They've spent the last few years tearing up that stretch and making improvements, so when it was officially opened on the weekend of June 19, I thought I'd get a look.
My plan was to start off at Sherbourne Common, which has seen lots of development recently also.
Starting my walk further east, around Commissioner's and Cherry Sts., I got a good view of Toronto's skyline from the southeast:
At the north end of Sherbourne Common, around Lower Sherbourne and Lake Shore, there is a striking-looking sort of "triple fountain," featuring fine mesh screens that water flows through into a shallow pool:
The water's patterns in the screens shift constantly, making them fascinating to watch.
Here are all three of them, going south along Lower Sherbourne, down to Queen's Quay:
At Sherbourne Common, there were a number of tents set up, from various vendors, but mostly from Parks Canada. The best part, though, is the view from the shore here.
We tend to forget that Toronto has always been a port city, and this enormous ship near the Keating Channel shows that it still is:
We should also bear in mind the beautiful islands we have, just a ferry ride away. This is, I believe, part of Algonquin Island, with Ward's Island at left:
And, looking west, the other end of this collection of several islands.
It was a perfect day for sailing and boating, clear and sunny, with a good breeze on the lake.
Continuing west, you come upon Redpath's Sugar Beach, with its white sand, permanent umbrellas, and terrific lake views. There were wine and beer tents here, and a live band playing to a small crowd, which I'm sure got much bigger as the day went on (wine and beer tents!):
And, speaking of Redpath, who, after all, sponsored the whole shebang, their plant, next door to Sugar Beach, can make for interesting photographs in its own right:
Continuing west, and nearing Yonge St., you see this remarkable-looking new condo development, Pier 27. I was struck by the bridge-like structures between the four main buildings, that possibly echo the channels in the Redpath plant:
Being virtually on the lake, it should be an interesting addition to Toronto's skyline when completed.
At the foot of Yonge St., we see all that's left of Captain John's floating restaurant (note the empty channel at right where it once lay).
At one time it was a major attraction in Toronto (and I can remember it as such), but fell into such disrepair - the owner couldn't keep up with fees and bills - that it frankly became a rusted, weather-beaten eyesore. It has been towed away in just the last few weeks, to be dismantled for scrap. Too bad; it was a nice idea. Perhaps someone new will take the initiative, and put another boat-restaurant in Toronto's harbour...
Continuing along Queen's Quay, you come to HTO Park, a relatively new area around the Queen's Quay Terminal building. There are more artificial beaches and umbrellas here, and people were taking advantage of the great weather to sun themselves (or sit in the shade):
The wave decks have been in this area for some time, and I always liked them. Now that there are separate paths for bicycles along this whole stretch, they're much safer for walking than they were (though you can understand why cyclists would enjoy them, too).
This is the view of one of the wave decks, looking east, with the Terminal building at the rear of the pic:
Sitting on one of the benches along here, you can see the different levels of the wave decks, and get a great view of the harbour (note the brave kayakers out in the choppy waves!) and the islands beyond:
And this pic will represent the idea of this whole waterfront renewal project in a nutshell:
Wide streets with right-of-ways for streetcars; clearly marked and separated bike lanes (with drainage channels on either side); broad pedestrian boulevards; and lots of greenery - the trees planted here have accommodation for strong roots, and they supposedly grow very quickly, so there will soon be full-size trees along here.
Finally, I had to include a pic of my favourite new thing to come to Toronto - these amazing-looking European-style streetcars. This one is at the corner of Spadina and Queen's Quay, preparing to head north on Spadina:
We only have a few of these vehicles so far, running along just two routes, Spadina and Queen's Quay. There will be more in the next few years, and they will eventually run on all our many streetcar routes. It can't be soon enough for me!
It sure was great to see the progress that's been made in the harbourfront area. There is so much development in this part of town that it's almost dizzying.
They say that the greatest cities are the ones that are never finished, and it's certainly thrilling to be in the midst of a "work in progress" like this one.
I hope to have more postings and pics in the future as different areas of Toronto are developed and completed. For instance, the area around Union Station is still under construction, and it should look awesome when done. That's for the future, though...
