Play Provocations
February 15, 2022
A State of Play for the City As observers or participants, we often associate play with the wildness and abandon of children, perhaps evoking shrieking, swinging, climbing, sliding, jumping, chasing, hiding, or impromptu silliness. This beautiful pandemonium is incredibly effective for shaping life skills (for adults too). Play is self-directed learning in action—inspiring freedom and […]
The Bentway Proudly Welcomes Two New Public Space Fellows
January 12, 2022
The Bentway is proud to announce the addition of two new Public Space Fellows for 2022 – Faizaan Khan (he/they) and Jess Misak (they/them) – emerging advocates in the fields of architecture and design. Khan and Misak join The Bentway for a five-month, full-time fellowship where they will engage directly with our upcoming Spring/Summer season […]
Competition Designs Revealed to Re-imagine Intersections Under Toronto’s Gardiner Expressway
January 5, 2022
Innovative architects and artists from across Canada compete to transform spaces under the Gardiner Expressway Toronto – January 5, 2021. The Bentway, in partnership with the City of Toronto, Waterfront BIA, and Toronto Downtown West BIA, has revealed six proposals for the next phase of Waterfront ReConnect — a project aiming to improve the safety […]
Skate Trail Update – December 24, 2021
December 24, 2021
The omicron spike we are experiencing across the country has had an impact on our staffing and operations. As a result, The Bentway Skate Trail will be open reduced hours, from 5:00 pm-9:00 pm each day between December 25-31. Some on-site services may be impacted by the staff shortage but we’ll continue to do our best to ensure everyone is able to […]
Winter at The Bentway is back!
December 1, 2021
The Bentway welcomes back local neighbours and city-wide visitors for another winter of fun and skating! The Bentway Skate Trail’s 220-metre figure-eight loop will open for skating on December 22 with skate rentals, hot drinks, and special events. Alongside skating this year, The Bentway will also present a winter art exhibition by Inuvialuk artist Maureen […]
“Heart of the City” Champions with CAMH
October 29, 2021
Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health and wellbeing was top of mind. Through a partnership with CAMH (the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health), The Bentway and Exhibition Place invited health care workers from across the city to help launch Pulse Topology. These health care providers nominated by their peers, were the […]
The Bentway Announces Six Shortlisted Teams for Waterfront ReConnect Design Competition
October 15, 2021
Toronto’s Gardiner Expressway cuts across the full length of the city, acting as both a physical and psychological barrier between the city’s core and its blossoming waterfront. A collaboration with the City of Toronto, the Waterfront Business Improvement Area, the Toronto Downtown West Business Improvement Area, and The Bentway, the Waterfront ReConnect Design Competition explores […]
Call for Dancers: Audition for “Bodies in Urban Spaces”
September 28, 2021
Register for the audition >> Audition Date: October 27 from 5:30-7:30pm or 8:00-10:00pm Calling Toronto Dancers! Especially those with backgrounds in circus, physical theatre, breaking, contemporary, contact improv, and parkour. Audition to be part of a unique, choreographed piece of urban intervention. Having toured the world from Miami to St Petersburg, Willi Dorner’s renowned performance […]
Call for Fellows: Public Space Fellowship Program 2022
September 16, 2021
Application Deadline: October 24, 2021 Fellowship dates: January 10, 2022 – May 27, 2022 (20 weeks) Download the full Call for Fellows >> During a time marked by widespread challenges to public health and well-being, public spaces have served as essential sites for civic life; including recreation, cultural engagement, advocacy, activism and commerce. But the […]
Feel the Heartbeat of the City with Pulse Topology
September 14, 2021
The Bentway and Exhibition Place partner with Rafael Lozano-Hemmer on an immersive public art installation under the Gardiner September 14, 2021 [Toronto, ON] – Today, The Bentway and Exhibition Place announce the Canadian premiere of PULSE TOPOLOGY, a stunning interactive light and sound art installation by Mexican-Canadian media artist, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer (running October 2 to 31). Marking […]
Call for Expression of Interest: Waterfront ReConnect Design Competition
July 13, 2021
UPDATED DEADLINE: August 17, 2021 at 11:59pm Download the complete Call for Expressions of Interest >> In collaboration with the City of Toronto, the Waterfront Business Improvement Area, and the Toronto Downtown West Business Improvement Area, The Bentway is seeking Expression of Interest (EOI) submissions from professional artists and/or designers interested in participating in The […]
Unpack your picnic! Communal dining returns to The Bentway on July 1.
