Over 2 000 Historic Cities Programme exhibition tours were completed between 20 – 25 April at the Ontario Science Centre. Moez Visram
Toronto, 28 April 2008 – The Historic Cities Programme Exhibition completed the Toronto leg of its Canadian tour at the Ontario Science Centre, after visiting Metro Hall in downtown Toronto. The exhibition was well received by members of the public, and drew the attention of the city's architectural community, as well as political and civic leaders.
During its stay in Toronto from 16 – 25 April, over 3 200 tours were completed. The exhibition was visited by Toronto City Councillors Karen Stintz, Brian Ashton, Gloria Lindsay-Luby and Howard Moscoe, as well as renowned architects Jack Diamond, Raymond Moriyama and Ted Teshima.
It was also popular with members of the Jamat, drawing some 350 Bait-ul Ilm secondary students who supplemented their Saturday classes with a field-trip to the exhibition. At the Science Centre, it was visited by Ismaili Seniors who arrived in buses from throughout the City of Toronto and the surrounding suburbs.
Ismaili Council for Ontario President Alnasir Samji (left) with the Consul General of Afghanistan in Toronto, His Excellency Habibulla Quaderi (right) discuss the exhibition after completing a tour at the Ontario Science Centre. Moez Visram
The exhibition was the centrepiece of a reception held on Tuesday, 22 April at the Ontario Science Centre. It was attended by over 120 guests, including diplomats, political leaders, and leaders of the Ummah.
The exhibition was also the subject of a lively panel discussion on Culture as an Asset in Development, with panellists from Gowling Lafleur Henderson, Ryerson University's School of Urban and Regional Planning, and Papadopoulos and Pradhan Architects. The discussion provided local and global perspectives, as well as an analysis of best practices in urban revitalisation and restoration techniques.
The exhibition remained at the Ontario Science Centre until 25 April, after which it departed Toronto for the University of Waterloo School of Architecture in Cambridge.
Ismaili Seniors receive a tour of the Historic Cities Programme exhibition at the Ontario Science Centre. Moez Visram
The Historic Cities Programme launched the Canadian tour of its exhibition in Montreal earlier this month and will visit Vancouver, Edmonton, and Calgary in the coming weeks. The exhibition is an initiative of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, commemorating the Golden Jubilee of Mawlana Hazar Imam. It showcases five projects located in Egypt, Syria, Mali, India, and Afghanistan, providing a unique lens on the role of culture in development.
Also see:
- Photo gallery
- Historic Cities Programme continues its Canadian tour in Toronto – Toronto, 24 April 2008
- Historic Cities exhibition launches its Canadian tour – Montreal, 2 April 2008
For the past 25 years, the Historic Cities Programme has promoted the conservation and re-use of buildings and public spaces in historic cities in the Muslim world. Its projects are designed to bring about social, economic and cultural development, while building community participation and training local professionals and institutions.
For more information, see the Historic Cities Programme Exhibition.
The Exhibition will be on display to the public as follows:
