Guided Walk: Streets and Place Names
Date: Sunday, August 23, 2026
Time: 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Location: Tour begins at the Bata Shoe Museum, 327 Bloor St. W.
Tickets: Pay What You Wish
What’s in a street name?
Recent conversations about street and place names — and who or what they commemorate — have highlighted how these everyday markers quietly shape our sense of identity, belonging, and exclusion. The names we pass by without a second thought can tell powerful stories about a neighbourhood’s past, its values, and whose histories are centred.
This guided walk, led by artist and scholar Andrew Lochhead, invites you to see the city differently. Thinking of street names as the most visible “texts” of a city, we’ll explore the streets surrounding the Bata Shoe Museum and uncover the meanings behind their names. Together, we’ll consider what these names reveal about the Annex neighbourhood, its histories, and its wider connections.
After the walk, we’ll gather back inside the museum for a collaborative discussion, sharing what we “read” along the way and reflecting on how public naming shapes the stories our city tells.
The walk will take up to two hours. Please wear comfortable shoes.
ABOUT ANDREW LOCHHEAD:
Andrew Lochhead, is an artist and scholar who uses walking as a form of creative practice and research to bring to life stories about the city in ways that orient audiences toward imagining justice-based futures. A lifelong museum and gallery professional, Andrew has been an outspoken advocate for understanding how monuments, place names, and other forms of commemoration shape people’s relationships to places and to each other. His work as part of the public history campaign around the name of Dundas Street has contributed to significant changes to Toronto’s toponymic landscape, the development of new commemorative policy, and ongoing conversations about who or what Canada’s largest city remembers. Andrew’s research and activism have been featured in a number of documentary films and programs, including the BAFTA Award-winning Scotland, Slavery, and Statues. His PhD dissertation explores the role of walking in interpreting urban heritage landscapes.
Please review our Terms and Conditions in advance and check in with Visitor Services upon arrival. Questions? Email us info@batashoemuseum.ca anytime.
Guided Walk: Walking as Land Acknowledgement
Date: Sunday, August 16, 2026
Time: 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Location: Tour begins at the Bata Shoe Museum, 327 Bloor St. W.
Tickets: Pay What You Wish
Join Saulteaux/Métis educator and memory activist Sam Howden and settler scholar and artist Andrew Lochhead on a guided walk, bringing the idea of Land Acknowledgements out of the Bata Shoe Museum’s walls and onto the Land itself, in the area currently known as The Annex.
Land acknowledgements can be powerful. At their best, they affirm Indigenous rights, presence, and claims to Land, mobilize action toward addressing ongoing colonial injustices, and provide space to consider the connections between people and the more-than-human world around us. But as these practices become more institutionalized, they can risk becoming routine—words spoken without much thought given to what they mean and the relationships they propose.
Together, we’ll follow the paths of buried streams, discover native plant species and traditional medicines, observe urban wildlife, and explore layers of local history and architecture. Along the way, we’ll reflect on walking as a form of witnessing—and consider the social and political complexities of moving through treaty Land, especially when the treaties that govern it have so often been broken.
This is an invitation to slow down, listen closely, and think differently about our relationship to the Land beneath our feet.
The walk will take up to two hours. Please wear comfortable shoes.
ABOUT SAM HOWDEN:
Sam Howden, MSW, BSW, RSW (they/them) is an Indigenous social worker and educator. Their scholarly work focuses on autoethnographic approaches to storytelling in the context of student memory activism at what is now called Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). Specifically, their thesis project focused on efforts to address the commemoration of Egerton Ryerson, which would lead to the removal of the Ryerson statue on campus, and the subsequent decision to rename the university. Sam’s practice in both academics and social work is guided by a deep connection to Land, and principles of humility, service, and relational accountability informed by their experiences as a traditional helper in lodge and ceremony.
