TORONTO — Toronto’s storied music history may finally have a museum of its own as part of a five-year plan guided by a team of local entertainment leaders.
Organizers at the Toronto Music Experience say they’ve recently been granted charitable status, which allows them to move forward with plans to fundraise, secure sponsorships and ultimately open a permanent cultural home by 2029.
The news was first announced during an industry event last Thursday at the Lounge, a small venue operated by Live Nation on the city’s west end, and attended by Rush’s Alex Lifeson, Jully Black, Lorraine Segato and Kairo McLean, the youngest winner of the reggae Juno award.
TME says it aims to launch a “first-of-its-kind destination that will celebrate the city’s unparalleled contributions to music in Canada and around the world.”
They’ll get some help from an advisory board that includes former record label executives Denise Donlon and Randy Lennox, music producer Bob Ezrin and manager Bernie Finkelstein.
TME has already been involved in small exhibits dedicated to Toronto’s music scene. Several have been displayed at a small music museum tucked into an upstairs corner of Shoppers Drug Mart at Yonge and Dundas, a space once occupied by the legendary Friar’s Tavern nightclub.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 5, 2025.
David Friend, The Canadian Press
