Sealed in Time: The History of the Town of York & Toronto's First Post Office
Explore the history of Toronto's First Post Office and the early days of mail delivery in the Town of York. This on-site exhibit is your primer for the history of the Town of York/City of Toronto, communication and mail service, the basics of handwriting and the fate of this National Historic Site.
This exhibit was made possible through the Ontario Trillium Foundation Resilient Communities Fund.
Researched, designed, and curated by Museum Coordinator, Rebecca Rizzo.
Love is in the Mail
Opening: April 1, 2026
Closing: October 1, 2026
Designed and curated by the students of the University of Toronto's Master of Museum Studies Capstone Project, the exhibit aims to share the history of love through letters in 19th century Toronto. With detailed examples of historic love letters from Torontonian residents, the exhibit will explain the social customs of the time, courting regulations, and how even with the passage of time, we still long to transmit emotion through communication.
This exhibition was developed as part of the Faculty of Information’s Museum Studies Capstone Projects course in collaboration with Toronto’s First Post Office, and is curated by Hannah Bell, Alexis Green, Jessica Merlihan, and Victoria Tywonek-Sobota. Special thanks to Dr. Irina D. Mihalache for providing mentorship to the students throughout the project.
A digital creation of the 3D model currently located in the museum, and its companion book "Toronto in 1837: A Model City."
Developed for virtual viewing and digitally mapped by Mike Carter.
Close-up photographs by Sophie Heins.
Please Note: The information presented for each historic location is a direct virtual and digital copy of the book "Toronto in 1837: A Model City" that was originally published in 1995. As such, some narratives presented may differ from the present historical record.
The story of how Toronto's First Post Office was lost, rediscovered, and resurrected.
Developed for virtual viewing by Sigrid Yu.
Based on the original and former permanent exhibit created in 1985 and upgraded in 2008.
Developed for virtual viewing by Sigrid Yu.
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Original 2024 Temporary Exhibit created by Rebecca Rizzo.
~ Nominated for Heritage Toronto's 2025 Public History Award.
Developed for virtual viewing by Sigrid Yu.
Based on the original 2022 temporary exhibit created by Rebecca Rizzo.
Developed for virtual viewing by Sigrid Yu.
2025 Online Exhibit created and curated by Sigrid Yu.
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