Sam is of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry. Their relations on their father’s side are Red River Métis (Soto/Saulteaux), belonging to the family names Gladu and Dease. Their father also has mixed European ancestry from the British Isles (Howden) and Eastern Europe (Olynick/Bileski). Their mother was adopted and raised in a French Canadian family, and later found that their biological parents belonged to Dutch (Borsboom), French, and English (Henri) ancestry.
Sam currently works as a contract lecturer at TMU in the Department of Social Work, and maintains a private therapy practice.
ABOUT ANDREW LOCHHEAD:
Andrew Lochhead, is an artist and scholar who uses walking as a form of creative practice and research to bring to life stories about the city in ways that orient audiences toward imagining justice-based futures. A lifelong museum and gallery professional, Andrew has been an outspoken advocate for understanding how monuments, place names, and other forms of commemoration shape people’s relationships to places and to each other. His work as part of the public history campaign around the name of Dundas Street has contributed to significant changes to Toronto’s toponymic landscape, the development of new commemorative policy, and ongoing conversations about who or what Canada’s largest city remembers. Andrew’s research and activism have been featured in a number of documentary films and programs, including the BAFTA Award-winning Scotland, Slavery, and Statues. His PhD dissertation explores the role of walking in interpreting urban heritage landscapes.
Sam and Andrew have previously collaborated on walking projects such as Reclaiming and Renaming: Indigenous Placemaking at X University, that investigated the relationship between the built and natural environment of TMU’s campus. They also appeared together in the 2023 CityTV program What’s In a Name? that explored contemporary debates about place names in Toronto and beyond.
Please review our Terms and Conditions in advance and check in with Visitor Services upon arrival. Questions? Email us info@batashoemuseum.ca anytime.
Guided Walk: Walking as Land Acknowledgement
Date: Sunday, August 9, 2026
Time: 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Location: Tour begins at the Bata Shoe Museum, 327 Bloor St. W.
Tickets: Pay What You Wish
Join Saulteaux/Métis educator and memory activist Sam Howden and settler scholar and artist Andrew Lochhead on a guided walk, bringing the idea of Land Acknowledgements out of the Bata Shoe Museum’s walls and onto the Land itself, in the area currently known as The Annex.
Land acknowledgements can be powerful. At their best, they affirm Indigenous rights, presence, and claims to Land, mobilize action toward addressing ongoing colonial injustices, and provide space to consider the connections between people and the more-than-human world around us. But as these practices become more institutionalized, they can risk becoming routine—words spoken without much thought given to what they mean and the relationships they propose.
Together, we’ll follow the paths of buried streams, discover native plant species and traditional medicines, observe urban wildlife, and explore layers of local history and architecture. Along the way, we’ll reflect on walking as a form of witnessing—and consider the social and political complexities of moving through treaty Land, especially when the treaties that govern it have so often been broken.
This is an invitation to slow down, listen closely, and think differently about our relationship to the Land beneath our feet.
The walk will take up to two hours. Please wear comfortable shoes.
ABOUT SAM HOWDEN:
Sam Howden, MSW, BSW, RSW (they/them) is an Indigenous social worker and educator. Their scholarly work focuses on autoethnographic approaches to storytelling in the context of student memory activism at what is now called Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). Specifically, their thesis project focused on efforts to address the commemoration of Egerton Ryerson, which would lead to the removal of the Ryerson statue on campus, and the subsequent decision to rename the university. Sam’s practice in both academics and social work is guided by a deep connection to Land, and principles of humility, service, and relational accountability informed by their experiences as a traditional helper in lodge and ceremony.
Sam is of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry. Their relations on their father’s side are Red River Métis (Soto/Saulteaux), belonging to the family names Gladu and Dease. Their father also has mixed European ancestry from the British Isles (Howden) and Eastern Europe (Olynick/Bileski). Their mother was adopted and raised in a French Canadian family, and later found that their biological parents belonged to Dutch (Borsboom), French, and English (Henri) ancestry.
Sam currently works as a contract lecturer at TMU in the Department of Social Work, and maintains a private therapy practice.
