Architectural Conservancy of Ontario Toronto Branch (ACOTO) is hosting free Information Session (Sept. 17, 2019) on TOBuilt database of buildings and structures

Geoff Kettel of Toronto has shared the following message from the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario Toronto Branch (ACOTO):

The Toronto Branch of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario (ACOTO) is hosting a free information session on TOBuilt, an open source database of images and information about buildings and structures in Toronto.

ACOTO will demonstrate how to add and edit entries to the database and how heritage organizations, advocates, and the community can use it.

“At long last we have an information system to let Torontonians share what they know and help protect Toronto’s built environment,” says Catherine Nasmith, Past President of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario Toronto Branch (ACOTO). “TOBuilt gives citizens a fighting chance to protect what they love in their neighbourhoods. If no one knows it’s important it can’t be saved. The City just can’t keep up with developers.”

In 2006, Robert Krawczyk established the TOBuilt Database to answer the question: “Who built that building?” and completed the first 10,000 entries. The Architectural Conservancy of Ontario’s Toronto branch acquired the database in 2013 and relaunched the site in 2016.

The publicly accessible database will be a resource for City staff working to protect properties under the Ontario Heritage Act, individually, or as part of Heritage Conservation Districts.

ACOTO hopes that consolidating community research into one place will facilitate the protection of Toronto’s built heritage for future generations.

The information session will take place on September 17^th from 6:00 p.m. at the Great Hall at the Arts and Letters Club.