Tag Archives: Toronto Events Summer

Annual Events, Toronto Events

Canada Day 2012 Celebration Choices in Toronto

Since we’re racing towards Canada Day on Sunday, July 1st, 2012, the questions for Torontonians might be, “What choices do I have for celebrating Canada Day in Toronto? What Canada Day Toronto events are closest to me”?

(Updated 2013-03-20): I plan to check for the 2013 Toronto Canada Day events during June, but many of these Canada Day events in Toronto are annual festivals. So until I link to the as-yet-unwritten “2013 Canada Day in Toronto” article, please check what happened in Toronto in 2012.

"Urban Canadian Flags at HBC" by PinkMoose (Anthony Easton)
“Urban Canadian Flags at HBC” by PinkMoose (Anthony Easton)

Toronto City Hall Recommends Mel Lastman Square for Celebrating Canada Day 2012

Toronto City Hall’s official “special event” for Canada Day 2012 recommends the free celebration at Mel Lastman Square.

This free event includes a fireworks display, as well as music by live bands. Timothy’s World Coffee presents the “pre-show” from 5pm to 8pm. Saidah Bab Talibah, and later the Slkadeliqs (with Justin Nozuka) perform; leading to fireworks at 10:15pm.

The easiest way to find Mel Lastman Square is to take the Yonge subway line to either the Sheppard station or, for true ease of access, the North York Centre.

Other Toronto Parks and Recreation Events

[ Updated 2012-06-25 ]: Thanks to Reddit‘s om_nom_berries for replying about Scarborough’s parade as well as activities in Thomson Park. Let me summarize part of what the City of Toronto’s Parks Forestry and Recreation department has, perhaps just today, posted for Canada Day 2012 in Toronto. This list is generally alphabetical by venue, but sometimes by borough.

  • Amesbury Park has pancakes, entertainment and activities from 10am through fireworks at 10pm.
  • Ashbridges Bay shoots fireworks at Coxwell and Lakeshore at 9:45, but plan to walk down from Queen Street well before 9pm to avoid being stuck in traffic jams. [ Updated 2012-06-28 ]: The Toronto Star suggested taking the Woodbine 92 bus south from the subway, since it should take you all the way down to Lake Shore Blvd).
  • Broadlands Community Centre picnics in the park from 1:30 to 4pm.
  • Centennial Park hosts Ribfest during the long weekend, and lights fireworks at 10pm on July 1st.
  • East York’s Canada Day Parade starts at 9:30am, departing from 45 Overlea Blvd, through Dieppe Park and ending at Stan Wadlow Park at noon. Also see the Stan Wadlow Park entry, below.
  • Milliken Park fireworks will be displayed “at dusk”.
  • Scarborough’s Canada Day Parade leaves the Scarborough Civic Centre at 4pm, ending at Lawrence Ave. West and Brimley.
  • Stan Wadlow Park‘s activities start at 11am even though the East York parade should only arrive around noon. Put in a 12-hour day by swimming and viewing antique cars, with fireworks around 10:15pm.
  • Thomson Park is the site of Scarborough’s Canada Day celebration, from 10am to 4pm.

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Follow the Toronto Parks & Recreation link, Canada Day 2012 in Toronto, to find more details and contact information. I had planned to call 311 for those details, but based on their page, some of the organizers might not be part of Toronto City Hall itself.

Although om_nom_berries also mentioned that entertainment and fireworks have usually been held on Canada Day at Weston Lions Park, on Lawrence Ave. West, I could not find a reference in the Parks and Recreation page for 2012. The Toronto Star reported that Frances Nunziata does hold the Weston Lions Club event on Canada Day. She also mentioned the “Festival of Football“, but the charitable soccer fundraising event I found online is slated for Aug. 18th at Eglinton Flats, at Jane and Eglinton.

City of Toronto Museums for Canada Day 2012

[ Updated 2012-06-28 ]: Some of Toronto’s civic museums also offer special programs for Canada Day, although some might be specific for 2012 and the centenary of the War of 1812. What do they offer?

