First Canadian Place is a 72 storey office tower in the heart of downtown Toronto. Despite its central location and having three floors devoted to stores and restaurants, I most often find myself simply passing through while using PATH to escape the elements. Until recently that is. The building hosts a small gallery whose programming has recently caught my attention. The gallery itself is open Monday to Friday from 11 am to 3 pm and is free to browse. Exhibits change periodically, and they host some pretty interesting free lunchtime talks and panels.
The most recent event I attended included author David Balzer and a panel of speakers discussing the role of curators in today's art world and beyond. The next talk presents the amazing Dr. Roberta Bondar (Canada's first female astronaut) speaking about her landscape and nature photography. Her images of the African Savannah and its wildlife are on display at the gallery until May 29th, and her talk is coming up on April 15th.
Events at First Canadian Place aren't limited to the gallery however. Lunchtime concerts by the Waterfall Stage happen periodically and the main floor lobby often hosts special programming. Right now the exhibits and talks have a green theme for Earth Month, including talks on growing edible plants and making room for pollinators in your green space, even if that means your balcony. Check out the events calendar for the full list of talks.
