Tours
Post-Congress KidLit Tours
We are delighted to offer post-Congress kidlit tours scheduled the days following Congress in Ottawa, Montreal, and Toronto. (Note: the Lucy Maud Montgomery tour to Leaksdale has been cancelled.) Please continue reading for more information and the opportunity to register.
Ottawa
Monday, August 10, 2026
Stories, Nature and Treasures of Canadian Children’s Literature
Fee: $70 (including lunch and transportation)
Discover treasures of Canadian children’s literature from the vaults of Library and Archives Canada, walk in the Gatineau Park, listen to stories linked to the beautiful landscape of this region with writer Andrée Poulin, visit the Chelsea Library and the Ottawa Public Library.
Schedule
8:45am Departure from Carleton residence
9:30am Arrival Library and Archives Canada
The visit will include:
- Children’s literary archives (Michel Noël, Tim Wynne-Jones, Elizabeth Mrazik-
Cleaver, JC Taylor, Rogé, Jean Little, Marie-Louise Gay and others) - Rare Book Collection (Lucy Maud Montgomery original publications and other
treasures) - Art vault
- Restoration lab (books, binding, paper, etc.)
- Digitization project
11:30am Departure to Chelsea, Quebec
Excerpts by children’s writers describing the area (Roch Carrier, Michel Noël,
Brian Doyle), and text read by writer Andrée Poulin
12:00pm Lunch at Pub Old Chelsea and short walk in Gatineau Park
2:00pm Visit Chelsea Public Library: a rural community with activities for children funded by Leacross Foundation
3:00pm Departure to Ottawa
3:30pm Visit branch of Ottawa Public Library
5:00pm End of visit
Library and Archives Canada
Montreal
Monday, August 10, 2026
Step into a storybook day in Montréal, where children’s literature comes to life around every corner. This friendly guided tour celebrates Québec’s vibrant literary scene—and offers the chance to meet some of the wonderful authors and illustrators who bring it to life.
Your tour includes visits to BAnQ—Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, with its remarkable children’s collection, the documentation centre of Communication-Jeunesse, and McGill ROAAR, home to rare historical works.
Along the way, you'll have a chance to connect with inspiring Québec creators and discover how children’s literature is flourishing in Montréal. It’s a joyful opportunity to share ideas and celebrate stories together.
The one-day tour is estimated at $200, including lunch, dinner, and public transportation within the city. Registration is limited to 20 people.
Travel and accommodations are not included. For ideas on planning your stay, visit Tourisme Montréal.
BaNQ — Grande Bibliothèque, Montréal
Toronto
Monday, August 10, 2026
Finish off your IBBY Congress 2026 experience with a trip to Canada’s largest city and visit Toronto through the lens of the world’s largest library system (circulation per capita), the Toronto Public Library. Over the course of the day, you will be introduced to special collections at three branches of the Toronto Public Library, enjoy a few hours exploring a landmark Toronto neighbourhood, and cap it off with a fun evening of Kid Lit Trivia with friends and colleagues.
9:15am – 10:15am: IBBY Collection for Young People with Disabilities
5120 Yonge Street
Join us at North York Central Library for a tour of the IBBY Collection for Young People with Disabilities. This collection, which includes over 4000 books in 40 languages, contains tactile and adaptive materials for children. This tour will showcase the public-facing collection. Attendees will have the opportunity to experience some of the most unique and fragile items from the stacks, as well as a showcase of materials that highlight the possibilities of accessibility.
11:00am – 12:30pm: Toronto Reference Library: Innovation and Youth Services Department
789 Yonge Street
Explore the Toronto Reference Library on a guided tour that introduces its iconic architecture, unique research collections, and public services. The tour also includes the TD Gallery, Toronto Public Library’s primary exhibition space, featuring free exhibitions drawn from Special Collections and related materials.
12:30pm – 2:30pm: Lunch in Kensington Market
Between Dundas Street West and College Street, west of Spadina Avenue
Immerse yourself in the heart of Toronto’s bohemian culture in Kensington Market.
Restaurants and hole-in-the-wall eateries offering food from all over the world are interspersed with vintage thrift shops, coffee joints, tattoo parlours, bars, art galleries, and Victorian-style houses. The area is part gritty, part chaotic and has tons of personality.
2:30pm – 4:00pm: Osborne Collection of Early Children's Books
Lillian H. Smith Branch
239 College Street, 4th floor
The Osborne Collection of Early Children’s Book is a world-leading research collection of rare and notable children’s books. Our 90,000+ items include book-related art, toys, games and archival items on authorship and promotion of books for young readers. A tour visit will include a presentation of the Osborne Collection’s history and notable highlights.
7:00pm – 9:30pm: KidLit Trivia Night
Duke of York Pub
39 Prince Arthur Ave
Join Toronto’s children’s book community, including local authors and illustrators to test your knowledge of children’s books in a fun and relaxing battle of wits.
Maximum participants: 20
Fee: $50
Includes ticket for KidLit Trivia Night
Does not include transportation or meals
IBBY Collection for Young People with Disabilities at the North York Central Library
Lucy Maud Montgomery
If you would like to tour Ontario on your own, there are Lucy Maud Montgomery sites to visit including:
- Leaksdale
- Norval
- Guelph
- Muskoka — Bala’s Museum
Prince Edward Island: Home of Anne of Green Gables
As well, we are delighted to provide information on visiting Prince Edward Island, home of Anne of Green Gables. No formal tour to Prince Edward Island will be organized, but please visit the Tourism PEI website and reach out to them with any questions you have about visiting the province.
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island’s capital city, is about 3.5 hours away from Ottawa by plane, with one connection in Montréal.
Exceptional children’s literary sites in Prince Edward Island include:
- The University of Prince Edward Island’s L.M. Montgomery Institute, whose collection includes rare Lucy Maud Montgomery books and artefacts.
- A number of Lucy Maud Montgomery-related sites. Find an interactive map of the island and visit Prince Edward Island Tourism.
Photo credit: Tourism PEI