  • Colbourne Lodge, in High Park, freely commemorates the War of 1812 from noon to 4:30pm. They highlight the heroic First Nations, discuss the history and provide participative performances.
  • Fort York, of course, commemorates the War of 1812 from 10-5. This venue will charge admission.
  • MacKenzie House is also open 10am to 5pm with no admission charge. This year is the 175th anniversary of the Upper Canada Rebellion, an attempt to initiate responsible government.
  • Mongomery’s Inn provides a Dominion Day celebration for $10 plus tax, from 1-4pm, at Dundas & Islington.
  • Scarborough Museum, near Brimley and Lawrence, freely presents Dominion Day. Check the above link; apparently they need contestants to eat the most pies made from traditional recipes.
  • Spadina Museum combines Dominion Day with the Diamond Jubilee, so iron your 1927-style formal costumes and join the free garden party from noon to 4pm. Expect music, refreshments, games and a mystery.
  • Todmorden Mills, on Pottery Road, invites you to BYOP (“Bring Your Own Picnic”) although they might top it up with some treats. Also, PWYC (“Pay What You Can”) for admission from noon to 4pm.

Metro Toronto Zoo Begins the African Arts and Culture Festival

Actually, the Metro Toronto Zoo gets a one-day jump on Canada Day by starting its African Arts and Culture Festival on June 30th.

Running through Sept. 3rd, the zoo will showcase performers, interpreters and artists in its African Savanna section.

Although it’s possible to use the TTC 85B bus or 86A bus, I’d rather drive east to the Toronto Zoo if it’s any distance at all. Exit from Highway 401 to northbound Meadowvale Road, and the signs should guide you.

(Added April 5, 2014): CityPASS offers discount tickets to Toronto attractions, including the Metro Toronto Zoo. You buy the voucher online, print it and take it to your first destination; let’s say it’s the zoo. They give you the coupon booklet but remove the zoo tickets. Visit the next four attractions, where helpful staff relieve your booklet of tickets but leave you with the rest of the information. You save over $40 by spending about $70. The voucher is good for almost two years, but you have to use all the discount admission tickets within nine days. This is terrific for tourists looking for multiple things to do in Toronto, or for a hometown stay-cation: use discount tickets to Casa Loma, the CN Tower, Metro Toronto Zoo, Ontario Science Centre and the Royal Ontario Museum in a nine day adventure.

Celebrate Canada Day at Woodbine Park and Ashbridge’s Bay with Canada Day Toronto Events

Signs have been posted around Woodbine Park to advertise Canada Day celebrations for July 1st. The most solid online promise, however, is made by Beaches Living in “Event Listings“: “fireworks…at Ashbridge’s Bay Park”, sometime around 9:30pm.

Toronto’s Eastern Beaches are always good for a day on the sand or on playgrounds. Parking spaces at the foot of Coxwell at Lake Shore Blvd East can fill up quickly on holiday weekends, and the Queen 501 Streetcar will probably still be indisposed due to construction. The best transit bet is the Coxwell 22 bus south from the Danforth subway. Cyclists should use the Martin Goodman Trail; just be prepared to share the asphalt with pedestrians, roller bladers, runners, leashed dogs and small children.

Fireworks at Downsview Park in Toronto

It’s not clear whether the fireworks celebrating Canada Day at Downsview Park on July 1st will be a one-time event to mark “the opening of the national urban park”, or whether this is an annual event in Toronto. The timing is “dusk”, so head for Sheppard Ave at Keele St, or take a 41, 84, 106, 108 (but not 108A) bus. Since I’m not personally familiar with this park, I’d plan on arriving in the afternoon with a picnic dinner; and then ask the locals where the fireworks event will take place.

Queen’s Park Celebrates Canada Day

Ontario’s MPPs are busy with budget planning,  which may explain why the Queen’s Park notice is extremely terse.

They offer “fun and free activities for families” in the park, for an unspecified time. Take the Bloor-Danforth subway or the 506 Carlton streetcar to University Ave. at College St.

If their images from previous years is any indication, there may be entertainment from diverse cultural groups, plus photo-ops with smiling politicians.  Even though the host is the provincial government, I’d count these festivities at Queen’s Park as Toronto Canada Day events.

A Canada Day Parade in East York

The East York Canada Day Parade starts at 9:30 at the East York Towne Centre. I’ll tip my hat again to Beaches Online’s “Event Listings“; they list the parade route in greater detail.

Other Picnics and Festivals for Toronto’s Canada Day

Black Creek Pioneer Village celebrates Dominion Day, as it was known in bygone years, from 11am to 5pm. Regular admission prices would apply, I’m certain. Find your way to 1000 Murray Ross Parkway, at Steeles Ave. and Jane St.

