From the 1870s to the 1950s, waves of immigrants to Toronto—Irish, African-American, Jewish, Chinese and Italian, among others—landed in 'The Ward' in the center of downtown. Stemming from the upcoming release of The Ward, a collection of unique voices on the subject, editors and contributors John Lorinc, Michael McClelland, Vincenzo Pietropaolo, and Ellen Scheinberg will take the stage to present The Ward in three distinct ways: as Toronto's old "arrival city," as the area where artists thrived (and continue to do so), and as it is now, a legacy. This presentation will offer unique insights into this staple Toronto neighbourhood, why it ceased to be, and its meaning today.

Journalist John Lorinc covers urban affairs, politics and business for the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, Walrus Magazine, and Canadian Business.

Well-known for his contribution to the discourse surrounding heritage architecture and landscape architecture in Canada, Michael McClelland speaks regularly in the media and at public and professional events, has published numerous articles and edited several books.

Vincenzo Pietropaolo is a Toronto-based social documentary photographer whose lifelong mission is to document Canada's immigrant communities, working-class culture and social justice issues.

Dr. Ellen Scheinberg is an historian and president of Heritage Professionals, a consulting firm specializing in archival, museum and information management services.

Gerry Flahive is a writer, producer and creative consultant at his media arts company, Modern Story, and former Senior Producer at the National Film Board of Canada. His productions have garnered many international awards including two Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award for Highrise (highrise.nfb.ca), a global interactive documentary.