THUNDER BAY — The 2020 version of Doors Open Thunder Bay is much different from the usual in-person event.
But the change to a virtual tour required by COVID-19 restrictions won't necessarily make for a less informative experience.
In fact, organizers say it offers advantages.
This year's tour of significant historical, architectural and cultural sites is a digital experience that incorporates video, photography, archival images, web exhibits and other components.
The virtual tour which launched on Tuesday will be available through Nov. 30.
Because Thunder Bay is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, many of the sites highlight the community's progress while simultaneously reflecting on its past.
Laurie Abthorpe, the City of Thunder Bay's heritage researcher, said this year's tour offers "a richer experience, one that will live well beyond our traditional in-person events."
Doors Open can be accessed through the city's official website, and is hosted online through the Doors Open Ontario website along with 38 other cities across the province.
The tour includes 11 participating sites plus two additional offerings.
- Thunder Bay City Hall
- Harry Kirk Archives and Records Centre
- Thunder Bay Tourist Pagoda
- Open Mind Interiors (former Mary JL Black Library)
- Mary JL Black Community Hub (TB Public Library branch)
- Fort William National Historic Site
- Courthouse Hotel
- Saint Joseph's Indian Residential School Memorial
- Masonic Hall - Shuniah Lodge No. 287
- Thunder Bay Museum
- Sleeping Giant Brewing Company
The two additional elements are Thunder Bay's self-guided heritage walking tours, and Sleeping Giant Provincial Park.
Video vignettes for all locations were produced by local cinematographer Damien Gilbert of Epica Pictures.
Abthorpe said that, within the Doors Open descriptions, "We can actually hyper-link to additional information, and everything from virtual exhibits and 360-degree views of certain areas. It's a really great virtual collection of ways to explore these historical sites and important landmarks versus just being there in person."
She said she believes the tour actually provides more information than what one would be able to pick up from an on-site visit.
"It's a way to delve deeper into the story," she said, citing the example of Fort Williamn National Historic Site, where one can link to map overlays to see the fort's footprint in its original location compared with the present-day East End.
Digital Doors Open Thunder Bay 2020 is presented by the City of Thunder Bay's Heritage Advisory Committee coordinated by the Doors Open Thunder Bay Planning Committee. Supporting partners include Doors Open Ontario and the Ontario Heritage Trust.
