Doors Open London is the annual event that lets the city’s residents literally get through the front door at a variety of buildings, homes, and businesses that would not normally welcome ‘sight-seers’. It’s a chance to view, up close, the historic, the unusual, and the fanciful. But more than that, it’s an opportunity to engage the character of a city that doesn’t always reveal it’s personality - and meet your fellow citizens.
Now in its 9th year, Doors Open London is organized by the London Heritage Council, under the umbrella of the Ontario Heritage Trust’s Doors Open Ontario program. Events are held in communities across the province from spring till fall, and London has opted for September. This year there were 50 homes, businesses, churches, cemeteries, and clubs that invited the public to drop in over the weekend. Volunteers are on hand at each location to answer questions, distribute maps and brochures, and restock the cookie tray.
It is, of course, physically impossible to hit all of the sites in a single weekend, so you have to make some choices about what you want to see. Graveyards? Churches? Historic homes? You can mix the menu however you like. And, since it’s all free, it’s OK if you can only make it to a few locations.
Here’s a somewhat random, scratching the surface, whirlwind tour of just a few of the sites in the 2010 lineup.
Western Ontario Fish & Game Protective Association
Never mind the complicated moniker - this is a private fishing club. The property contains a 9-acre kettle pond, a remnant of the last ice age. Club members’ dues pay to stock the pond with trout, and members are allowed to catch two fish per day. Most craft are small fishing boats (electric motors only) or canoes. The pond, where you can get a free boat ride, is a peaceful haven, frequented by ducks and geese, and populated with turtles. It’s hard to imagine, as you glide slowly across the still surface of the pond, that busy Southdale Rd. is only metres away.
Brainworks (79 Ridout St. South)
Now the home of a business that works with victims of brain injuries, this gorgeous century home (built in 1910) was once the residence of London’s cigar king. Who knew that London once trailed only Montreal in Canadian cigar manufacture? The highlights are a beautifully paneled dining room, and an unusual stained glass cupola window. Two of the three panels are original.
Banting House
In need of inspiration? How about a visit to the house where Sir Frederick Banting had the idea that led to the discovery of a treatment for diabetes. The museum not only relates the story of Banting’s medical contributions, but other aspects of his life (and tragic death). This was a man who not only was a pioneer in medical research, but a decorated World War I hero, who painted with the Group of Seven’s A.Y. Jackson. Ironically, Banting considered his time in London as a struggling young doctor to be some of his most miserable years.
Agricultural & Agri-Food Canada Research Centre
Your tax dollars at work! Actually, more like your tax dollars at play. In a new building set on an old farm - the 19th century farmhouse still stands - the scientists who normally spend their day analyzing plant cells, or observing the mating habits of potato bugs (yes, you can get paid for that...), really went all out to give visitors to their north London research facility a worthwhile, memorable experience. When hands-on experiments include liquid nitrogen and a hammer, dry ice soap bubbles, and miniature desktop centrifuges, you can’t really go wrong. Throw in a tour of the labs and greenhouses, capped off with a wagon ride out to the barn, and cider... Well, let’s just say they’ve raised the bar for the 2011 edition.
London Jet Aircraft Museum
Not far from London International Airport, in a large hangar, the London Jet Aircrafr Museum is rebuilding a CT-133 T-Bird trainer. Used by the Canadian Armed Forces from the mid-50’s until, amazingly, 2003, these two-seater jets have inspired the passion of a group of Londoners not only to restore them to their former glory, but to bring them back to flying life.
Visitors had the chance to inspect the current project plane, partially assembled inside the hangar. I couldn't help feeling like I'd been miniaturized, and was wandering around one of the Revell models we used build when I was a kid.
Outside, guests could sit in an airworthy plane, and imagine themselves rocketing overhead. And they won't have to imagine for long: the museum hopes to be offering rides to its members sometime this fall.
London Model Railway Club
Hidden in an unimposing building in south London (a former bus garage, we’re told), are the towns of Shawville and Georgetown, serviced by the Lake Erie & International Railway. Here, some 5000 ft of track twists and curves through the building, while members of the London Model Railway Club quite literally manage their railroad. Communication is constant between the ‘engineers’ who control the trains, and the elevated dispatch office that has a view over the entire operation. The dedication of the club’s members is evident in the attention to detail - their miniature city has built-from-scratch buildings, cars, trees, people, and animals. It’s a remarkable expression of their love for this hobby.
London Mosque
The reception at the Mosque was, not surprisingly, extremely friendly. It must be a challenge to be constantly defending yourself, and your faith, to total strangers, who may or may not be making assumptions about what kind of person you are based simply on your religion. The volunteers at the Mosque were eager to answer questions, and to demonstrate how much they are like, well, everyone else.
The building itself is modern, and only simply decorated. This is, we were told, to avoid giving the building an atmosphere aligned too closely to any particular ethnicity - the muslim community of London is diverse, including Arabs, Persians, South Asians, Indonesians, and Africans. The intent is that the mosque should appeal to all of them, and not leave anyone feeling out of place.
The most interesting thing we learned? The patterns on the carpet, aligned to show those praying which way to face toward Mecca, are pointing northeast (not southeast, as you might expect) - apparently, it is a shorter distance to Mecca via a great circle route over the Arctic than the intuitively “straighter” southeastern direction.
Gibbons Lodge
Atop a hill on Richmond St., north of Masonville mall, sits Gibbons Lodge, since 1961 the residence of the President of the University of Western Ontario - the incumbent gets the use of the property.
It’s a lovely stone house, set in spacious grounds, with rolling hills, a stream and pond, and a stone gazebo overlooking the ruins of what looks to be an old barn. It was built in the 1920’s, but has been modernized, with a particular view to enabling social functions. The president of the university is expected to entertain, frequently, and the ground floor is very much the ‘public’ area, with comfortable rooms for sitting, and lots of access to the patio beyond the windows.
The staff were especially efficient at shooing out the guests precisely at 5 pm -although I guess if it was my house (or designated residence) I'd want the riff-raff off the property as soon as possible, too.
I guess it's true what they say - we all tend to know more about what's happening on the other side of the world than on the other side of our own fence. But by the end of the weekend, I can't help but feel I know London better than I did when I set out. If the Doors Open program accomplishes nothing more than that, it's time well spent getting to know the neighbours.
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