ABOUT ANDREW LOCHHEAD:
Andrew Lochhead, is an artist and scholar who uses walking as a form of creative practice and research to bring to life stories about the city in ways that orient audiences toward imagining justice-based futures. A lifelong museum and gallery professional, Andrew has been an outspoken advocate for understanding how monuments, place names, and other forms of commemoration shape people’s relationships to places and to each other. His work as part of the public history campaign around the name of Dundas Street has contributed to significant changes to Toronto’s toponymic landscape, the development of new commemorative policy, and ongoing conversations about who or what Canada’s largest city remembers. Andrew’s research and activism have been featured in a number of documentary films and programs, including the BAFTA Award-winning Scotland, Slavery, and Statues. His PhD dissertation explores the role of walking in interpreting urban heritage landscapes.
Sam and Andrew have previously collaborated on walking projects such as Reclaiming and Renaming: Indigenous Placemaking at X University, that investigated the relationship between the built and natural environment of TMU’s campus. They also appeared together in the 2023 CityTV program What’s In a Name? that explored contemporary debates about place names in Toronto and beyond.
Please review our Terms and Conditions in advance and check in with Visitor Services upon arrival. Questions? Email us info@batashoemuseum.ca anytime.
Lost Wax Ring Casting Workshop
Date: Monday, June 1, 2026
Time: 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Location: Bata Shoe Museum, 327 Bloor St. W.
Tickets: $240
Inspired by the remarkable discoveries at the Roman Vindolanda Fort, this hands-on workshop explores the ancient art of lost wax ring casting (known to ancient Romans cire perdue) with the Fort York Metal Co.
At Vindolanda, archaeologists uncovered everything from leather shoes to personal letters, revealing the everyday lives of Roman soldiers and civilians stationed at the edge of the empire. Among these finds were beautifully crafted personal adornments, such as rings that symbolized identity, status, devotion, and love.
In this immersive workshop, you’ll learn the same centuries-old lost wax process Roman artisans used to create detailed metal jewelry. Carve and shape your own wax ring design, drawing inspiration from Roman motifs, military insignia, or symbols of personal meaning. Your design will then be taken away and cast in silver metal, transforming your wax model into a lasting, wearable artifact.
Whether you’re fascinated by ancient craftsmanship, intrigued by life on Rome’s northern frontier, or simply eager to create something uniquely your own, this workshop connects modern makers to the artistry and ingenuity of the ancient world.
Ring carving workshop, metal casting, museum access during the event time, and light refreshments included.
PLEASE NOTE: Rings will not be cast on site. After the rings are carved, they will be taken away to be cast by Fort York Metal Co. Participants will be notified as to when they can return to the BSM to pick up their finished rings, and must do two within two weeks of being notified.
Please review our Terms and Conditions in advance and check in with Visitor Services upon arrival. Questions? Email us info@batashoemuseum.ca anytime.
PD Day: Celebrate Pride!
Date: Friday, June 5, 2026
Time: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Location: Bata Shoe Museum, 327 Bloor St. W.
Tickets: Included with General Admission
Spend your afternoon at the Bata Shoe Museum on the first Friday of Pride Month enjoying a special storytime presentation with Toronto-based Storyteller Jeffrey Canton. For more than three decades, Jeffrey has shared folk and fairytales as well as original stories that dig deep into the strata of Toronto’s history as well as, with a little soft-shoe and a gay show tune or two, his own queer past. Stick around for a guided tour of our exhibitions to learn about footwear through the ages and around the world.
Self-Guided Activities
- Explore our four galleries, including all current exhibitions
- Uncover hidden gems with a guided exhibition tour
- Lace up in our Try-On Shoes area for some hilarious fun
- Team up for iSpy challenges throughout the museum
- Put your new knowledge to work with a take-home activity book
Schedule
11:00 am – 12:00 pm: Storytime with Jeffrey
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm: Guided Exhibition Tour
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm: Storytime with Jeffrey
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Guided Exhibition Tour
The Bata Shoe Museum is committed to creating a welcoming, inclusive, and affirming space for all. We proudly support all gender identities and expressions. Behaviour that makes others feel unsafe, uncomfortable, or unwelcome will not be tolerated. To ensure a safe and respectful environment, anyone engaging in such behaviour may be asked to leave. Thank you for helping us keep the BSM a safe space for all to explore.
