Free
Monday to Friday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Closed for all statutory holidays
Monday to Friday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Closed for all statutory holidays
Assembly Hall can be reached either by the 501 Long Branch streetcar, which runs along Lake Shore Blvd. W., or by the 44 Kipling South bus, from Kipling Station.
By the Lake Book Club offers an inspiring season of in-person and virtual literary events. Join Humber College graduates and alumni as they dive into conversation with leading Canadian authors. This series features six Tuesday-night events, between February and December. Each in-person event includes a reading, discussion, audience Q&A, book-signing and American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation. Virtual events are presented with live subtitles.
The 2023 lineup includes Tanya Turton, Adrienne Shadd, Saeed Teebi, Cody Caetano, Sarah Polley and Alissa York.
Access all By the Lake Book Club events
To book, please call Assembly Hall at 416-338-7255 during office hours.
Since 2009, By the Lake Book Club has featured over 50 diverse Canadian authors, sharing their latest works with readers from Toronto and beyond. Authors who have participated in the series include Desmond Cole, Kim Fu, Michelle Good, Lawrence Hill, John Irving, Vincent Lam, Monia Mazigh, Alistair McLeod, Michael Redhill, Naben Ruthnum, Tanya Talaga and Miriam Toews. This Assembly Hall series is presented by the City of Toronto in partnership with Humber College’s Faculty of Media & Creative Arts and the Toronto International Festival of Authors.
February 22 to March 29
Exhibition with no reception
Embark on a journey through life with works by six artists who have woven personal stories and struggles into their art. This exhibition is presented by Niagara Women’s Collective.
April 5 to May 11
Reception: April 13, 6 to 8 p.m.
Artists Cat Marchese Citybonez™ and Ghazi Toutounji have teamed up to present photographs of the city’s building blocks, uncovering historical richness and paintings that allude to the Toutounji’s Lebanese heritage.
May 16 to June 14
Reception: May 17, 6 to 8 p.m.
Over 1.5 million Canadians live with brain injuries, yet the impacts are often not visible. This exhibition, presented by the Brain Injury Society of Toronto, showcases the strength, resilience and creativity of brain injury survivors.
June 20 to July 27
Reception: June 22, 6 to 8 p.m.
Bringing together seasoned artists and emerging talent, these Albanian-Canadian artists share their traditions and culture through works in oils, acrylic, photography, sculpture and more.
September 6 to October 5
Reception: September 9, 2 to 4 p.m.
This juried show by the long-standing Central Ontario Art Association features the most exciting new works from a diverse membership of professional and emerging artists.
October 11 to November 9
Reception: October 12, 6 to 8 p.m.
Witness breathtaking landscapes and observe the diverse wildlife that lives within them in this stunning exhibition. Once again, the beauty of nature has inspired natural talent.
November 14 to December 19
Open House: November 29, 6 to 8 p.m.
Created by students from local schools, the works in this exhibition speak to seasonal changes from autumn to winter, like snowfalls and long periods of darkness, and the cultural traditions they help shape.
The Assembly Hall Gallery accepts exhibition applications for the following year with an annual deadline of June 15.
The Assembly Hall Gallery is a public gallery space owned and operated by the City of Toronto available for individual artists and arts groups. Gallery exhibitions are viewed by visual arts enthusiasts and by those at the Assembly Hall attending other events, providing a great opportunity to present the works on display to a larger community.
Hanging space allows for 40 to 60 works, depending on the size and media. There are also display cases that can be used to present 3D artwork and additional 2D works.
All decisions regarding approval of gallery applications and scheduling of exhibitions are made by the Assembly Hall Gallery Committee and staff. The Gallery Committee is committed to providing the community with a varied and quality slate of shows each year, and as such strives to present a balanced roster of exhibitions in all media and styles, from all regions and age groups.
If the artist/arts group agrees to the offered exhibition slot, a contract meeting will be arranged with Assembly Hall staff to determine all details of the booking. A City of Toronto permit will be prepared, based on the decisions from this meeting, requesting payment and signed acceptance of the permit. A deposit is due upon receipt of the permit. The fee for an Assembly Hall Gallery exhibition is $197.75 ($175 + HST). Please note, all fees are subject to change without notice.
Please return your completed application electronically to assembly@toronto.ca.
If you need assistance with your submission or require the form in a different format, please contact Assembly Hall staff at assembly@toronto.ca or 416-338-7255.
The Performance Hall and Community Rooms are ideal spaces for events ranging from small meetings and workshops to performances, weddings, film shoots and conferences.
For information on how to book the Assembly Hall for your event, please call 416-338-7255 or email assembly@toronto.ca.
Assembly Hall has been an important part of the Etobicoke Lakeshore community for over a century. It was built in 1898 as part of the Mimico Lunatic Asylum, designed to serve as a place of recreation and worship for the patients and hospital staff. Patient labour was used to construct Assembly Hall and various other hospital buildings. The hospital’s first superintendent, Dr. Nelson Henry Beemer, was a strong believer in meaningful work as a form of rehabilitative therapy.
The original purpose for Assembly Hall was to meet the social and spiritual needs of the hospital. However, because there was no comparable facility in the area, Assembly Hall soon became the principal gathering place for a multitude of community events, dances and concerts. The Asylum changed names repeatedly over the years, becoming the Mimico Hospital for the Insane in 1911, the Ontario Hospital, New Toronto in 1919 and finally renamed as the Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital, but Assembly Hall maintained its name and central role throughout the entire history of the hospital.
After the closure of the Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital in 1979, Assembly Hall fell into disuse for two decades. The combined efforts of local activists and politicians helped to support the City of Toronto’s restoration of this facility, which reopened on in June 2001. The renovated Assembly Hall has been designed to meet a variety of cultural and community needs. The beautiful 250+ seat Performance Hall is a venue for music, theatre, dance, receptions and special events. The community rooms are used for art classes, meetings, workshops and rehearsals. Gallery spaces for visual arts are located throughout the building. Assembly Hall is a rental facility for both public and private use.