Toronto's 12,000 Year History is an interdisciplinary summer seminar on the city of Toronto. Our goal is to deeply understand our city's past, make sense of its present, and grapple with its future together. Over the course of five weeks we will read and walk Toronto's history in equal measure, alternating between city excursions, discussions of foundational texts, and conversations with experts. All perspectives are welcome: we will be in conversation with activists, technologists, historians, planners, writers, scientists, artists and more. We are united by the shared goal of collective sense-making and rootedness in our city.
By this summer's end you should:
To learn more about the motivations behind this course, read the background essay here.
This course is completely open to anyone in Toronto, regardless of educational background, discipline, or experience. The only requirement is that you are open-minded, eager to learn, abide by the discussion norms, and are able to commit to most in-person sessions. There is no virtual/remote option.
The course involves a mix of readings, discussions, excursions, and hands-on activities. We will visit the Toronto archives, design our own walking tours, make maps of the city, mock up heritage plaques, and explore the sites of abandoned infrastructure projects. We will welcome guests who are chronicling and shaping Toronto in real time: historians, activists, heritage professionals, artists, urban planners, technologists, and writers, including many of the authors of the texts we will read together.
There is quite a bit of flexibility to explore your individual interests within the structure of the course. For instance, you can use this course to begin an archival research project or connect with a local advocacy group.
The Hidden Rivers team will work to support your individual interests and ambitions. Please indicate on the application form if you have particular projects or a goal in mind.
Toronto's 12,000 Year History begins Thursday July 17, 2025 and meets twice a week for five weeks. It concludes August 17, 2025.
Acceptances will begin immediately and take place on a rolling basis. Applications are open until June 30, 2025 at 11:59pm EST. Applications will close if the class fills to capacity before the deadline.
This is a brief preview of the themes we will explore and the works we will read. The final syllabus will include documentaries, works of fiction, and other media.
| Date | Theme | Example Reading |
|---|---|---|
| July 17 | What is Toronto? | Amy Lavender Harris, Imagining Toronto |
| July 20 | Toronto's 12,000 year history | Victoria Freeman, Where Histories Meet |
| July 27 | A city within a park | L. Anders Sandberg et al., Urban Explorations |
| July 31 | The shape of the city | Richard White, Planning Toronto |
| August 7 | Housing, ownership, and displacement | Ute Lehrer and Andrea Winkler, "The Pope Squat" |
| August 10 | Multiple multiculturalisms | John Lorinc et al.,The Ward |
| August 17 | What could Toronto be? | Alana Wilcox and Jason McBride, uTOpia |
| Age | Price |
|---|---|
| Students & under 23 | $175 |
| Adults | $275 |
| Supporters By choosing this tier you are helping keep Hidden Rivers' educational programs financially accessible and inclusive. |
$500 |
This price covers the entire course, including all reading materials and excursions. If cost is a reason you cannot participate, please email info@hiddenrivers.ca.