Community sauna events in Toronto · Evergreen Brick Works
Pre-holiday gatherings.
Some nights, the sauna is held for one community. Same heat, same ritual, same 90 minutes as any visit, with hosts who open and close the night with you.
If you see yourself in the description, you're welcome. We go by how you identify, and we never ask.
Good to know: the sauna is out in the open at Evergreen Brick Works, and so is the rest of the ritual: the cold showers and the rest area by the fire are shared spaces where other visitors walk by. The change rooms are the only private part. There are three steps up into the sauna, with a handrail, and the ground is uneven. More on access.
Every gathering shares the same details on changing, washrooms, privacy and access. Read them here.
Queer gathering.
For the whole 2SLGBTQIA+ community, across all genders, sexualities, bodies and expressions.
A relaxed, celebratory night at the sauna, hosted by queer folks for queer folks.
Bring your crew, or come solo and leave with one. Wear what makes you comfortable. Talk, laugh, or just sit in the heat. Your hosts open the ritual and close it with everyone, and in between the night is yours.
Hosted byCheryl and Julia
Good to know
- Swimwear is whatever you're comfortable in: trunks, a one-piece, shorts, a loose top.
- A swim binder or a loose top works better in the heat and wet than an everyday binder.
- Change rooms are non-gendered and private.
- A single-stall, non-gendered washroom is open in the Evergreen main building for the evening.
- The sauna, cold showers and rest area by the fire are out in the open at Brick Works. Only the change rooms are private.
Men's gathering.
For men, cis and trans, and non‑binary people who feel at home in a men's space.
A Monday evening to unwind and look after yourself, in good company.
Talk if you feel like it. Sit in shared silence if you don't. Both are normal here. Nobody is counting minutes or seeing who can take the most heat. Step out when your body says so; that's part of the practice. Your hosts open the ritual, pour the löyly and close it with you. Nothing to prove. Come as you are.
Hosted byJason and Tiff
Good to know
- There's no expectation to speak. You're welcome to connect with others or simply enjoy the quiet.
- Any swimwear works. A shirt is fine too.
- First time in a sauna? You'll be in good company. Your hosts walk everyone through it.
- The sauna, cold showers and rest area by the fire are out in the open at Brick Works. Only the change rooms are private.
Women's gathering.
For women, cis and trans, and non‑binary people who feel at home in a women's space.
An evening where nobody needs anything from you.
Come with a friend, or come on your own and leave knowing a few more faces. Your hosts lead the welcome and the rounds, and the pace stays easy: heat, a cold shower, rest outside, back in again. Talk, laugh, or say nothing at all. There are no mirrors in our sauna. Wear what you're comfortable in, take the bench that suits you, and stay as long as feels right.
Hosted byKim and Julia
Good to know
- Any swimwear works, including modest swimwear and burkinis.
- Bring a friend who fits the description, or come solo. Plenty of people do.
- The sauna, cold showers and rest area by the fire are out in the open at Brick Works. Only the change rooms are private.
BIPOC gathering.
For Black, Indigenous and racialized people.
A Thursday evening at the sauna, hosted by BIPOC folks, for BIPOC folks.
There is no one right way to sauna. The ritual belongs to everyone, and it looks different depending on the culture, the climate, the community. This is a space that centres Black, Indigenous and racialized people. Come as you are. Catch up, slow down, or just sit in the heat. First time or fiftieth, you belong here.
Hosted byCheryl
Good to know
- Bring a wool or felt sauna hat if you have one; it keeps the heat off your head. A bonnet, durag, scarf or swim cap underneath is welcome.
- Our "no strong scents" rule is about perfume and cologne. Your everyday hair and skin products are fine.
- Bringing a friend who isn't BIPOC? Come together to any of our regular sessions.
- The sauna, cold showers and rest area by the fire are out in the open at Brick Works. Only the change rooms are private.
Book club: The Island of Sea Women.
Open to everyone.
Our first book club, reading the novel by Lisa See.
