The Harbourfront Centre (aka Harbourfront), was created in 1991 as a non-profit charitable organization to organize and present public events on a 10-acre site [York Quay (just west of York Street) to John Quay (south of Queens Quay West)]. The map below shows not only where the Harbourfront is, but also includes the other parks that are close by and definitely worth the short walk to visit them.
Since its early beginnings, the Harbourfront has become one of the most popular destinations for locals and tourists to experience the arts and have exposure to the vast diverse culture that Toronto is renowned for. Offering many festivals and events throughout the year, the majority of which are FREE, the Harbourfront should definitely be on your list of places to check out.
What you can find there…
The Harbourfront Centre is made up of the following:
WestJet Stage: outdoor concerts are held here as well as free movies during the summer.
Ann Tindal Park: The grass is green all year round (it’s imitation – used to be real, but probably as a result of heavy pedestrian traffic, makes more sense to have it ‘unreal’) . There is a round stage in the centre of it and is also another venue for free concerts/performances.
York Quay Centre: In this building you’ll find glass blowing, pottery making (both you can watch the artists at work). Harbourfront shop. This centre also houses the 4 rooms/spaces, eg, Brigatine Room, etc. where many theatre productions/events are held. There are also a couple of theatres (small capacity) within steps of the York Quay Centre.
International Marketplace and World Cafe: Full of small booths selling crafts (and arts) and the cafe (sometimes depending on which festival is on) offers food from the many different parts of the world.
The Harbourfront Centre is part of what’s known as the Waterfront. This area will stretch all the way to the East Donlands area but for this article, I will only concentrate on the surrounding area to the Harbourfront.
The Waterfront
Harbourfront is located in the ‘Central Waterfront’ area which is just a part of the new Waterfront Project that is being created all along the lakeshore. This part of the Waterfront went through a major renovation in 2010 and definitely made a huge difference to the whole area.
Brand new boardwalk and increased pavement for pedestrian traffic along the lake.
In the coming years, they are intending to reconstruct Queen’s Quay by widening footpaths, incorporating bike lanes and generally making it pedestrian-friendly. They did this a few years back and it made the area more pleasant to walk along the south side of the Queen’s Quay – it was a great idea, but didn’t go anywhere at the time (see below).
This year (2011), the Waterfront have a FREE shuttle (pickup at Air Canada Centre) that will take you all the way to Ontario Place whilst stopping along the Queen’s Quay. It’s a pilot project, so may not be on offer in the following years.
Queen’s Quay Terminal
When at the bottom of York St, you’ll see a large building which houses many small boutiques and tourist stores. There are a couple of restaurants/bars that are in there, which have good-sized patios along the boardwalk/lakeshore. Here’s the complete list of stores you can find in the Terminal.
Paws Way
With a large population of dog owners/lovers, Paws Way (highlighted on the map) was created for pets, owners and pet lovers in mind. It is dedicated to the understanding and celebration of pets. Animals are welcome and they offer exhibits, activities, special events and lots more throughout the year.
Toronto Music Garden
Right at the other end of the map, you’ll see the Toronto Music Garden. Free concerts, lasting approx an hour, are performed here most Thursdays (approx 7pm) and Sundays (approx 4pm) . These are totally dependent on weather and you should call ahead if the weather is not co-operating (416-973-4000).
There are benches to sit on but they do encourage you to bring a chair or blanket to use as there is only a limited number of them. Also, due to they type of garden it is, you should not rely on getting shade from the trees as that is limited too.
With being just a few minutes walk away from the Island Ferries, and right on Lake Ontario, I have to say, it’s one of my favourite places to visit on a hot summer’s day!