Harbourfront Centre spends four days for the July 1st holiday with a plethora of activities on Queen’s Quay. They note quite a few musical entertainers. Follow that link, then click on an artist’s link to find the schedule for that performer. For example, the Airplane Boys perform on June 29 from 10-11pm. Admission is free to that performance thanks to CIBC; this bank calls the festival “Canada Day: Going Global”.

Another southern event is the annual CHIN International Picnic from June 30 through July 2. Admission to the CNE grounds, aka Exhibition Place, is free, thanks to sponsors like ScotiaBank. They too offer musical entertainment. Find your way to Strachan Ave. just north of Lake Shore Blvd W., perhaps by taking transit down from the Dufferin or Bathhurst subway stations.

Here’s a shout-out and thank you to the Toronto.About.com site for the ideas in this section. They have even more ideas, but I left a few behind…including museums and cruises.

Plus a late-breaking “Thanks” to the people using Reddit: Toronto for suggesting the Digital Dreams Music Festival at the Molson Canadian Ampitheatre inside Ontario Place, and various other selected venues on June 30 and July 1, 2012. By the time I wrote this, only the most expensive tickets were left. Decide which artists excite you the most from the DigiDreamsFest site; but my vote for imaginative backstory goes to Major Lazer.

[ Updated 2012-06-25 thanks to the Toronto Star newspaper]: The Multicultural Canada Day celebration takes over Yonge-Dundas Square on Sunday July 1st, 2012 from noon to 9pm. Cultural and heritage entertainment will begin with First Nations dancing, followed by other artists from several continents.

Outdoors with Pride before and on Canada Day 2012

One hopes that the gay, lesbian and indeed all the LGBTTIQQ2SA communities will forgive me for needing a reminder of Pride Week and the outdoors activities. The first two noted here are on June 30, but the signature Pride Parade is spot on Canada Day.

Run or walk the “Pride and Remembrance” 5Km fundraising event on June 30th. Watch the start at Yonge and Wellesley at 10am. You can still register online through June 29th. Follow the link and click on the “Registration is Open!” table of entry fees to get to the input form.

The Dyke March also takes place on June 30, 2012, starting from Church & Hayden at 2pm. The route goes north to Bloor, west to Yonge, south to Carlton and east to Allan Gardens.

The Pride Parade follows on Sunday July 1st, also with a 2pm start time. Heading west from Church along Bloor, the parade turns south on Yonge to Gerrard and ends again on Church Street.

Over the years, Toronto City Hall politicians have shown different degrees of support for Pride Week in Toronto. However, the LGBT community has enough votes that this festival cannot be ignored by elected officials.

The Homework Assignment for Canada Day 2012 in Toronto

If none of the above options for celebrating Canada Day in Toronto tickles your fancy, or are too far from your neighbourhood, then your homework assignment is to keep your eyes open for local celebrations. DeHaan Services welcomes your comments: please tip us off with your recommendations for your favourite Canada Day events in Toronto. We’d like to cover all Toronto summer attractions, especially on Canadian holidays.

Looking for More Annual Toronto Events?

Disclaimer: DeHaan Services has no relationship to the organizers, who do not reimburse me for writing this article.

Thanks for reading about your Canada Day 2012 celebration choices in Toronto.

Fitness, Online Articles, Toronto Events

A Novel Route for the 2012 Toronto Challenge

(Updated June 18, 2015): My latest article about this annual summer event in Toronto is “One View of the 2015 Toronto Challenge 5K Charity Run“.

(Updated June 3, 2014): The 2014 Toronto Challenge 5Km Run & Walk will take place on Sunday June 8, 2014, sticking to the 2012 route. Are you up for the challenge? You may register online, or wait until 7:30-9:00 am on Sunday to pay your $10-20 personal entry fee on site. I need to check with my Running Room 10 Miler clinic; can they run themselves this Sunday or am I free to join my favourite charity run?

Mike DeHaan finishing the 2007 Toronto Challenge 5Km
Mike DeHaan finishing the 2007 Toronto Challenge 5Km

(Updated June 3, 2013): The 2013 Toronto Challenge will take place on Sunday June 9, 2013 and follow the same route as last year. I plan to register tomorrow via my local Running Room store. (Updated June 9, 2013): I did indeed run; although about a minute slower than last year, I still beat the half-hour mark handily. This annual summer Toronto event continued enjoying its streak of great weather. I hope and plan to attend the Toronto Challenge in 2014.

