@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+# from __future__ import print_function
+import matplotlib
+matplotlib.use('GTK3AGG')
+# matplotlib.rcParams['backend.multifigure'] = False
+matplotlib.rcParams['toolbar'] = 'toolmanager'
+from matplotlib.backend_tools import ToolBase
+
+
+from matplotlib.figure import Figure
+from matplotlib.backend_managers import FigureManager
+
+
+class t1(ToolBase):
+    description = "change canvas"
+    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        self.mfigure = kwargs.pop('figure')
+        ToolBase.__init__(self, *args, **kwargs)
+
+    def trigger(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        self.toolmanager.manager.figure = self.mfigure
+
+
+manager = FigureManager(None, 1)
+backend = manager._backend
+
+fig1 = Figure()
+canvas1 = backend.FigureCanvas(fig1)
+ax1 = fig1.add_subplot(111)
+ax1.plot([1, 2, 3])
+
+manager.figure = fig1
+
+fig2 = Figure()
+canvas2 = backend.FigureCanvas(fig2)
+ax2 = fig2.add_subplot(111)
+ax2.plot([3, 2, 1])
+
+fig3 = Figure()
+canvas3 = backend.FigureCanvas(fig3)
+ax3 = fig3.add_subplot(111)
+ax3.plot([1, 1, 1])
+
+sidebar = manager._get_toolbar()
+sidebar.set_flow('vertical')
+
+
+manager.toolmanager.add_tool('f1', t1, figure=fig1)
+manager.toolmanager.add_tool('f2', t1, figure=fig2)
+manager.toolmanager.add_tool('f3', t1, figure=fig3)
+sidebar.add_tool('f1', 'foo')
+sidebar.add_tool('f2', 'foo')
+sidebar.add_tool('f3', 'foo')
+manager.window.add_element(sidebar, False, 'west')
+
+
+manager.show()
+manager.mpl_connect('window_destroy_event', manager.destroy)
+manager._mainloop()
+
@@ -2718,6 +2718,28 @@ def add_element(self, element, expand, place):
         """
         pass
 
+    def replace_element(self, oldelement, newelement):
+        """Replaces a gui widget for another
+
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        oldelement: A gui element.
+            The element to be replaced
+        newelement: A gui element.
+            The replacement element
+        """
+        pass
+
+    def remove_element(self, element):
+        """Removes a widget
+
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        element: A gui element
+            Element to be removed from the gui
+        """
+        pass
+
     def destroy_event(self, *args):
         """Fires this event when the window wants to destroy itself.
 
 
@@ -75,52 +75,83 @@ def __init__(self, figure, num):
         cbook.EventEmitter.__init__(self)
         self.num = num
 
+        self._h = 0
+        self._w = 0
+        self._figure = None
+        self.key_press_handler_id = None
         self._backend = get_backend()
         self._mainloop = self._backend.MainLoop()
+        self.toolmanager = self._get_toolmanager()
+
         self.window = self._backend.Window('Figure %d' % num)
         self.window.mpl_connect('window_destroy_event', self._destroy)
 
-        self.canvas = self._backend.FigureCanvas(figure, manager=self)
-
-        self.key_press_handler_id = self.canvas.mpl_connect('key_press_event',
-            self.key_press) if rcParams['toolbar'] != 'toolmanager' else None
-
-        w = int(self.canvas.figure.bbox.width)
-        h = int(self.canvas.figure.bbox.height)
-
-        self.window.add_element(self.canvas, True, 'center')
-
-        self.toolmanager = self._get_toolmanager()
+        self.figure = figure
         self.toolbar = self._get_toolbar()
 
         if self.toolmanager:
             tools.add_tools_to_manager(self.toolmanager)
             if self.toolbar:
                 tools.add_tools_to_container(self.toolbar)
                 self.statusbar = self._backend.Statusbar(self.toolmanager)
-                h += self.window.add_element(self.statusbar, False, 'south')
+                self._h += self.window.add_element(self.statusbar, False,
+                                                   'south')
 
         if self.toolbar is not None:
-            h += self.window.add_element(self.toolbar, False, 'south')
+            self._h += self.window.add_element(self.toolbar, False, 'south')
 
