The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) unveils the Teck Suite of Galleries: Earth's Treasures located on Level 2 of the Weston Family Wing on December 20, 2008. Composed of the Vale Inco Limited Gallery of Minerals, the Gallery of Gems and Gold and the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame Gallery, the galleries occupy a combined total of 6,900 square feet and showcase over 2,300 of the ROM’s exceptional specimens of minerals, gems, meteorites and rocks, a collection among the finest in North America. The fascinating displays are contextualized by over 40 interactive touch-screen stations, compelling video exhibits and engrossing information on Canada’s mining industry.

Opening at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) on May 16, 2009, the Schad Gallery of Biodiversity is devoted to exploring our world’s biodiversity and the numerous factors affecting its conservation and survival. This innovative and interactive gallery combines seven ecosystem experiences, approximately 2,500 specimens and the Earth Rangers Studio featuring live animal ambassadors to convey an important message about the stunning variety of life on Earth, the interconnectedness of nature’s amazing web, and the ability that each of us has to care for the environment.

Newly re-installed gallery features nearly 600 of the most exquisite gems and jewels from the ROM’s vaults. On December 19, 2009 the Museum proudly opens the Gallery of Gems and Gold, the final stage of the Teck Suite of Galleries: Earth’s Treasures, on Level 2 of the Weston Family Wing. Nearly 600 beautiful and rare gems, gem crystals, jewellery and gold specimens will be on display representing the wide diversity and colour of precious stones, and some of the finest gems and jewellery in Canada. Highlighted in the gallery is the famed 900-carat Light of the Desert, the largest faceted cerussite gem in the world.

The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is pleased to announce the re-opening of the famed Bat Cave on February 27, 2010! Completely renovated and updated, the new Bat Cave is larger and more interactive with animatronic technology as well as audiovisual displays guiding visitors through a multi-sensory journey inside a recreated bat habitat. From the shadowy cave mouth, home to hundreds of roosting bats, to its finale, featuring a dramatization of the nightly exodus of the bat colony taking flight, the new Bat Cave promises a fascinating immersive and educational adventure. The Bat Cave is located on Level 2, Philosophers’ Walk Wing in the ROM’s Heritage Building. First opened in 1988, the gallery realistically portrays the renowned St. Clair Cave in Jamaica. The remodeled 1.700-square-foot gallery features more than 20 bat specimens and over 800 models, some mechanized, to thrill visitors of all ages while teaching them about bat species, navigation and behaviour, as well as the ecology of the cave in which they live.

Harbourfront Centre's Artists' Gardens are back for the 20th year with 23 existing gardens. Since the programme's inception in 1990, landscape architects, designers, craftspeople, performing and visual artists have collaborated to create living installations that challenge traditional ideas about gardening. All the gardens are situated outdoors on the Harbourfront Centre site (235 Queens Quay West). Curated by Patrick Macauley. Admission is free. For more information the public can call 416-973-4000 or check the Harbourfront Centre website.

Facets of Fame: Portraits by Toronto Photographer Al Gilbert. Presented by the Ontario Jewish Archives, a department of the National Centre for Jewish Heritage of the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto. Internationally acclaimed portrait photographer Albert Gilbert C.M. has photographed some of the most influential people of our time, including many prominent Torontonians. This photo exhibit will celebrate his career, showcasing some of the images he recently donated to the Ontario Jewish Archives. Contact: 316-392-7604 or via email marketgallery@toronto.ca. FREE admission. Gallery Hours: Tuesday to Friday: 10am to 4pm. Saturday: 9am to 4pm. Closed Sunday and Monday.

The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) presents House Calls with my Camera, a poignant series of photo essays capturing the lives of the patients of Toronto physician Dr. Mark Nowaczynski. The 36 powerful photos taken by Dr. Nowacyznski, many of which are on display for the first time, document the hidden world of his house-bound patients, revealing the startling lack of medical and supportive home care services of this vulnerable population. House Calls with my Camera will be on display on Level 2 in the Hilary and Galen Weston Wing from May 15 to October 11, 2010. “Dr. Mark Nowaczynski’s work follows a long line of photo documentarians – individuals gifted with the ability to wed their exceptional artistic talent with strong social convictions. The ROM is delighted to display the work of Dr. Nowaczynski, offering visitors the opportunity to explore the beauty of his stirring photography, while considering the harsh realities of our aging population,” said William Thorsell, ROM Director and CEO.

The Dorothy Knowles: Land Marks retrospective exhibition offers an informed overview of the landscape artist’s exemplary body of work. At first glance, the artist’s humble and natural subject matter can be underestimated or overlooked. However, Knowles radically chose to document her own backyard during a time when abstract art was rapidly gaining ground. This exhibition celebrates Knowles’ favourite subjects—the lush river valleys and prairie landscapes that characterized her rural childhood. Phone: 1-888-213-1121.