Reporting on the Toronto Challenge Run in 2012

The online site for the Toronto Challenge presents a new 5Km route for 2012. I’m not sure whether it is a temporary change due to construction on Queen’s Quay, or if it represents a more permanent change. See the last paragraph for more details.

Regardless, I look forward to running this new route on Sunday June 10, 2012.

Updated June 10th: I Met the Challenge

This morning I did indeed run the new 5Km route for the Toronto Challenge. I haven’t seen my official time posted online, but: I did cross the finish line; my own watch said I performed as well as I expected; and my breathing and leg muscles told me I’d put in my best effort.

More to the point of this article, I was pleased that the new route avoid climbing two bridges. The first 2Km is a gradual, shallow climb northwards but it makes the return south much more pleasant. I actually stretched out my stride a bit on that section.

My guess is that there will be complaints from motorists. The north/south route cuts across more major arteries in the downtown core. Since I’m in the thick of the pack, it’s easy to notice the lines of cars. I even heard a couple little honks of desperation…as if the driver ahead of you isn’t eager to move along, too!

I’m making no bets on whether the Toronto Challenge route will be adjusted again next year. Most likely, they will want to switch the finish lines for the runners versus the 1Km walkers. This year, we had to cross paths in the home stretch; that’s tough for the runners to understand as they sprint to the finish, and somewhat dangerous for the frail walkers.

Mike DeHaan in the 2007 Toronto Challenge
Mike DeHaan in the 2007 Toronto Challenge

What is the Toronto Challenge?

The Toronto Challenge is an annual charity event that raises funds for a variety of Toronto agencies. Many offer assisted housing, services to seniors or are nursing homes.

It is also my favourite charity fitness event in Toronto’s summer.

More Details about the Toronto Challenge

The Toronto Challenge is held on the second Sunday of June.

If you enter one year, Toronto City Hall will mail you a new entry form next May; or just remember to get a form from your nearest Running Room store.

By the way, the organizers have consistently given away quite high-quality cotton T shirts. They may not be the technical fabrics that runners prefer, but they’re great to wear any other time.

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Sign up for $20 on race day, starting at 7:30am; this is one of the few race events where this is possible. (There are other prices for different ages or for families).

Of course, most of us should have signed up already and badgered friends, relatives and acquaintances for their tax-deductible donations for the specific participating charity of our choice. With well over fifty to select, it may be difficult to narrow the choice unless you already have connections with one.

There are three options. Monster Mortgage sponsors the 5Km run; the Nissan Canada Foundation handles the 5Km walk; and Medical Pharmacies is attached to the 1Km walk.

The Running Room deserves a mention for their logistics; as well as the City of Toronto for its support.

On June 10, 2012, arrive between 7:30 and 8:45 to sign up, check in your baggage and chill out.

They host a warm-up from 9-9:15am, and then participants will marshall for the start.

The run and walk begin at 9:30.

Fitness and the Toronto Challenge

My main notes on 5Km running for this event are, “fittingly”, in my online article in DeHaan Fitness, “The Toronto Challenge for 5Km of Fitness“.

Let me just stress that most people should be able to gradually build up to walking or running a 5Km distance. Depending on your initial weight and fitness, this might start with just a brief walk. Others could start at this distance and find it easy.

In either case, the trick is to start within your current fitness. Over a period of a few weeks, build up the distance and, if possible the pace. The Toronto Challenge sets a great example in that walking and running can mix freely and cheerfully.

Contact me if you have questions; check the About page for details.

The New Route for the Toronto Challenge

In late May 2012, the Toronto Challenge web site announced the new route.

As usual, the run will start on Wellington Street, but well east of Simcoe Street. Running east along Wellington, it turns north onto University Avenue, takes the first quarter of Queen’s Park Circle and then east onto Wellesley Street.

From Wellesley Street, it turns south on Bay Street, returning west past the start line to finish west of Simcoe Street.

This avoids the two railway overpasses in the old route, that caught me completely by surprise in my first year of running in the Toronto Challenge.