-        self.window.set_default_size(w, h)
+        self.window.set_default_size(self._w, self._h)
         self._full_screen_flag = False
 
         if is_interactive():
             self.window.show()
 
+    @property
+    def figure(self):
+        return self._figure
+
+    @figure.setter
+    def figure(self, figure):
+        if not figure:
+            return
+
+        if self.key_press_handler_id:
+            self.figure.canvas.mpl_disconnect(self.key_press_handler_id)
+
+        if not figure.canvas:
+            self._backend.FigureCanvas(figure, manager=self)
+
+        if rcParams['toolbar'] != 'toolmanager':
+            self.key_press_handler_id = figure.canvas.mpl_connect(
+                'key_press_event', self.key_press)
+
+        if not self._figure:
+            self._add_figure_to_window(figure)
+        else:
+            self.window.replace_element(self._figure.canvas, figure.canvas)
+
+        self._figure = figure
+        self.toolmanager.figure = figure
+
         def notify_axes_change(fig):
             'this will be called whenever the current axes is changed'
             if self.toolmanager is None and self.toolbar is not None:
                 self.toolbar.update()
-        self.canvas.figure.add_axobserver(notify_axes_change)
+        figure.add_axobserver(notify_axes_change)
+
+    def _add_figure_to_window(self, figure):
+        self._w += int(figure.bbox.width)
+        self._h += int(figure.bbox.height)
+        self.window.add_element(figure.canvas, True, 'center')
+        self.window.set_default_size(self._w, self._h)
+        figure.canvas.show()
 
     def key_press(self, event):
         """
         Implement the default mpl key bindings defined at
         :ref:`key-event-handling`
         """
-        key_press_handler(event, self.canvas, self.canvas.toolbar)
+        key_press_handler(event, self.figure.canvas, self.toolbar)
 
     def _destroy(self, event=None):
         # Callback from the when the window wants to destroy itself
@@ -132,7 +163,8 @@ def destroy(self, *args):
         """Called to destroy this FigureManager, gets called by Gcf through
         event magic.
         """
-        self.canvas.destroy()
+        if self.figure and self.figure.canvas:
+            self.figure.canvas.destroy()
         if self.toolbar:
             self.toolbar.destroy()
         self.window.destroy()
@@ -173,15 +205,15 @@ def _get_toolbar(self):
         if rcParams['toolbar'] == 'toolmanager':
             toolbar = self._backend.Toolbar(self.toolmanager)
         elif rcParams['toolbar'] == 'toolbar2':
-            toolbar = self._backend.Toolbar2(self.canvas, self.window)
+            toolbar = self._backend.Toolbar2(self.figure.canvas, self.window)
         else:
             toolbar = None
         return toolbar
 
     def _get_toolmanager(self):
         # must be initialised after toolbar has been setted
         if rcParams['toolbar'] != 'toolbar2':
-            toolmanager = ToolManager(self.canvas)
+            toolmanager = ToolManager(self)
         else:
             toolmanager = None
         return toolmanager
@@ -234,21 +266,41 @@ class ToolManager(object):
         `LockDraw` object to know if the message is available to write
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, canvas):
-        self.canvas = canvas
-
-        self._key_press_handler_id = self.canvas.mpl_connect(
-            'key_press_event', self._key_press)
-
+    def __init__(self, manager):
+        self._figure = None
         self._tools = {}
         self._keys = {}
         self._toggled = {}
         self._callbacks = cbook.CallbackRegistry()
+        self._key_press_handler_id = None
 
         # to process keypress event
         self.keypresslock = widgets.LockDraw()
         self.messagelock = widgets.LockDraw()
 
+        self.manager = manager
+        self.figure = manager.figure
+
+    @property
+    def figure(self):
+        return self._figure
+
+    @figure.setter
+    def figure(self, figure):
+        if not figure:
+            return
+
+        if self._key_press_handler_id:
+            self.figure.canvas.mpl_disconnect(self._key_press_handler_id)
+
+        self._key_press_handler_id = figure.canvas.mpl_connect(
+            'key_press_event', self._key_press)
+
+        for tool in self._tools.values():
+            tool.figure = figure
+
+        self._figure = figure
+
     def toolmanager_connect(self, s, func):
         """
         Connect event with string *s* to *func*.