Toronto’s shared space
featured programs
Winter at The Bentway
Starts December 16
Winter is back at The Bentway! We’re pleased to welcome neighbours and fun-seekers for ice skating, the return of our signature Polar Bear Skate, free workshops, family programming, art, and more. Starting December 16, get ready to glide on our iconic Skate Trail under the Gardiner!
Bentway Staging Grounds
Bentway Staging Grounds is a site of active, environmental learning that continues The Bentway’s creative work along the Gardiner Expressway. Visitors are invited into a living laboratory for urban ecology, with experimental gardens that use rainwater run-off from the highway above to support the growth of flowering plant species.
Waterfront ReConnect
Waterfront ReConnect re-imagines the street-level experience of two under-Gardiner intersections through innovative approaches to lighting, color, and storytelling. The projects (located at York Street and Simcoe Street) showcase how the Expressway can better serve our city as a thriving civic asset – both above and below the deck.
check this out
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Skate under the magic of the Northern Lights this Winter
Toronto’s under-Gardiner skate trail opens December 16 at The Bentway, with a new aurora borealis-inspired installation, The Gateway The Bentway welcomes back neighbours and outdoor enthusiasts alike for a sixth year of winter programming, launching December 16, 2023. Skaters are invited back to cruise the 220m figure-eight skate trail under the Gardiner Expressway and experience…
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Howl’oween returns at The Bentway
Toronto’s pooches unleash adorable costumes as part of week-long Halloween festivities under the Gardiner!
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Ontario Trillium Foundation grants give Toronto’s shared space a “Lift”
On Thursday, MPP Chris Glover met with representatives from The Bentway Conservancy to celebrate the work it’s done as a result of receiving two grants, totalling $472,300, over the last two years from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF). These grants have helped the organization continue to look forward to the future and recover from the…
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Grand Opening: Experimental Gardens under the Gardiner Expressway
Bentway Staging Grounds is a new public meeting place for community, culture, and ecology. This temporary public space under the Gardiner Expressway at Dan Leckie Way explores new ways to leverage stormwater runoff from the highway to support urban ecology.
what’s on
Waterfront ReConnect: Boom Town
On view now
Boom Town employs vibrant colour, playful characters, and environmental lighting to enliven the York Street intersection, improving safety and accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists.
Waterfront ReConnect: Pixel Story
On view now
Pixel Story references the multitude of vantages, scales, speeds, and distances at which to view the Expressway, enticing passersby to move forward towards the waterfront, or pause to reflect on its diverse stories.
Bentway Staging Grounds
On view now
Bentway Staging Grounds is a site of active, environmental learning that continues The Bentway’s creative work along the Gardiner Expressway. Visitors are invited into a living laboratory for urban ecology, with experimental gardens that use rainwater run-off from the highway above to support the growth of flowering plant species.
Fountain Monumental
On view now
Logan MacDonald premieres Fountain Monumental, a series of 20-foot-tall images situated within the new Bentway Staging Grounds public space pilot. MacDonald re-imagines the original shoreline of Lake Ontario and invites us to consider the unique history of our city’s waterways while also imagining a decolonial future that prioritizes ecological preservation.
The Gateway
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A colourful procession of woven arches stretch across The Bentway’s Skate Trail, bringing the northern lights into the city. Yi Zhou and Carlos Portillo’s installation The Gateway accentuates the monumental architecture of the Gardiner with vibrant hues of green, blue, violet, and magenta.
Free Skate Lessons
Tuesdays from January 9 – February 13
Northern Lights Astronomy
The Bentway’s winter installation, The Gateway, celebrates the brilliance of the northern lights, which are at their most vibrant in the depths of winter. Join astronomer Dr. Laurie Rousseau-Nepton for an evening of learning and traditional oral storytelling rooted in her Innu culture.
visit
The Bentway is active at multiple sites under and near the Gardiner Expressway:
Getting there
250 Fort York Blvd, under the Gardiner
The Bentway Skate Trail is situated on the lands of Fort York National Historic Site, running from just east of the Fort York Visitors Centre to Bastion St.
Find at: bents 83-89
By TTC
511 Bathurst (at Fort York Blvd)
509 Harbourfront (at Fleet St)
Parking
Paid parking available @ Green P lots, located at 250 Fort York Blvd and 800 Fleet Street.
Accessibility
This space is fully accessible to mobility devices, with flat paved and wooden decked surfaces.
Free wifi
Free wifi is provided by Beanfield. Sign onto “Beanfield1hfree” and get one free hour of wifi at The Bentway.
Getting there
250 Fort York Blvd, under the Gardiner
The Bentway Strachan Gate is situated on the lands of Fort York National Historic Site, at Strachan Ave.
Find at: bents 46-50
By TTC
509 Harbourfront (at Fleet St)
63 Ossington (at East Liberty St)
511 Bathurst (at Fort York Blvd)
Parking
Paid parking available @ Green P lots, located at 250 Fort York Blvd and 800 Fleet Street.
Accessibility
This space is partially accessible to mobility devices. In addition to flat and sloped paved surfaces, a large surface is covered in compacted gravel. Washrooms are accessible to mobility devices. Recommended entry to the site: from the east or the south.
Free wifi
Free wifi is provided by Beanfield. Sign onto “Beanfield1hfree” and get one free hour of wifi at The Bentway.
Getting there
55 Fort York Blvd
The Bentway Studio is a mixed indoor/outdoor facility that faces into Canoe Landing Park, just west of Spadina Ave.
Find at: north of bent 116
By TTC
510 Spadina (at Bremner Blvd / Fort York Blvd)
Parking
Paid parking available at local InPark and Green P lots, and on local streets (including Dan Leckie Way and Housey St).
Accessibility
This space is fully accessible to mobility devices, with flat surfaces.
Off-Site Projects
In addition to operating permanent public spaces, The Bentway is testing out new ideas for the Gardiner Expressway through a series of temporary shorter-term projects.
Explore these off-site projects here:
Staging Grounds
Viewable 24 hrs/day
Find at: bent #113-117
Under the Gardiner @ Dan Leckie Way
Pixel Story
Viewable 24 hrs/dav
Find at: bents #169-170
Under the Gardiner @ Simcoe Street
Boom Town
Viewable 24 hrs/day
Find at: bents #179-182
Under the Gardiner @ York St