Mel Lastman Square is a public square at North York Civic Centre in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, Canada. It is named after then

North York North York is a former township and city and is now one of the six administrative districts of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the northern area of Toronto, centred around Yonge Street, north of Ontario Highway 401. It is bounded by ...

mayor (and later Toronto mayor)

Mel Lastman Melvin Douglas Lastman (March 9, 1933 – December 11, 2021) was a Canadian businessman and politician who served as the third mayor of North York from 1973 to 1997 and the 62nd mayor of Toronto from 1998 to 2003. He was the first person to s ...

. It was officially opened on June 16, 1989, by

Norman Jewison Norman Frederick Jewison (July 21, 1926 – January 20, 2024) was a Canadian filmmaker. He was known for directing films which addressed topical Social issue, social and political issues, often making controversial or complicated subjects acces ...

and Mel Lastman's granddaughter Brie Lastman. The architects were J. Michael Kirkland. The square hosts a variety of activities throughout the year, but is primarily a quiet space in which to relax or eat lunch.

History

The Square is located on what once was a "500-foot deep grassy field that served no apparent purpose other than to make City Hall hard to reach." The square was named after Lastman in a motion brought forth by Howard Moscoe at a city council meeting in April 1986. Architect Michael Kirkland felt the overuse of concrete made the square feel "chintzy"; he would have used granite had the budget allowed for it. The Square cost $5 million to build. The opening ceremony on June 16 was attended by 3,500 people, including Lincoln Alexander and Alan Tonks. It featured a choir and an inflatable

King Kong King Kong, also referred to simply as Kong, is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. The character has since become an international pop culture icon,Erb, Cynthia, 1998, ''Tracking Kin ...

on a nearby rooftop. MP Alan Redway read a tribute from

Brian Mulroney Martin Brian Mulroney (March 20, 1939 – February 29, 2024) was a Canadian lawyer, businessman, and politician who served as the 18th prime minister of Canada from 1984 to 1993. Born in the eastern Quebec city of Baie-Comeau, Mulroney studi ...

and 7,000 balloons were released. Surrounded by

Yonge Street Yonge Street ( ') is a major arterial route in the Canadian province of Ontario connecting the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto to Lake Simcoe, a gateway to the Great Lakes#Geography, Upper Great Lakes. Ontario's first colonial administrator, ...

on the east, the

Toronto District School Board The Toronto District School Board (TDSB), formerly known as English-language Public District School Board No. 12 prior to 1999, is the English-language public-secular school board for Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The minority public-secular franco ...

headquarters on the south, North York Civic Centre on the west, and to the north by the North York Central Library and North York Centre shopping/office/hotel complex (5150 Yonge Street), Mel Lastman Square was intended to be the heart of North York. With its sunken configuration and tree cover, activities can take place away from the busy traffic on Yonge Street. An artificial stream runs from a fountain under a large sign at Yonge Street down into a large concrete square. Planters, trees, shrubs and wooden benches surround the area. A large pond is located in the centre of the square that serves as a relaxing focal point in the summer and a skating rink in the winter. The square also features an outdoor theatre for a number of events, including Sunday Serenades jazz concerts each summer. Other events include RBC Run for the Kids, a farmer's market, cultural festivals,

Canada Day Canada Day, formerly known as Dominion Day, is the national day of Canada. A Public holidays in Canada, federal statutory holiday, it celebrates the anniversary of Canadian Confederation which occurred on July 1, 1867, with the passing of the B ...

festivities and numerous family events. The family of one of the victims of the Toronto van attack donated a

piano A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...

in April 2019 to the square. It has been placed under a rotunda at Mel Lastman Square. Mel Lastman Square Trees.jpg, A tree-lined walkway by morning at Mel Lastman Square, looking east toward Yonge Street Canada Day at Mel Lastman Square in Toronto - 2007.jpg, Performance onstage at Mel Lastman Square, Canada Day 2007

References

External links

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Mel Lastman Square - Community Events
{{Parks and squares in Toronto Music venues in Toronto Squares in Toronto Buildings and structures in Toronto North York

History

See also

References

External links