Leslie Lookout Park and beach

Built like the silos nearby and throughout Toronto's harbour the new Leslie Lookout Park is along Leslie Street, near Tommy Thompson Park and includes an artificial beach (no water access), similar to the HTO Park and Sugar Beach. The 44-foot concrete silo is accessible from a circular walkway and bridge and you can look out to the port and any ships that are moored nearby in Turning Basin. Inside the lookout is a golden heart in memorial of the landscape architect Claude Cormier.

The multi-use Martin Goodman Trail is across Leslie Street so unless you see the silo peaking up on the west side of the street you might not notice the park. The newest park in the Port Lands was opened in September of 2024 by Mayor Olivia Chow. I was impressed with their use of porous asphalt that allows the drainage of the reimagined industrial site without having to be connected to the stormwater system.

Inside the silo

From the City of Toronto, "The new park hosts a wide range of features that include: A Miyawaki-inspired (Japanese botanical technique to create density with native plants) mini-forest comprised of approximately 5,000 plants representing 45 species including 2,470 trees, 2,473 shrubs and 1,260 forbs and grasses. A public drinking fountain and bottle fill station at the base of the lookout tower.
25 Muskoka-style chairs on the beach, stadium seating leading up to the lookout tower as well as benches and picnic tables throughout the park as well as 50 spots for cyclists to lock their bikes and a bike repair station."

To honour the significance of the site and the involvement of Indigenous communities in shaping the park design, the opening ceremony took place in a circle and included a ceremonial fire. The park itself includes Indigenous placemaking elements including the lookout tower which has openings to the sky and the four cardinal directions."

Mayor Olivia Chow said “Leslie Lookout Park marks the dawn of a new chapter in the continued development of our beautiful city. This thoughtfully designed space invites visitors to immerse themselves in a harmonious blend of breathtaking views and serene landscapes. As you explore the beautiful beach, you’ll find more than just a park — you’ll discover a haven. Leslie Lookout Park is set to become a cherished retreat that will invite everyone to pause, take in the view and rejuvenate.”

Mixto Festival in Trillium Park

A free two-day music festival took place on the remaining park on the west side of the Ontario Place island. Mixto Festival ran from Saturday to Sunday, July 12-13, 2025 from 4-11pm. Attendees could enjoy "two days of music, art, food, fun and friends" as part of the Ontario Place SummerSeries.

Getting the stage setup for the shows

Blow up mushroom art

Mixto was produced by Uma Nota Culture and featured a lineup of artists from across the North and South America including Bia Ferreira (Brazil), Frente Cumbiero (Colombia), Empanadas Ilegales (Vancouver/Colombia) and local artists like Ahmed Moneka, Orbital Ensemble, and Ana Luisa, Sofia Fly and Sanjeet.

There were plenty of food and beverage options in the festival and I had some tasty tacos.

Moving Forest is heading down to Harbourfront

I love that they call the group of 50 trees in shopping carts a flock, but flock it is, and the travelling trees have completed their stay in Bentway Park (pictured here) and are heading to Harbourfront Centre from July 14 to 20, 2025. This flock is part of the Moving Forest art collection, a mobile canopy of trees rolling through Toronto on an 8 week journey to provide shade to the people.

The forest also features some pop-up readings and performances as part of the artwork experience as it moved from Downsview to the Bentway and now to Harbourfront with a few stops at various plazas. Designed by NL Architects the Red, Silver and Sugar Maples along with Autumn Blaze trees are rearranged daily and will eventually be planted in public lands around the city and other locations in the GTA.

The Bentway says of the artwork, "City dwellers have long appreciated trees for their beauty, but these familiar green features are often undervalued as critical urban assets – they help cool the environment, protect against flooding, capture carbon, and provide essential shade. Trees are also a barometer of equity in an urban setting. Too often, new communities are built with insufficient space for planting and without the necessary resources to ensure that trees can mature and thrive. Recognizing the need for more tree cover and thoughtful placement The City of Toronto has set an aggressive goal of raising its tree canopy by 40 percent by 2050, but it is important that the distribution of these new plantings extend the benefits trees offer to all corners of the city. The project reminds us that as our cities continue to warm and densify, we must ensure that we are prioritizing green infrastructure along with grey."

TOAF Toronto Outdoor Art Fair 2025

Art returns to Nathan Phillips Square as the 64th TOAF finds a temporary home for public art installations, artists and vendors are in the square from July 11 to 13, 2025. Two of the Art Nest installations are shown above; Svava Juliusson 'Ouroboros' (left) and Sharl G. Smith 'Sanctuary II' (right). TOAF or Toronto Outdoor Art Fair's Art Nest is a public art incubator and highlights artists who wish to take studio art into public space.

From TOAF, "The 64th Toronto Outdoor Art Fair is a multi-faceted and multi-layered event. More than 170,000 visitors join us each year at Nathan Phillips Square. It will be a great weekend of art collecting and artist discovery; installations, guided tours, soulful kids programs, and site-specific dance."

