St. Peter’s Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church of Toronto (Peetri Kirik) will be open to the public during Doors Open Toronto, Saturday May 25 and Sunday May 26. Doors Open Toronto began as a millennium project in 2000 and to date the once-a-year event has had more than 2,000,000 visits. We are excited and honoured that we were chosen this year as one of the more than 150 locations celebrating Toronto’s cultural history and built heritage.

The theme for Doors Open in 2024 is “hidden histories, a celebration of Toronto’s forgotten or often overlooked buildings and their stories.”

Peetri Kirik is participating as an example of outstanding architecture created by a close-knit community with a compelling story.

Peetri Kirik is recognized as the first mid-century modernist A frame sacred structure designed and built in Canada. It was built in 1955 by a Lutheran congregation of Estonian refugees and displaced people. The building was designed by Estonian refugee Michael Bach, who subsequently became a professor of architecture at the University of Toronto School of Architecture. His students, such as Raymond Moriyama, designed many of Toronto’s iconic buildings.

Subsequently the church was expanded by another Estonian refugee, Ants Elken, RCA, FRAIC, Professor Emeritus in Architecture, University of Toronto, using Michael Bach’s original vision, as documented in drawings and writing.

The building is unapologetically Nordic. Built of natural materials of wood, brick and copper, its design references the medieval stave churches that were once common in northern Europe.

Large stained glass windows encircle the sanctuary, their colours chosen to reflect the changing of the seasons. Light from large skylights streams across the altar, changing with the weather and the seasons. The sanctuary is a peaceful space.

The church has an organ with 1077 pipes, built by E. F. Walcker & Cie. During Doors Open, we will present an informal program of music by choir on Saturday at 11 AM and again at noon with an organ recital by Erik Kreem, so visitors can enjoy the magnificent acoustics of the sanctuary.

On Sunday there will be an organ recital at noon by Chung Lee. In the morning you can observe a Salvation Army service with their brass band playing. In the afternoon a Korean congregation will hold a service filled with music.

On Saturday afternoon artist Ernestine Tahedl will talk about the stained glass windows that she designed and built. In an adjacent meeting room, on both days there will be a display of architectural drawings, old photographs, and artifacts, illustrating the history of the refugees and the church they built. Volunteers will be available to answer questions and give tours.

Doors will be open on Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm with last admission at 3:30. Sunday’s hours are 10 am to 5 pm with the last admission at 4:30. We invite you to join us at 817 Mount Pleasant Road Toronto. We are so proud of what our parents and grandparents built.

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