The festival, in honour of urbanist Jane Jacobs, is back with a number of queer walking tours nationwide from May 2 to 4…
This weekend (Friday, May 2 – Sunday, May 4, 2025), communities across Canada will come together for the community-led Jane’s Walk Festival. The annual free event encourages people to share stories about their neighbourhoods, showcasing hidden gems and connecting with others.
Jane’s Walk was founded in 2006 by Jane Jacobs’ friends and colleagues. It honours the life of the writer, urbanist and activist who championed a community-based approach to city building that has influenced designers and planners.
The event happens in over 500 cities across six continents with both in-person and digital walks. There are plenty of tours to enjoy here at home, but we picked ones that have queer themes or are led by prominent 2SLGBTQI+ community members.
Happy walking Canada!
Jane’s Walk Calgary:
Jane’s Walk Calgary: Queer History in East Village
Calgary’s East Village has plenty of 2SLGBTQI+ stories to tell. Led by an up-and-coming speaker and activist, learn about the city’s queer past and historic bathhouses that once populated the neighbourhood.
Date and Time: May 3 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Language: English
Meeting Point: 610 8 Avenue SE (Calgary Pride Office)
Jane’s Walk Edmonton:
Building a Queer Community
Get ready for stories, and gossip, on this fabulous walking tour led by Michael Phair. Learn about the defining moments that shaped the queer community in Edmonton with stories about the Gay Alliance Towards Equality and one about a gay disco district – we hope there will be dancing!
Date and Time: May 4 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Language: English
Meeting Point: Michael Phair Park, 10124-104th Street NW
Jane’s Walk Montreal:
Sur Les Traces des Lesbiennes du Plateau-Mont-Royal
Translated to “In the Footsteps of the Lesbians of Plateau-Mont-Royal,” this walk, in collaboration with the Archives lesbiennes du Québec, is put on by Centre des Mémoires Montréalaises (Montreal Memory Centre). Join the organization as it takes you to emblematic sites of Montreal’s lesbian community. The walk will transport guests back to the 1980s and 1990s, highlighting the places frequented by residents, activists, artists and more, who helped make lesbians visible in Montreal.
Date and Time: May 3 & 4 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. or 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Language: French
Meeting Point: 251 Avenue des Pins West
Jane’s Walk Toronto:
Full disclosure, yours truly leads this tour. Legendary Houses looks at the homes of influential figures that lived in Toronto. The tour discusses their legacy, the architecture of each home and paints a picture of what the neighbourhood was like when they lived there. Visit the abodes of one of Canada’s first gay activists, the second Indigenous person in Canada to earn a medical degree, co-founder of The National Ballet of Canada and more.
Date and Time: May 3 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Language: English
Meeting Point: Southeast corner of George Street and Dundas Street East
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Since 2023, Queer Art Crawl has been showcasing public art made by and for 2SLGBTQI+ people and their allies on a monthly basis. The founder created the crawl to provide the community with an active, art-focused, outdoor activity around Toronto. For this Jane’s Walk, participants will see 12 murals in Chinatown by 20 artists (10 who are Asian artists).
Date and Time: May 3 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Language: English
Meeting Point: 5 Oxford Street
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Starting at Kew Gardens, walkers will uncover how urban innovation and ecology intersect, while getting a glimpse into Toronto’s hidden natural history. Learn about urban trees, citizen engagement, dune ecology, and celebrate all things leafy.
Wesley Reibeling (Park People/ Jane’s Walk), is one of the leaders known for his work helping lead creative and community-driven initiatives that centre on equity such as queer placemaking.
Date and Time: May 3 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Language: English
Meeting Point: Kew Gardens Entrance Plaza
Jane’s Walk Windsor:
Queer Walk: 200 years of local 2SLGBTQI+ history
Get ready to hear about the “not so well-known 2SLGBTQI+ history” of Windsor/Essex. Walter Cassidy will tell tales of Canada’s first known gay couple trial in 1842, Windsor’s past gay bars, activist spaces and much more. Don’t forget your phone so you can access historic pictures as you go.
Date and Time: May 2 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Language: English
Meeting Point: Great Canadian Flag: Riverside/Ouellette, City Centre
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