Papermill Theatre and Gallery
67 Pottery Road, Toronto, M4K 2B9
Email/Call: todmorden@toronto.ca; (416) 3962819
On a particularly snowy day, we were warmly welcomed into the historic, and accessible Papermill Theatre and Gallery. The building is located just off of Pottery Road, in the Don River Valley, and is surrounded by acres of beautiful land. The main building, formerly a paper mill, contains both a gallery and a theatre. The gallery runs different art shows every two weeks, and admission is free!
The entrance to the building consists of a double door, each side measuring 35 inches, with automatic features and a 1⁄4 inch lip transition. There is parking available, with the lot containing four large accessible parking spaces. Taking the TTC, from Broadview Station there are multiple accessible buses that can take you to Mortimer Avenue, where you need to exit to travel down a fairly steep hill to the venue. Curb cuts allow for a smooth transition down to the venue however, be careful in the winter, as this hill can be quite slippery!
Once inside, there are spacious, unobstructed 87 inch wide hallways that lead through the well lit gallery, and a reception area with incredibly friendly staff. The floors are smooth with thin, flat winter carpet and no level changes. Men and women’s bathrooms are located on the ground floor, with push doors (propped open) that swing inside revealing one accessible stall in each room. Each accessible stall has an outward swinging door (33"), and two grab bars (one horizontal over the toilet, and one diagonal on the adjacent wall). There are no automatic features. Sink height was 27 inches with clearance space underneath. The towel and soap dispensers are at a functional height.
The theatre is accessed by ascending nine stairs, or by using the small elevator. The entrance to the elevator is 34", with the entire space of the elevator measuring 38.5 x 53.5 inches. There is accessible seating in the front row of the theater. The building contains 3 clearly marked, double door emergency exits (2 in the theater, and 1 in the gallery) each with less than 1⁄4 inch lip transition.
Let us know if you get the chance to visit this historical site and experience an event by commenting below!
Review team: Gillian Kyle & Ellen Flanagan