An Art Walk
Morning
Start at
Commerce Court North
to admire the stunning lobby. Walk west to Bay St and the
TD Centre
, noting the
Wall and Chairs
sculpture in the plaza and Joe Fafard’s life-sized bronze cows lounging on the lawn behind
77 King St W.
Just around the corner at
234 Bay St
is the
Design Exchange
. Explore it for an hour before enjoying a pan-Asian lunch at Kubo DX, on the first floor.
Afternoon
Zigzag your way to Simcoe Park, on Front St west of Wellington, and the luminous Anish Kapoor sculpture. A monument beside it honors city founders. Continue west along Front, past the CBC at No. 250, noting the Glenn Gould sculpture, in memory of the eccentric pianist. You’ll soon come to SkyDome, and
The Audience
, Michael Snow’s larger-than-life fans.
Turn left on Spadina Ave; crossing the bridge, look to your left to see Eldon Garnet’s memorial
commemorating Chinese laborers who helped build Canada’s railroad. It’s
five minutes to the lake and, just west on Queens Quay, Toronto Music Garden, in bloom spring to fall. Wander this oasis for an hour, then walk 15 minutes east to
York Quay Centre
to watch artisans at work and stroll the Photo Passage.
End the day with a steak dinner at Harbour Sixty
(60 Harbour St)
, in the opulent former Harbour Commission building.
Best of the Rest
Union Station
Built
by 1921 but not opened until 1927 due to legalities, this elegant train
station features a frieze citing Canadian destinations .
401 Richmond Street
Many
of the city’s best artist-run galleries are here in this gorgeous old
warehouse. Exhibit openings are often held Thursday evenings and
Saturday afternoons.
Design Exchange
This gallery showcases innovative Canadian postwar design.
Toronto Dominion Gallery of Inuit Art
An outstanding collection of postwar Inuit sculpture.
Steam Whistle Brewing
This railroad roundhouse now functions as a microbrewery. Tour the facilities, then sample the tasty results at the bar.
Steam Whistle Brewing
Commerce Court North
The
star of Toronto’s early skyscrapers, this massive 34-story Romanesque
structure housing the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce was the tallest
building in Canada when completed in 1931. Today it matches
aesthetically, if not in height, its towering neighbors.
Fairmont Royal York
This grand château-style hotel , once the largest in the British Commonwealth, was built in 1928 by the Canadian Pacific Railway.
Fairmont Royal York
Air Canada Centre
Home
to basketball’s Raptors and hockey’s Maple Leafs, the arena is in the
old Toronto Postal Delivery Building. Carvings on the façade depict the
history of communications.
Exhibition Place
Princes’
Gates herald the entrance to the Canadian National Exhibition’s
fairgrounds, hosting major events such as the Royal Agricultural Winter
Fair.
Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery
Toronto’s premiere contemporary art public gallery.