Annual Events, Toronto Events

Can You Beat the Toronto Muhtadi International Drumming Festival 2012?

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(Updated May 23, 2013): Muhtadi returns to Woodbine Park on June 8 & 9, 2013.

The 2012 Muhtadi International Drumming Festival

The free annual Muhtadi International Drumming Festival will be held at Woodbine Park on June 9 and 10, 2012.

A Quick Overview of the Muhtadi International Drumming Festival

"Symphonix Steel Pan Drums at Caribana" by Loozrboy
“Symphonix Steel Pan Drums at Caribana” by Loozrboy

This Toronto drumming festival is named for its artistic director, Muhtadi Thomas, who founded the organization to celebrate and promote drumming. Who else promotes Toronto drumming events, specifically?

The location is Woodbine Park, bordered by Lake Shore Blvd East, Coxwell Ave. and Eastern Avenue.

The festival runs from noon through 8pm, both Saturday June 9 and Sunday June 10.

Admission to the Muhtadi International Drumming Festival is free, thanks to sponsors and vendors. Since it’s outdoors, you should come prepared with sunscreen and, if necessary, an umbrella plus a waterproof container for your own drum.

The best TTC bet to is the 22 Coxwell bus south from the Bloor-Danforth subway line. Or transfer to the 22 Coxwell bus from the 506 Carlton streetcar as it crosses Coxwell at lower Gerrard. Normally the 501 Queen streetcar is a sure thing, but with the track work just west of Coxwell, I’d try swooping down from the north.

Driving and parking will probably be a pain. Located at the western end of the Eastern Beaches, the parking lot for Ashbridges Bay and Woodbine Beach is usually pretty busy on summer weekends. That goes double for anything listed in my “Toronto Events Summer” category.

If, for some reason, you cannot find the food or drink you want as part of this drumming event, restaurants on Queen St. East are nearby. Pizza, steak and chicken will be obvious choices in this neighbourhood.

Cross Cultural Drumming at the Muhtadi Drumming Festival

The list of performers includes the Afro-Brazilian group, “Baque de Bamba”; “Beyond Sound Empijah” who performed at AfroFest; “Isshin Diako” who play in a traditional Japanese style; and the Joy Lapps Trio led by Ms Lapps, the “Princess of Pan”; and more.

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Opportunities for Vendors and Sponsors for the 2012 Muhtadi International Drumming Festival in Toronto

You might still have an opportunity to participate as either a vendor or as a sponsor. Call 416-848-3838 to learn more.

Other Events in Toronto Starting June 9, 2012

Toronto serves a cornucopia of special events in the early summer.

June 9 marks the first weekend of the two-week Festival Luminato; see “My Double Double Picks for Luminato 2012 in Toronto” for my take on that festival.

As well, Woofstock takes over Berczy Park. My notes are in “The Whereabouts of Woofstock 2012 in Toronto“.

I plan to write about the Danforth Music Festival, too.

Looking for More Annual Toronto Events?

Do you crave more events in Toronto?

Things to do in Toronto

Check the “annual events” or “Toronto events” categories toward the end of the left-hand menu for other fascinating, free or frugal annual events in Toronto.

CityPASS offers discount tickets to Toronto attractions, including the Metro Toronto Zoo. You buy the voucher online, print it and take it to your first destination; let’s say it’s the zoo. They give you the coupon booklet but remove the zoo tickets. Visit the next four attractions, where helpful staff relieve your booklet of tickets but leave you with the rest of the information. You save over $40 by spending about $70. The voucher is good for almost two years, but you have to use all the discount admission tickets within nine days. This is terrific for tourists looking for multiple things to do in Toronto, or for a hometown stay-cation: use discount tickets to Casa Loma, the CN Tower, Metro Toronto Zoo, Ontario Science Centre and the Royal Ontario Museum in a nine day adventure. That’s five things to do in Toronto, and at a bargain price!

Disclaimer regarding DeHaan Services and the Muhtadi International Drumming Festival

Disclaimer: DeHaan Services has no relationship to the organizer(s); I am not reimbursed for writing this article. However, DeHaan Services does write web site or advertising copy for clients. Our skills are demonstrated in online articles in Decoded Science, and other online sites. That’s why DeHaan Services highlights these online articles on this site.

Thanks for reading about the 2012 edition of the Muhtadi International Drumming Festival in Toronto.