A long-time member of Queers in Your Ears (QIYE), Canada’s only 2SLGBTQIA+ storytelling collective, Jeffrey has appeared at the Toronto International Storytelling Festival and the Replay Story Fest and Nuit Blanche as well as telling stories at The Village at Black Creek and City of Toronto Museums including Mackenzie House, Gibson House and Spadina! He’s currently collaborating on an exciting project with Big Pond Small Fish, Mammalian Diving Reflux and the Archives of Ontario. Jeffrey also teaches storytelling courses about telling personal stories through Storytelling Toronto including “Voices Seldom Heard”, the first 2SLGBTQIA+ storytelling course that focuses on the lives and experiences of queer tellers which he originally developed for Storytelling Toronto.
Please review our Terms and Conditions in advance and check in with Visitor Services upon arrival. Questions? Email us info@batashoemuseum.ca anytime.
Spring Exhibition Kickoff
Date: Sunday, May 10, 2026
Time: 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Location: Bata Shoe Museum, 327 Bloor St. W.
Tickets: Free
Join us for a fun-filled afternoon to celebrate the opening of our spring exhibition, Unearthing Vindolanda: Footwear from the Edge of the Roman Empire.
Step into the world of ancient Rome as you enjoy guided exhibition tours, hands-on crafts, a museum-wide scavenger hunt, and drop-in activities inspired by life on the Roman frontier.
Make your own Roman bulla—a good-luck necklace worn for protection in ancient times—and meet members of Legio XXX, a North American Roman reenactment group bringing history to life with immersive displays, stories, and material culture from the era. Members of the Legion will also share their knowledge about the Roman military, offering deeper insight into the lives of soldiers stationed at the edges of the empire.
Whether you’re a history buff, a curious kid, or just looking for a fun and welcoming way to spend the day, this Community Day offers a unique chance to explore Roman life, fashion, and footwear—right here in Toronto.
Guided Exhibition Tours
12:30 pm, 1:30 pm, 2:30 pm, 3:30 pm
Approximately 30 minutes ~ third floor
Roman Military Presentations
1:00 pm, 2:00 pm, 3:00 pm
Unique each time ~ main level
Please review our Terms and Conditions in advance and check in with Visitor Services upon arrival. Questions? Email us info@batashoemuseum.ca anytime.
Trivia: All Things Ancient Rome
Date: Monday, May 25, 2026.
Time: 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Location: Bata Shoe Museum, 327 Bloor St. W.
Tickets: $30
Think you know your Caesars from your centurions? Join us for Trivia: All Things Ancient Rome, a fast-paced night of questions spanning legendary gods, infamous emperors, pivotal moments in Roman history, and modern-day pop culture inspired by the ancient world. From Jupiter to Julius Caesar, and from epic battles to the blockbuster film Gladiator, no era is off-limits.
Gather your team, sharpen your knowledge, and compete for ultimate bragging rights. Veni. Vidi. Victory!
Tickets include museum access during the event, trivia and one drink ticket.
Agenda
7:00 pm – Doors Open
7:30 pm to 9:00 pm – Trivia
9:00 pm to 10:00 pm – Museum Access
10:00 pm – Doors Close
Please review our Terms and Conditions in advance and check in with Visitor Services upon arrival. Questions? Email us info@batashoemuseum.ca anytime.
Summer at the BSM: Little Boots
Date: Every Monday to Friday from July 6 – August 28
Time: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Location: Bata Shoe Museum, 327 Bloor St. W.
Tickets: Included with general admission
Inspired by our newest exhibition, Unearthing Vindolanda: Footwear from the Edge of the Roman Empire, the BSM is excited to host a series of presentations, activities, and exhibition tours throughout the summer. Included with general admission, families and summer camp groups are invited to explore the entire museum, while taking part in self-guided crafts, including Roman puppet-making, 3D shoebox model-making of Vindolanda, iSpy games, try-on shoes, and take home a themed activity booklet.
