what’s on

Check out our ongoing and upcoming events and series.

on view / ongoing

  • The Space of Belonging

    The Space of Belonging

    On view now

    On the occasion of Nuit Blanche 2024, The Bentway renews the monumental Staging Grounds scaffolding towers with a new work by Andrea Heimer that explores urban loneliness and the actions we can take as a city to move closer to one another. 

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  • Waterfront ReConnect: Boom Town

    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

    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

    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.

  • Memory Work  

    Memory Work  

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    Situated at the western entrance to The Bentway, Memory Work is a mural made up of twelve embellished photographic portraits of revolutionary women and non-binary figures from a future Toronto. Initiated by studio From Later with artist Rajni Perera and Memory Work Collective, this speculative monument imagines a city characterized by collective care and politics…

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events calendar

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December 2023

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Waterfront ReConnect: Boom Town
Boom Town employs vibrant colour, playful characters, and environmental lighting to enliven the York Street intersection, improving safety and accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists.
An intersection under an urban highway is painted blue; maintenance equipment have been converted into bright, friendly characters with "googly eyes" overlooking passers-by

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Waterfront ReConnect: Pixel Story
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.
Pedestrians explore a colourful wall under an expressway.

to

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.

to

Fountain Monumental
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.
People walking on built pathways underneath a highway at night. Highway columns and large-scale screen installations showing abstract are brightly lit.

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Winter Skating (2023)
The Bentway is pleased to welcome back neighbours and fun-seekers for one of winter’s best activities, outdoor ice skating under the Gardiner! Skaters are invited to cruise our 220m figure-eight skate trail, surrounded by colourful woven arches inspired by the northern lights. Skate rentals available. For our sixth year, perennial festive favourites return, including free skate rental […]
Several younger children and families skating in winter on ice underneath the Gardiner Expressway.

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The Gateway
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.
Polar Bear Skate (2023)
The Bentway’s wildest winter tradition returns! Brave Torontonians are invited to strip down to their skivvies and skate the trail for a good cause. Our annual Polar Bear Skate is both a clothing drive and a bold way to close out the year.  The event is free to attend – just bring your skates and […]
Multiple people in undergarments ice skating.