Détail de l’événement

Jumpstarted by a generous $25 M donation from philanthropists Judy and Wil Matthews and incorporated in 2016, The Bentway is a unique and innovative public space that will transform the vacant and forgotten area underneath Toronto’s Gardiner Expressway into a new gathering place for the city’s growing population. Stretching from Strachan Avenue to Bathurst Street, this 1.75 km trail and series of public spaces will knit together seven neighbourhoods – Exhibition Place, Liberty Village, Niagara, Fort York Neighbourhood, Bathurst Quay, Wellington Place and CityPlace – and become a gateway to the waterfront, while providing access to important attractions and destinations – from the Budweiser Stage to the Rogers Centre and Harbourfront Centre. This dynamic new urban corridor will activate the community with a continuous multi-use trail providing access to year-round activities and events, including gardens, a skating rink, recreational amenities, public markets, public art, special exhibitions, festivals, theatre and musical performances and more.

This application is for “Bentway as Waterfront Gateway”, taking place July 1, to October 6, 2024. The Bentway’s 2024 program will feature a larger-than-life roaming performance, an outdoor public art gallery, fitness and recreation programming and more. Programming details include:

(1) “Dominoes” (September 21 & 22), with the UK’s Station House Opera: An immersive, sculptural performance will thread its way along the Gardiner and waterfront corridors, engaging thousands of people to participate in a larger- than-life game of dominoes – with 12,000 large blocks stretching over 2km in length;

(2) □Outdoor Art Gallery (July 1 – October 6) A powerful outdoor art gallery between Exhibition Place and Billy Bishop Airport featuring works by Nico Williams (Anishinaabe; Montréal); Nnenna Okore (Chicago); Rosana Cade (Scotland); Chlöe Bass (New York); Women In Practice (New York); and Heather Nichol (Toronto). The installations will be presented at The Bentway Phase 1 site and beyond, showcasing the Gardiner as a uniquely-urban attraction;

(3) □Augmented Roller-Skating Program (July 1 – October 4): Fueled by the popularity in the Winter Ice Skating program, the Bentway will augment and revamp their summer skating program with enhancements including DJs, food and drink offerings, and special lighting;

(4) Nuit Blanche (October 5 & 6): Nuit Blanche 2024 will re-focus and concentrate along the waterfront corridor, with the Gardiner Expressway as its northern entry-point. The Bentway will be a key player and offer a marquee gateway to this annual visitor favourite. With partners at the City of Toronto, Waterfront BIA, Fort York, and others, programming will include activity near Bathurst St, Dan Leckie Way, Canoe Landing Park, Rees St, York St, Simcoe St, and at the Canada Malting Silos on Queens Quay. Activities will include public art, sound and light installations, and other unique forms of “urban acupuncture”;

(5) Yoga With Adriene (July 6): Noted YouTube fitness celebrity Adriene Mishler (with more than 11,000,000 subscribers) will host her first international, large-scale yoga festival at The Bentway. In partnership with Fort York, the event will welcome nearly 3,000 people to this shared experience. This event will feature a vendor village with creative artisans and businesses, sponsorship activation zones with giveaways and fun activities, additional demonstrations and performances, and more. As Adriene’s first appearance in Canada, the event is expected to draw significant engagement with young fitness enthusiasts from across southern Ontario; and

(6) Talks, tours, and workshops (various partners TBC).