Heritage Toronto has named Michael McClelland as the recipient of the 2025 Special Achievement Award. Presented for the first time since 2019 by the Heritage Toronto Board of Directors, the Special Achievement Award celebrates exceptional contributions by individuals or organizations to Toronto’s heritage.
Architect and advocate, Michael McClelland has been a key voice in shaping Toronto’s built heritage—expanding past definitions that spotlight monuments or landmarks, to instead focus on cultural landscapes that reflect layered histories and community identities. His work includes major projects such as the restoration of the Don Jail and the Broadview Hotel, as well as the revitalization of the Distillery District, which is one of Canada’s most celebrated examples of heritage-driven urban regeneration.
Michael began his career as a heritage planner for the Toronto Historical Board, and went on to co-found ERA Architects in 1990, helping to establish one of Canada’s most respected heritage architecture firms. Michael is also a dedicated public advocate who has championed major cultural initiatives. These include Culture on Toronto’s Waterfront, which highlights the role of heritage and culture in revitalizing the city’s waterfront; the Tower Renewal Partnership, a collaborative effort to retrofit Toronto’s postwar apartment towers; and Friends of Allan Gardens, a community-led initiative to restore one of Toronto’s oldest public greenhouses.
“For more than 30 years, Michael has helped grow our understanding of the intricate connection between heritage and culture, and has furthered discourse on heritage’s role in inclusive, sustainable urban development”, says Liza Chalaidopoulos, Chair of the Heritage Toronto Board. “He is an active and generous mentor in the field, shaping a generation of professionals through collaboration, critical thinking, and advocacy for more democratic visions of heritage.”
As a writer and editor, Michael has also helped shift the narrative around Toronto’s urban past. His editorial contributions include the award-winning Concrete Toronto: A Guidebook to Concrete Architecture from the Fifties to the Seventies (2007), and The Ward Uncovered: The Archaeology of Everyday Life (2018), which spotlight overlooked histories and challenge dominant narratives of urban development.
“Heritage is simply another word for how we value our relationships to ourselves and our environments”, says Michael McClelland. “It’s the job of architects to express those values through time by renewing and building new spaces.”
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS & DISTINCTIONS
• Founding member, Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals
• Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, 2006
• Governor General’s Medal in Architecture, 2010
THE EVENT
The Special Achievement Award will be presented at the 50th Heritage Toronto Awards on October 20, 2025 at The Carlu. Winners will also be announced from 60 nominees in three juried categories: Book, Public History, and Built Heritage.This event is Heritage Toronto’s major fundraiser of the year, raising monies in support of its public programming. Ticket information is available at heritagetoronto.org.
