COVID-19 Update: As of March 27, Toronto Pursuits is scheduled to run as planned. We are continuing to prepare for the event.
At the same time, the reality is that no one is certain how long the pandemic will last or how long the travel and business restrictions in North America and the world will be in place. So we are also making contingency plans should Toronto Pursuits not be able to go forth as scheduled. We will be keeping in regular contact with Victoria University at the University of Toronto, our major partner in the event, and will be making regular updates to this page.
Come for the books, stay for the people. Toronto Pursuits is a cultural salon in the sun for inquiring adults from across North America. Be part of a convivial community that gathers to read, watch, listen to and discuss compelling literature, art, music, and film. Study works that move, provoke, unsettle, and inspire. Wrestle with questions and ideas that matter. Meet old friends and make new one at one of Canada’s most distinctive literary events.
Choose one of our 10 lively, focused, and participatory seminars, which are the anchor of the week. You’ll take that seminar Monday, July 13, to Friday, July 17 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. We also have one afternoon seminar; see details below. Morning seminars are followed by an excellent hot buffet lunch. Afternoons and evenings are devoted to social and cultural activities on and off campus—talks, literary quizzes, museum visits, and concerts are just a few options to choose from. There’s a free and open approach at Toronto Pursuits that’s relaxing and stimulating at the same time.
CHOOSE YOUR SEMINAR
A perfect prologue to Toronto Pursuits is a weekend of world-class theatre at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival with hosts Pat and Gary Schoepfel.
DATES AND COST
Toronto Pursuits 2020 is from Sunday, July 12, to Friday, July 17, 2020. All seminars take place at Victoria University, part of the University of Toronto.
The Toronto Pursuits 2020 registration cost is C$1520.
Registration includes one seminar that you will take from Monday, July 13 to Friday, July 17, coffee and newspapers all week, five buffet lunches, afternoon speakers, a five-day opera lecture series, film screenings, guided walks, two cocktail receptions, a travel bazaar, a new participant orientation on Sunday, and a range of other cultural and social activities. All costs are subject to the 13% Harmonized Sales Tax (HST).
A few optional activities are not included in the main cost (e.g., museum visits); most of these can be paid on site. Look for more details in spring 2020.
The cost of the afternoon seminar on Emma is C$200 for those already signed up for the full Toronto Pursuits program and C$400 for those taking the seminar as a standalone option. The standalone option includes the seminar, the after-lunch speakers, and all evening activities. It does not include lunch, which can be purchased separately.
DISCOUNTS — one per person
- Participants who have attended Toronto Pursuits at least five times receive a C$215 discount.
- Register with a friend, and if one or both are first-time participants, each receives a C$215 discount.
- The Emma seminar is not eligible for either of these discounts.
REFUNDS AND CANCELLATIONS
A C$300 nonrefundable deposit is required. For the afternoon seminar, full payment is required at registration. Refunds are issued for cancellations made before June 1, 2020, minus the C$300 deposit for morning seminars and a C$25 administrative charge for the afternoon seminar.
Per Toronto Summer Music Festival policy, concert tickets are nonrefundable, nontransferable, and nonexchangeable.
Please see our Registration and Cancellation Policy and our Privacy Policy for full details on refunds and cancellations.
SEMINAR CHANGES
We encourage you to read the seminar descriptions carefully to make sure the topic and amount of reading are a good match for you. You can always find all readings listed on each seminar page and get details on length using book ISBNs. You are free to change your seminar before July 1, 2020, provided there is space in the seminar you want to move to and you are able to complete any preparation required. After July 1, we cannot accommodate any change in seminar.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Participants are responsible for booking their own accommodations. Most out-of-town participants stay in student housing at the University of Toronto or at our partner hotel, the InterContinental Yorkville.
The InterContinental Yorkville is a newly renovated four-star hotel located at 220 Bloor Street West, just 500 metres from Toronto Pursuits on the Victoria University/University of Toronto campus. Book at our group rate here. Rates are valid from July 8 to July 19, 2020; to book outside these dates, please email Abigail Perpuse. Group rates are available for booking until June 13, 2020 and are subject to availability. Please book early!
Rowell Jackman Hall offers basic dormitory accommodation at Victoria University at the University of Toronto, where Toronto Pursuits takes place. In most cases, washrooms are shared with one to three other people. Bedrooms are air-conditioned. The 2020 single room rate is C$80.25 plus taxes per night and the double room rate is C$107.00 plus taxes per night. To book a room,visit the Victoria booking page. For questions about accommodations or your reservation, contact Victoria staff directly at accom.victoria@utoronto.ca. Please read all terms, conditions and standards carefully before you book; it is your responsibility to make sure this accommodation is right for you.
Participants can also stay at Massey College dormitory accommodation, 600 metres from Victoria University where Toronto Pursuits takes place. Bedrooms have fans; common areas are air-conditioned. Washrooms are shared with one or two other people. Prices, registration details, and terms and conditions will be available in midwinter 2020. Please read all terms, conditions and standards carefully before you book; it is your responsibility to make sure this accommodation is right for you.
QUESTIONS? YOU MAY FIND THE ANSWERS IN OUR FAQs
We have also put together a page on Preparing for Your Seminar that gives more information on how to get the most from your seminar and what you can expect from the experience.