Young-sook and Mi-ja grow up as best friends on Korea's Jeju Island. They become haenyeo, women who free-dive the cold sea to support their families. Over decades of war, occupation and change, their friendship is tested. Read it, then make space on the bench and talk it out.
Hosted byJulia
Good to know
- Read the book first. Most of it counts.
- Arrive 10 minutes early. Julia takes it from there.
- The sauna, cold showers and rest area by the fire are out in the open at Brick Works. Only the change rooms are private.
Winter solstice.
Open to everyone.
Leave it on the bench. Not a resolution. Just a reset.
December 21 is the longest night of the year. From here, the light starts coming back. It's a good night to put something down. A worry, a habit, a hard year, something you've been carrying since spring. Julia leads a slower ritual for the turn of the year: a time to rest and reset with intention, and to leave behind what you don't need to carry into the next one. You never have to share anything. However your December is going, there's room for you here.
Hosted byJulia
Good to know
- Two sessions, same ritual. Pick the one that suits your evening.
- Arrive 10 minutes early. We start the ritual together.
- Bring a warm layer and a hat for the rest periods outside. It's December.
- Nothing to prepare and nothing to share. Talking is optional.
- The sauna, cold showers and rest area by the fire are out in the open at Brick Works. Only the change rooms are private.
Good to know.
Everything here applies to every event on this page, so nobody has to ask. Anything else? Email sweat@kotisauna.ca
Who can come?
Anyone who sees themselves in the description. We go by how you identify. We never ask for proof, and nobody else gets to ask either.
What happens on the night?
The same ritual as any visit. Arrive 10 minutes early and change. Your hosts welcome everyone inside the sauna, then you move through the rounds at your own pace: heat, a cold shower, rest outside, back in. We close the ritual together. Change rooms stay open after the session, so there's time to shower, change and take care of your hair and skin without rushing.
Changing and washrooms
Change rooms are non-gendered and private, and they're always open. They're the only private part of the sauna area. A single-stall, non-gendered washroom is open in the Evergreen main building for the evening.
Privacy
The sauna is out in the open at Evergreen Brick Works, and so is the rest of the ritual: the cold showers and the rest area by the fire are shared spaces where other visitors walk by. The change rooms are the only private part.
At gatherings, phones stay in lockers and nobody takes photos, even if you said yes to photos when you booked. We don't share who comes. People passing through aren't part of the gathering, so we can't promise the same from them.
Access
Please know before you come: this is an outdoor experience on the grounds of a historic brickyard, more than a century old. The ground is uneven, with gravel and natural surfaces between the sauna, the showers and the rest area by the fire, and there are three steps up into the sauna, with a handrail.
We're actively looking for partners to help us improve access for people with physical disabilities. Until then, here's what we know today, so you don't have to ask.
- Into the sauna: three steps up to the sauna door, with a handrail.
- Washrooms: the washrooms in the Evergreen main building are wheelchair accessible, including the single-stall washroom open in the evening.
- Getting here: the Evergreen shuttle and the 28 Bayview South bus are wheelchair accessible.
- Seating: benches on two levels. The lower bench is cooler.
- Sensory: phones away, voices low, no strong scents. Hosts ask the room before pouring water on the stove, which sends a wave of heat and steam. If anyone mentions an allergy or sensitivity, we don't use scented oil that session.
To tell us what you need, add a note when you book or email sweat@kotisauna.ca. You don't need to explain why. We'll tell you honestly what we can and can't do.
Health
Step out whenever you need to, and drink water between rounds. Pregnant or breastfeeding, or living with a heart, blood pressure or breathing condition? Check with your doctor or midwife before you book, as for any visit. Menstruating? Come as you are, and wear what works for you.
What if something doesn't feel right?
Tell a host, at the time or afterwards. Comments about other people's bodies, or questions about whether someone belongs, aren't okay here. Hosts can ask anyone to leave.
Is there an age limit?
Yes. Gatherings are for guests 18 and over.
Can I bring a friend?
Yes, if the gathering is theirs too. The book club and the winter solstice are open to everyone. And every other night of the week, the bench is open to all.
