Bentway building summer ith the closure of the first phase of the skating trail in early March, new plantings and hints of a gravelly shoreline are beginning to appear to the east of the Wharf, the platform built last fall in front of the Fort York Visitor Centre. This is W where the waters of Lake Ontario once reached to a narrow beach down below the ramparts of the fort. New sculpture is also appearing here now, but the biggest project yet is at the far end of Garrison Common.
Bentway building summer
What the Strachan Gate of the Bentway will look like this coming summer. We are facing south; Strachan Avenue is at the right edge of the rendering. Amphitheatre seating cascades down from the street, and theatrical equipment is suspended from the bents, making this space adaptable to all kinds of live and digital programming. In the photo (taken at the end of March) we’re looking down on the construction from the street, facing the screen that many of the imaginary people are watching. The mounds will shelter the space from the south, while Fort York Armoury – still with four active units of the Canadian Army – is seen beyond. Rendering: Public Work / Photo: Bob Kennedy
Bentway building summer
Mayor John Tory speaks during the opening weekend of the Bentway’s skating trail. On skates himself, he’s standing in front of the Zamboni extension (which is still unfinished) to the Fort York Visitor Centre. Crowds of skaters joined him under the Gardiner in genuine winter temperatures approaching 20 below. Later programming on the trail included ice-break-dancing workshops, a fashion show and a series of DJs. Refreshments were available evenings and weekends but you had to put your skates on in the cold. On the right, a young skater zooms along in front of the colours of Pro Tem, a temporary art installation by Janine Miedzik. Photos: Daniel Dishaw
