Jane Herman: “Never Stop Learning”

Jane is a writer, communications consultant and event planner who worked with chefs Jamie Kennedy and Michael Stadtlander to produce the Feast of Fields and the Knives and Forks Organic Market. Her book, The Organic Chef, chronicles the efforts of chefs across Canada to create an indigenous cuisine based on seasonal, locally grown, organic ingredients. Growing up in New York she observed iconic structures such as the World Trade Center and Verrazano Bridge in their early stages of construction. Since moving to Toronto in 1982 she has have avidly pursued her curiosity about Toronto's history, architecture and culture.

“A magnificent tour with personal attention” - Our tour of "Old Town and the Distillery District" with Jane was illuminating and fun! As a historian, I've toured historic districts across the globe. The personal touch that Jane gave to our tour put her at the top of my list. When rain was expected, she emailed before and offered a change of day or to drive—that's the type of personal attention she gives her tour guests. We started at the historic St. Lawrence Market where we perused old photos of the city and she provided background information on Toronto's history. Stops included: the Gooderham Building (Flatiron building), warehouses by St. Lawrence, St. James Anglican Church, a former courthouse (now restaurant), Bank of Upper Canada, De LaSalle Institute, a post office, Corktown, Little Trinity Church, Enoch Turner Schoolhouse, and the brick streets and redeveloped buildings of the Distillery District. Jane was incredibly knowledgeable and I appreciated how she took our pulse, so to say, and would gear her talk to subjects that we found most interesting. A fount of knowledge, no question I asked went unanswered (and I ask a lot of questions). She is a consummate professional with an excellent understanding of architectural and social history. I hope to return to Toronto and take another one of Jane's tours.
- Amy French, Saginaw, Michigan

Jane created a unique walking tour of the Beaches neighbourhood for our team-building event. She was very thorough in her research and very professional. We learned about the history of a number of the beautiful homes and buildings in the area. We also got to walk along the Boardwalk! She did a wonderful job and we all enjoyed it. Thank you Jane!
- Marlena Gaiardo, Mattamy Homes