For Families, this is a drop-in, self-guided program. Children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Regular admission rates apply.
For Summer Camp Groups, advanced registration is required. Groups of 12 or more children receive discounted group rates. Learn more and register here .
Daily Drop-in Schedule
11:00 am – Exhibition Tour
12:00 pm – Unearthing Vindolanda Presentation
2:00 pm – Exhibition Tour
3:00 pm – Unearthing Vindolanda Presentation
Each program runs for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour.
About Unearthing Vindolanda
Discover over 100 footwear-related artifacts from Vindolanda, a Roman auxiliary fort and settlement located just south of Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland, England. On view for the first time in North America, these remarkable objects are part of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is renowned for its ongoing archaeological excavations providing unprecedented accounts of ancient life at the edge of the Roman Empire.
Please review our Terms and Conditions in advance and check in with Visitor Services upon arrival. Questions? Email us info@batashoemuseum.ca anytime.
Curator’s Talk: Unearthing Vindolanda
Date: Thursday, September 17, 2026
Time: 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Location: Bata Shoe Museum, 327 Bloor St. W.
Tickets: $25
Join us for a fascinating evening with archaeologist Elizabeth Greene, whose extensive research at Vindolanda has helped reshape our understanding of life on the edge of the Roman Empire.
Drawing on her firsthand excavation experience, Greene will take us behind the scenes of the dig: what it feels like to carefully unearth history layer by layer, the challenges of working in the soil of northern England, and the thrill of discovering objects that have not been touched in nearly two millennia.
Located just south of Hadrian’s Wall, Vindolanda is one of Britain’s most extraordinary Roman sites, famed for its remarkably preserved artifacts—including leather shoes, writing tablets, and everyday objects that offer intimate glimpses into ancient lives. Whether you’re passionate about archaeology, Roman history, or the stories hidden beneath our feet, this is an evening not to be missed
Agenda
6:30 pm – Doors Open
7:00 pm – Lecture Begins
8:00 pm – Lecture Ends/Galleries Open
9:00 pm – Museum Closes
Dr. Elizabeth Greene is Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Roman Archaeology at the University of Western Ontario in Canada. She has excavated at the site of Vindolanda and researched aspects of the museum collection since 2002, and is currently working on an extended research project on the Roman shoes and leather objects from the site.
Please review our Terms and Conditions in advance and check in with Visitor Services upon arrival. Questions? Email us info@batashoemuseum.ca anytime.
Lecture: The Edges of The Roman Empire
Date: Wednesday, May 13, 2026
Time: 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Location: Bata Shoe Museum, 327 Bloor St. W.
Tickets: $20
Join us for The Edges of the Roman Empire, a dynamic lecture with Dr. Kate Cooper, Mirkopoulos Associate Curator of Ancient Greece & Rome at the Royal Ontario Museum. Discover how the Romans expanded across continents—occupying distant lands and diverse peoples, building new cities, and interacting with local cultures. From Britain to Syria to North Africa, explore what life was like for the communities living on the frontiers of the Roman Empire.
This is a great event for history lovers, educators, and anyone curious about the complexities of empire and cultural exchange.
Tickets include museum access during the event.
Agenda
6:30 pm – Doors Open
7:00 pm – Lecture Begins
8:00 pm – Lecture Ends/Galleries Open
9:00 pm – Museum Closes
Dr. Kate Cooper is the Mirkopoulos Associate Curator of Ancient Greece & Rome, in charge of ROM’s large collection of Mediterranean antiquities. She holds a Classics BA from Oxford, and a PhD in Classical Archaeology from Kings College, London, and before coming to Canada, she worked at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge and the British Museum. She also lectures about ancient history and material culture for the University of Toronto.
Please review our Terms and Conditions in advance and check in with Visitor Services upon arrival. Questions? Email us info@batashoemuseum.ca anytime.