Hours
Friday, 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Saturday, 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Sunday, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Sharl G. Smith 'Sanctuary II'

Artist Brad Turner and his glass art and design works

A visitor to the show poses for a photo

Toronto Chariot Fest 2025

The Festival of India Toronto has become Chariot Fest and includes a Grand Chariot Procession leading down Yonge Street on Saturday, July 12, 2025. The 53rd annual weekend festival (July 12-13) celebrates Indian culture and the festivities continue on the Toronto Islands. The parade was led by a large dragon and two horse mounted police officers.

From the Chariot Fest website, "Witness the awe-inspiring spectacle of the Grand Chariot Procession, the centerpiece of the Ratha-Yatra festival. Elaborately decorated chariots carrying the deities of Lord Jagannath, Baladeva, and Subhadra are pulled through the streets by enthusiastic spiritual seekers."

The three floats in the parade are 40-feet tall and are collapsible so that they can go under overhead lines and are pulled by volunteers while people dance, drum and sing all along the route.

Toronto WaterGun Fight 2025

If any day needed a watergun fight, it was today in Toronto as the temps hit 34 degrees Celsius (and a humidex of 35 to 40) under a heat warning from Environment Canada. And the crowds came back for another year of fun at Berczy Park during the Toronto WaterGun Fight 2025, organized by Urban Playground Toronto group (pictured at top).

From the Facebook group, "Get ready to get soaked! Last year was a splash-tastic success, and we're back for more fun, laughter, and adventure. Whether you’re a water-warrior or just looking to cool off and have fun, everyone’s invited! Saturday, July 12th, 1:30 PM"

Participants gathered together for a group photo, then the organizers discussed the rules of the game such as no realistic squirters, respect the public space, be responsible and keep everything family-friendly. Then let the games begin.

See more photos of the battle royale after the jump.

Undercover Atlas Crane at Cherry Street

Something is getting a facelift in the new Cherry Beach Port Lands area and it looks like an old crane down near Cherry Beach. This crane is a designated heritage structure and is named the Atlas Crane, part of the Toronto Port Terminal and built in 1961. Right now the main structure is shrouded in tarps as environmental protection for the sandblasting process.

The 300-ton Atlas crane will become part of the neighbourhood's skyline against downtown Toronto, located along the remaining channel (the old Polson Slip) and will become part of a new park called Biidaasige Park.

Before the coverup

Evergreen Brickworks full of summer activities 2025

Don Valley Brickworks opened in 1889 producing bricks and other clay products fired in kilns and closed in 1984, abandoned in time it finally found a purpose when it opened in 2010 as an urban park, heritage site and event space. There is something to be found at the site, located at 550 Bayview Avenue in Toronto, year round now but it really peaks in summer when there is so much going on. You can look at the events at their website here.

Some of the old industrial equipment left in place

Here are some of their recurring events as described by Evergreen.

Every Thursday 7.30pm (July - August)
Free Outdoor Movie Nights

Enjoy open-air movie nights at one of Toronto’s most iconic outdoor venues.

Every Saturday 8am-1pm Saturday Farmers Market
Evergreen’s Saturday Farmers Market is open year-round, connecting people in Toronto to local Ontario farmers and producers.

Every Sunday 10am - 3pm
Ontario Artisan Market & Ontario Vintage Market
Two markets, one day! Toronto’s ideal destination to meet and shop local arts & vintage vendors, enjoy delicious food and drink, and explore surrounding nature trails.

Open 7 days a week
Evergreen Garden Market
The Evergreen Garden Market is a classic general store, a contemporary gift shop, and a sustainable garden center combined into one market.

Saturdays and Sundays this summer
Summer Weekends
Shop local, explore the site, catch a movie, or grab a delicious bite to eat. Every weekend is full of possibility.

The beautiful 16 hectare public park with walking trails, hills and ponds

You can even catch a free shuttle bus from Broadview TTC Station to the site and return - year round. The shuttle runs every 30 to 45 minutes and leaves the station from the adjacent parkette on Erindale Avenue.

There is also a restaurant at the Brick Works and many times there are festivals and food trucks as well as entertainment. It doesn't slow down too much in the winter because they also have ice skating.

Busker Kate Mior shows us Madame Guillotine

She seems a little peeved that she was relieved of her head in some other lifetime and returns to seek retribution by chopping off some poor sod's head in a busker performance worthy of an oscar. Street performer, or busker, Kate Mior was down at Harbourfront near Queen's Quay Terminal to spread cheer to the crowds showing up on Canada Day 2025. I love summer and the buskers return to major tourist hotspots to entertain people in return for donations.

Kate takes a selfie with the victim

And grabs another volunteer from the crowd

celebrations ensue

Her main accessory for the day included a large guillotine with a shiny, angled blade while she dressed in a heavy, red gown and sported a curly white wig. She grabs someone from the audience and places a hood on the volunteer and places him gently in the guillotine, brings down the upper head holder and makes the rope ready to drop the blade.

Then she goes back into the audience for another volunteer, has fun with the crowd and in a moment full of drama, pulls the rope and drops the infamous blade of the guillotine onto the neck of the kneeling victim. I forgot if he lived or died so be careful if you see Kate perform, you might not want to be the victim.

@jmhcet Buskers are back at #harbourfront #toronto. Kate Muir as #marieantoinette tries to remove someone's head on #canadaday🇨🇦 ♬ Sharp Dressed Man (2008 Remaster) - ZZ Top