Albert Campbell Square

Last updated
Albert Campbell Square
Public square
Stage at Albert Campbell Square.jpg
Outdoor performance stage at Albert Campbell Square
FeaturesConcert stage, Skating Rink
Opening date1973
Surface concrete
Owner City of Toronto government
Address150 Borough Drive
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Toronto map.svg
Red pog.svg
Albert Campbell Square
Location of Albert Campbell Square in Toronto
Coordinates: 43°46′25″N79°15′25″W / 43.77361°N 79.25694°W / 43.77361; -79.25694
Website Toronto Parks

Albert Campbell Square is a public square in Scarborough City Centre in Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is named after Albert Campbell, the first mayor of the Borough of Scarborough and former Chairman of the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto. Albert Campbell Square is located at 150 Borough Drive, adjacent to the Scarborough Civic Centre south of Scarborough Centre station and Scarborough Town Centre shopping mall.

Contents

Features

The Albert Campbell Square was modelled after Nathan Phillips Square (built 1965) in Downtown Toronto and in turn inspired Mel Lastman Square (built 1989) in North York City Centre. Part of the Albert Campbell Square is an outdoor ice rink, which held its status of being Scarborough's only permanent outdoor ice rink until the construction for an outdoor ice rink at McCowan District Park began in 2014. [1] [2]

Events

Albert Campbell Square has hosted a number of events. It has served as the starting point of the annual Scarborough Canada Day Parade, one of two Canada Day parades produced by the City of Toronto government. [3] On 11 July 1980, crowds gathered at Albert Campbell Square to witness the arrival of Canadian athlete Terry Fox, whose scheduled stop was at Scarborough Civic Centre during his Marathon of Hope. [4] On 24 July 2016, Rick Tocchet, right wing player of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Scarborough native, exhibited the Stanley Cup at the square after the team won the 2016 Stanley Cup Finals. [5] Albert Campbell Square also hosted viewing parties during the 2019 NBA Finals, which featured the Toronto Raptors. [6]

The square has been a popular venue for multicultural events, including the Scarborough Afro-Carib Festival (2001–present), Scarborough Community Multicultural Festival (2015–2017), [7] and the Sri Lankan Kothu Fest (2015–present). [8]

Public Art

Albert Campbell Square and the immediate surrounding area is home to a large number of sculptures and other public works of art. Some of the works, such as the Hand of God by Carl Milles date back to the building of the Scarborough Civic Centre in the 1970s. In 1994 Scarborough hosted the International Granite Sculpture Symposium, which added a further 8 works. As of 2017, there are over 10 pieces of public art on display. [9] [10] Albert Campbell Square has also hosted temporary exhibits for Nuit Blanche [11] and public performances of contemporary art. [12] [13]

See also

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References

  1. "Subway touted as a way to awaken Scarborough's downtown dream". Toronto Star . February 2016.
  2. "Lack of outdoor skating rinks issue continues to fester in Scarborough". 31 January 2014.
  3. "Canada Day celebrations in Scarborough include two-day event at Albert Campbell Square". 29 June 2016.
  4. "Scarborough welcomes Terry Fox - Web exhibits - What's online | City of Toronto". Archived from the original on 2016-08-28. Retrieved 2016-08-06.
  5. "The Stanley Cup comes to Scarborough to the delight of hockey fans". 24 July 2016.
  6. "Massive House of Mirrors part of this year's Luminato Festival". 10 June 2019.
  7. "Scarborough Community Multicultural Festival takes place in Albert Campbell Square". 4 August 2016.
  8. "Sri Lankan Kothu Fest returns to Scarborough for a second year". 24 July 2016.
  9. "Scarborough Civic Centre - Toronto Sculpture". www.dittwald.com. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  10. Scarborough Centre Public Art Master Plan Public Open House Master Plan toronto.ca
  11. Nuit Blanche Official Map 2022 toronto.ca
  12. "Chalking". 5 July 2022.
  13. "Spoken Soul Festival".