Doors opening this September.
The Doors Open Parry Sound event lets you see inside about 20 locations in and around the town on September 29. Locations include: The Beatty Building, Big Sound Marina, Bobby Orr Hall of Fame, Canadian Pacific Railway Station, Canadian Pacific Railway Trestle Bridge, Canadore College, Charles W. Stockey Centre, First Baptist Church, Gateway to Wasauksing First Nation, Minnewawa Grove, West Parry Sound District Museum, Healing Life Room at West Parry Sound Health Centre, Old Fire Hall Museum, Parry Sound Fire Complex, Parry Sound Friendship Centre, Sail Parry Sound, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Trinity Anglican Church, Rotary Algonquin Regiment Fitness Trail.
Cody Storm Cooper
PARRY SOUND - Take a look inside some of Parry Sound’s familiar and unfamiliar jewels during the Doors Open Parry Sound event next month.
About 20 locations in and around the town will be open to the public for tours and events from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on September 29.
“It’s making doors open to the public, that maybe the public might not usually visit,” said Georgian Bay Country Tourism manager Anna Marie Harris. “In every area there will be volunteers that are knowledgeable about that specific building, they will be doing tours and talking about the history and the unique aspects about that building.”
Harris cautions many visitors are unlikely to be able to visit all locations, because at many areas there will be interactive events.
“We have certain churches that are jumping on board; the First Baptist Church is doing an old fashioned luncheon. These places have their doors open for free, but we’ve said you can do other things there as well. Some of the churches are doing lunches and some are selling their preserves and things like that. We’re trying to get a lot of activities that are interactive so people can get on board and either watch or join in,” said Harris. “We’ve got Wasauksing First Nation on board and they’re going to do the history of Depot Harbour as well as do some events at their community centre.”
Coinciding with Doors Open, Harris said that Wendall (Wink) Fisher, of the Parry Sound Active Transportation group, is giving walkers or bikers a tour of the Rotary Algonquin Regiment Fitness Trail.
“Not only are we doing doors open, but we’re doing Trails Open. Wink is going to be doing that and he’ll talk about the history of the trail as well and talk about certain points along the trail,” she said.
Places that normally charge a fee for visiting, like the Bobby Orr Hall of Fame, the Charles W. Stockey Centre for the Performing Arts and the West Parry Sound District Museum will also be open for free.
“Why not learn about the history of those buildings? Why not visit a church you’ve never been to and sit down and have an old-fashioned luncheon,” she said.