This Saturday, citizens of the Waterloo Region will get another exciting opportunity to see what lies behind usually locked doors.
For Doors Open Waterloo Region, interesting locations that are usually closed to the public will invite visitors to see what lies beyond closed doors.
“It’s a way to get people into interesting places that they wouldn’t be allowed to go on normal days… or even know that are there,” Karl Kessler, a coordinator at Doors Open Waterloo Region said.
Doors Open Waterloo Region is usually centred around a theme.
The 2019 theme is water and the day will begin with an Anishinaabe Water Ceremony for the Grand River at 7:30 AM.
This subject will be a common thread uniting the exhibits at 16 of the 43 participating locations.
Sites are selected in order to show off the best of the Region with particular focus on the adaptive reuse of historic buildings and newly constructed buildings.
For example, this year’s list of sites includes the recently opened Evolv1, but also the Communitech Hub and Kaufmann Lofts buildings in Downtown Kitchener.
Other notable sites include municipal facilities like the Ayr Wastewater Treatment Plant and Greenbrook Water Treatment Plant.
Free virtual reality sessions are available at Ctrl V, Canada’s first virtual reality arcade.
For history lovers, the Waterloo County Gaol and Governor’s House in Kitchener, or the Fashion History Museum in Hespeler, offers glimpses into the past.
“It’s a really big region” Kessler said. “Sometimes it’s nice to get a tip from somebody saying you should really check out [a] place”.
Though the water ceremony officially kicks off the day at 7:30am, most sites will not open their doors until 10:00 a.m., and will leave them open until 5:00 p.m.
Each location will also plan their own activities for the day. Some may give visitors free reign to explore the site, where others might have strictly guided tours.
Kessler said his favourite part about Doors Open is seeing dedicated staff sharing their workplace with the public.
“Watching the people that are staffing the sites on the day of the event really enjoy telling people about their building,” he said.“It’s a real exercise in hospitality.”
Kessler also hopes that students take the opportunity to explore and consider Waterloo Region’s fascinating past and promising future.
For more information on Doors Open, visit:
www.doorsopenontario.on.ca.