June 25, 2021
The Bentway’s Summer Food Series kicks off July 1st with the return of last year’s successful Communal Picnic partnership with Toronto restaurant and innovative “culinary talent showcase” The Depanneur. Communal Picnic offers a weekly three-course picnic meal for neighbours and community members to pick up and enjoy at The Bentway or at home featuring rotating […]
The Bentway Announces a “Summer of Play”
June 17, 2021
Exploring how “play” can help drive our urban recovery, The Bentway presents a neighbourhood-wide program of playable installations, playful moments, talks, and audio experiences. The Bentway launches Playing in Public this summer, a collection of outdoor and online projects that invite you to rediscover “play” in the city. By the neighbourhood, for the neighbourhood, the […]
Community Programming – Call for Proposals
May 6, 2021
This fall, The Bentway moves beyond the Gardiner with an exciting new expansion site as part of the Canoe Landing Campus, right on Fort York Blvd. With the help of emerging community leaders like you, this space (“The Bentway Studio”) will grow into a vibrant neighbourhood hub and active programming venue located steps from the […]
Thank you, Toronto: A Skate Trail Send-Off
February 12, 2021
The 2020/2021 winter skate season has officially come to an end. Although COVID-19 made this season particularly unique, we were pleased to be able to welcome so many of our neighbours and community members to The Bentway Skate Trail. We instituted a number of new health and safety practices and policies, including capacity limits, […]
The Bentway explores Safe in Public Space this fall, launching Oct. 16
October 15, 2020
Artists, practitioners, Public Space Fellows, researchers assemble to drive new thinking and action to create safer and more equitable public spaces The Bentway today announced the launch of a timely exploration, Safe in Public Space, which takes a deep, critical look at safety and equity in public spaces everywhere, including issues of design justice, invisibility and hypervisibility, operating […]
The Bentway Brings Waterfront Sites to Life with New Art Project
September 28, 2020
Erika DeFreitas, a composition for an elegy to what once was and all that remains; or, a score for the past, the present, the future tenses, video still, 2020. Image courtesy of the artist. The Bentway commissions three Toronto-based artists for The Essentials, a public art project that asks us to examine what is essential […]
SafewaysTO Aims to Put Pedestrians and Cyclists First
June 8, 2020
Five Toronto-based organizations today announced their coming together to create SafewaysTO, an initiative that offers Torontonians an emerging network of increasingly-vital safe, linear public spaces or “safeways” (including bike lanes, multi-use trails, parks and ActiveTO closures), providing city-dwellers expanded routes to navigate and enjoy on foot and by active transportation safely. SafewaysTO is led by […]
A COVID-19 Responsive Public Art Project at the Scale of the City
May 25, 2020
Today The Bentway announces a new public art initiative inviting Torontonians to explore and capture their complex reactions to the COVID-19 crisis. It’s All Right Now will run beginning May 25 and into the summer. Local artists are each asked to respond to the question: “What words are you living by, right now?” From this […]
A COVID-19 Update from The Bentway
April 16, 2020
UPDATED: April 16, 2020 With growing concerns around COVID-19 (“coronavirus”), the health, safety and well-being of our visitors and the communities we serve is our top priority. Although The Bentway has no doors and no walls, please note that the site facilities are closed and all on-site programming is suspended until further notice. To help […]
A COVID-19 Update from The Bentway
March 14, 2020
UPDATED: April 16, 2020 With growing concerns around COVID-19 (“coronavirus”), the health, safety and well-being of our visitors and the communities we serve is our top priority. Although The Bentway has no doors and no walls, please note that the site facilities are closed and all on-site programming is suspended until further notice. To help […]
Spring Has Sprung: The Bentway Skate Trail Season Comes to a Close
March 10, 2020
CBC Sports will continue with broadcast of the World Figure Skating Championships from The Bentway, March 18 – 22 UPDATE: Unfortunately, it was announced on Wednesday, March 11 that the World Figure Skating Championships have been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, the screenings listed below will no longer take place and The […]
The Bentway & CBC Sports Partner to Give Toronto More Dates to Skate the Eight!
February 12, 2020
The Bentway is thrilled to announce it is extending its Winter 2020 programming with the help of CBC Sports. Instead of closing on February 17, the new partnership will allow the site’s beloved 220-metre figure-eight shaped skate trail to remain open from February 18 to March 22, 2020. In celebration of the upcoming World Figure […]
Call for Applications: 2020 Artist Residency at The Bentway (Closed)
November 12, 2019
(CALL FOR APPLICATIONS NOW CLOSED) CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS RELEASED: November 12, 2019DEADLINE: January 24, 2020 (11:59PM)INFORMATION SESSION: November 30, 2019 (2-4PM)RESIDENCY DURATION: April – August, 2020 DOWNLOAD THE FULL CALL FOR APPLICATIONS >> The Bentway Conservancy is pleased to announce our second annual Artist Residency program. The 2020 artist residency will focus on The Bentway’s […]