Category: Events

EVENTS: UNMASKED 2017 – CAMH FOUNDATION’S SIGNATURE BIENNIAL FUNDRAISING EVENT

Posted on by Kasandra Lippens

This past week we had the great privilege of hosting a truly worthwhile event –UnMasked 2017 – CAMH Foundation’s signature biennial fundraiser.

Mental health and the treatment of mental illness affects us all, and CAMH continues to lead the way on this issue. The UnMasked theme encourages openness, in an attempt to shed the stigma that surrounds conversations about mental health.

It was in this spirit that 600 attendees came together at The Great Hall and were treated to an extraordinary evening of dialogue, entertainment, fashion, and fundraising.

UnMasked 2017 was a feast for the senses that included keynote speakers and live music in the Main Hall, otherworldly fashion designs by Mad Couture modeled throughout the building, and sumptuous edibles from Treeline Catering, while the Conversation Room hosted a bourbon tasting curated by the experts from Bar Chef on the west side and a black and white portrait studio run by The Collective You on the east.

Of course, the reason we were all here was to support our good friends and neighbours CAMH, and this year’s extraordinary fundraising effort were highlighted by the raffle draw for Ron Bolt’s magnificent painting, “Surf Solar”.

We want to thank both CAMH and Fluid Events for allowing us to host the evening, and to thank everyone who came out and, through their great generosity, made UnMasked 2017 such a tremendous success!

Events: The Collections™ RE\SET Fashion at The Great Hall, February 6 & 7, 2017

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The Great Hall is proud to serve as the host venue and a production partner when THE COLLECTIONS™ presents RE\SET Fashion, in collaboration with Robin Kay, on February 6 and 7, 2017. Held over two nights, RE\SET will feature a curated group of Canadian designers showcasing influential fashion throughout our recently restored historic Toronto venue at 1087 Queen St. W.

RE/SET is designed around three main objectives: to allow designer to connect with buyers, media and consumers; to re-form the traditional designer presentation model in a fresh direction, and to rethink Canada’s fashion identity while inspiring awareness.

Notable RE\SET designers include: Vogue’s Designer to Watch and DHL Exported winner, Sid Neigum; Forbes’ 2017 Art and Style ‘30 Under 30’ design duo, Beaufille; Toronto-based duo, Markoo; contemporary womenswear Hilary MacMillan; signature avant-garde brand, Pedram Karimi; satirical contemporary street brand WRKDEPT, and menswear lines Thomas Bálint and Klaxon Howl. RE\SET will also present a two-day showroom featuring ready-to-wear designers Namesake, Tara Rivas for TMR, S.P. Badu, Triarchy, accessory designers Dean Davidson, Krane, Cuchara, Dolorous, Uncuffed Leather, and shoes by Zvelle.

“The Great Hall has long been committed to supporting, nurturing and showcasing world-class artistic talent,” said Steve Metlitski, president of Triangle Development and owner of The Great Hall.

“Canada’s fashion industry is an integral part of our country’s arts and culture, and we are thrilled to provide the backdrop for Canada’s top design talent to showcase their collections this season.” READ FULL RE\SET PRESS RELEASE

Join the RE\SET Fashion event conversation by following or tagging @resetFSN and #resetFSN and via our The Great Hall Instagram, Twitter and Facebook feeds.

If you are interested in a production site or booking one of our four restored heritage venues, simply email bookings@thegreathall.ca.
 

Events: The Great Hall Hosts Nike Air Jordan XI (11) “Space Jam” Launch

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Just in time for the 2016 holiday gift season, The Great Hall hosted the December release party for the latest remastered version of the Nike Air Jordan XI (11) “Space Jam.”

Designed to mark the 20th anniversary of the Space Jam movie opening, this iconic “Monstars Mash” shoe updates the classic originally worn by Michael Jordan in the film, and later on court. Similar to what Jordan originally wore during his 1995 NBA Playoffs return, with its traditional all-black mesh and high cut black patent leather upper, unique new shoe details include a stitched ’45’ on the back heel, and the Concord Jumpman on both the upper back of the shoe and the tongue tab.

Décor for the Nike Space Jam event in The Great Hall’s Main Hall also highlighted elements from the special edition Looney Tunes and Bugs Bunny themed box, with a graphic of Bugs Bunny’s and The Monstar’s arms wrapping around each other to create the number ’23.’ Graphic banners were hung all along Main Hall’s U-shaped balcony to celebrate the movie tie-ins.

Other interactive areas spread out across the 10,00 sq. ft. venue included a lounge section with video array, a basketball hoop, and, of course, a shoe display case. A large scale screen filled the Main Hall stage and colour-themed lighting made full use of The Great Hall’s all-new Adamson and Westbury A/V system.

Outside, more Nike Space Jam graphics wrapped the entire lower floor of this corner-situated heritage building, creating an eye-catching exterior arrival experience for the event and generating  plenty of interest from passing Queen St. W traffic.

This Nike corporate event for street style stars, retail partners and Toronto tastemakers was a score from start to finish.
For more event back story, watch DEFY, a 90-second Nike Space Jam video spot, here.

If you’d like to connect with us about booking your own product launch or shoot in one of The Great Hall’s four restored 1889 venues, simply email  bookings@thegreathall.ca with your event details and preferred dates.

Events: Heritage Night at The Great Hall (Video)

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CELEBRATING HERITAGE & MAKING HISTORY
On September 21, 2016, The Great Hall partnered with Heritage Toronto to officially mark our 1973 City of Toronto historic building designation, with two plaques, and reveal our then almost complete, year-long restoration, with a Heritage Night public open house.

The Great Hall’s two Heritage Toronto plaques commemorate this building’s history since its 1889 beginnings as Toronto’s West End YMCA, and the connection to famed Onondaga long distance runner and WWI veteran Tom Longboat (Cogwagee), who trained here before winning the 1907 Boston Marathon in record-breaking time.

To highlight Tom Longboat’s enduring sport, community and cultural legacy, we also renamed The Great Hall’s large street-level venue, the original YMCA gymnasium, as Longboat Hall, in his honour. This two-storey event space offers its own, dedicated entrance off Dovercourt Rd. at Queen St. West, and showcases the original, hand-built, elevated running track Longboat once ran on, now used as a balcony and crush space. The revitalized Longboat Hall also features original brickwork, iron pillars, large Palladian windows on its west side, and a bar backed with original slate salvaged from the restoration of the building’s peaked Victorian roof.

The Great Hall Heritage Night was a collective effort and true “doors open” initiative designed to celebrate the past and heritage preservation, mark the beginning of a new era in The Great Hall story, and welcome all kinds of events, groups and individuals to continue to make their own history, right here in our four venues. The Great Hall team appreciates all those who contributed to making this milestone possible and everyone came out to mark the occasion with us. We also extend our particular thanks and acknowledgement for this event to:

TGH Heritage Invite

Heritage Toronto and the Plaques & Markers Program
Toronto Legacy Project
Program founder (and former Toronto Poet Laureate) Dennis Lee
Cindy Martin of the Turtle Clan of the Cayuga Nation
great great grandniece of Tom Longboat, on behalf of the Longboat family
Athlete, speaker and Heritage Night MC Waneek Horn-Miller
Toronto Councillor for Ward 19 Trinity-Spadina Mike Layton
Event sponsors Amsterdam Brewery and Angels Gate Winery
Entertainment Rambunctious band
Attendees Longboat Roadrunners