“Canadian Architectural Styles: A Field Guide”
ACO Port Hope Branch Presents — An illustrated one-hour book talk on April 18th with author Don Mikel
Date: Saturday, April 18, 2026
Time: 10:15 am
Location: Port Hope Public Library, Mary J. Benson Branch, Port Hope
Free Entry.
Join us for an illustrated one-hour book talk explaining how architectural styles have developed in Canada over the last four centuries, followed by a book signing. This beautifully illustrated lecture is based on Don Mikel’s highly praised book, Canadian Architectural Styles: A Field Guide, recently published by Lorimer (Toronto).
In this talk, author Don Mikel explains how architectural styles have developed in Canada over the past four centuries—from the buildings of New France and Georgian structures of the early colonial period, through Gothic Revival, Italianate, and Romanesque styles of the 19th century, to Art Deco, International, Brutalist, and Postmodern movements. He also highlights how to recognize defining features, regional variations, and historical influences, offering a deeper understanding of the built environment we encounter every day.
Don Mikel, originally from Cobourg and now living in Guelph, is an author and architectural photographer. He has served on local architectural heritage committees and was the founding Chair of the Provincial LACAC Association. He also founded the Guelph Architectural Conservancy and currently serves on the Guelph Heritage Committee. Don has restored five heritage houses.
Reviews
“The architectural equivalent of Peterson’s birding guides. It gives enthusiasts everything they need to recognize and identify any ‘species’ of architecture they might encounter in the wild. This is the most comprehensive guide to architectural style that I’ve seen in a long time—and the only one that is strictly Canadian and on a national scale. Bonus: it comes right up to the present day.”
— Tom Cruickshank, author of Old Toronto Houses and Old Ontario Houses
“Don Mikel, in his new book on Canadian architectural styles, has waded into the complex world of architectural styles applied in Canada throughout its long history—from the early buildings of New France to the eclectic world of today. This is an encyclopedic work of both text style descriptions and explanations, generously illustrated with photographs to support his points. This will be a valuable field guide to professionals when considering how best to describe a building under study, and of interest to all those engaged in Canada’s architectural history.”
— Phil Goldsmith, BES, BArch, OAA, CAHP
Director, Ontario Heritage Foundation (1993–2000)
This program is not sponsored by the Port Hope Public Library, and the library takes no responsibility for its content.