA tour guide!
Now entering its 12th season, the Toronto Society of Architects (TSA)’s 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 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. All our volunteer tour guides are 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 is expected of a TSA Tour Guide?
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 of service. 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 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 guides for further on-the-job training.
Tour season runs from the first weekend after the Doors Open (May 28- 29, 2022) to the weekend of Nuit Blanche (October 1-2, 2022). Tours happen Saturday, Sundays and Holiday Mondays. Private tours are sometimes also provided during regular business hours on weekdays, based on tour guide availability.
Important Dates for 2022
- Application Deadline | April 5, 2022
- Information Session | March 31, 2022
- Interviews | Week of April 11, 2022
- Orientation and Initial Training | Saturday, April 23 and Saturday, April 30, 2022
- Training through Practice Tours during May
- Regular Tour Season Begins | June 4, 2022
- Regular Tour Season Ends | October 2, 2022
Application and Selection Process
Ready to apply? Send your name, contact information, resume and a short paragraph of why you want to volunteer as a tour guide to tsa@torontosocietyofarchitects.ca. Deadline to apply is April 5 at midnight. Selected candidates will be contacted for an interview.
Questions?
Have more questions about this or other TSA volunteering opportunities? We will be offering a virtual TSA Volunteering Information Session on Thursday, March 31 at 12:00 Noon to answer any questions you might have! If you can’t make it, you can also send your questions to tsa@torontosocietyofarchitects.ca and we’ll answer as soon as we can!
TSA Volunteering Information Session
DATE | Thursday, March 31, 2022
TIME | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
LOCATION | Online via Zoom, link to register here.
Check out the rest of our Spring/Summer 2022 Volunteer Opportunities HERE!
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.
About our Walking Tours Program