Toronto by night around Canoe Landing

In the land of the giants!
The perfect urban summer night walk

A few weeks ago, I had two teen visitors over for five days. I let them do the first things that come to mind to teen girls: the Eaton Centre, the Beach, all the gelato shops within a 30-minute walk, etc. Then, on the last night, I took them on my Land of the Giants Stroll included in Toronto Urban Strolls 1. 

I cracked the code!

I think I cracked the code on the best way to enjoy a night walk around Canoe Landing and Concord Place. It's a fun stroll to admire lighting effects on the public art but an impossible place to find street parking. 

The way to go is to take advantage of Sobeys' indoor parking lot (evening max from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next day is $8, unless there's a special event, then the price is cranked up). We arrived around 9 p.m., enjoyed our walk for two hours, then shopped a bit inside the grocery store, open until midnight. 

I spent over $10 (scored on discounted items I needed anyway!), which allowed me to get a $3.50 refund on my parking ticket (when you get your ticket from a machine in the parking lot, you place part of it on your dash and show the other part at the cashier as a proof of payment to get the refund). 

A fun circuit

I first led them to the other side of Spadina and to the gorgeous sculpture Barca Volante, over a reflecting pool (off Bremner Boulevard on the east side of Spadina, turn right on Navy Wharf Court).  

We walked back to the Sobeys and turned right on Telegram Mews towards the train tracks to reach the new pedestrian bridge, quite sculptural under the lights.

 

Then we went southbound to the big park of Canoe Landing. After a little peep at the giant canoe, we reached the staircase on the west side of the park and walked down Bathurst to the lovely public art under the overpass.

A bit further down is T.O. Tuck Shop, a convenience store (also open until midnight) serving good coffee, hot sandwiches and all kinds of items appreciated by the condo dwellers. 

We ended the stroll by going up the path on the south side of Canoe Landing, facing the CN Tower. The three girls agreed it was a pretty cool walk!

For another cool stroll to enjoy Toronto by night, read:
Toronto by night around Yonge and Dundas Square

Toronto by night around Yonge-Dundas Square

Toronto by night

Last summer, after a visit downtown Toronto, two of my girlfriends and I decided to walk back home (east of Don Valley). It was such a lovely walk to feel the urban vibes!

We strolled north Yonge-Dundas Square on Victoria and reached Ryerson's reflecting pool (Devonian Square). I had never seen the adjacent Ryerson Image Centre illuminated at night. It is quite a sight as it glows into the dark and is reflected on the water. And the colours are ever changing. Bring a coffee, sit at one of the tables set around the square and enjoy! Pure free urban pleasure.

Note that Balzac's Café opened last year at 122 Bond Street, just around Ryerson Image Centre. Open at least from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.

Nice play on words for Balzac's Café near Ryerson Image Centre!