Mel Lastman Square

Last updated
Mel Lastman Square
Public square
MelLastmanSquare - 2015June03.jpg
Mel Lastman Square, as seen from a building across Yonge Street, with the North York Civic Centre in the background
FeaturesConcert stage; reflecting pool/skating rink
Opening dateJune 16–18, 1989 [1]
Area20 000 sq. ft. [2]
Surface concrete [3]
Dedicated to Mel Lastman, Mayor of North York and Toronto
OwnerCity of Toronto
Location5100 Yonge Street
Toronto, Ontario
M2N 5V7
Toronto map.png
Red pog.svg
Mel Lastman Square
Location of Mel Lastman Square in Toronto
Coordinates: 43°46′3.33″N79°24′48.46″W / 43.7675917°N 79.4134611°W / 43.7675917; -79.4134611

Mel Lastman Square is a public square at North York Civic Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is named after then North York mayor (and later Toronto mayor) Mel Lastman. It was officially opened on June 16, 1989, by Norman Jewison and Mel Lastman's granddaughter Brie Lastman. The architects were J. Michael Kirkland. [4]

Contents

Lastman with his granddaughter Brie on the opening day of the square. Mel Lastman at Square with Brie.jpg
Lastman with his granddaughter Brie on the opening day of the square.

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." [3] The square was named after Lastman in a motion brought forth by Howard Moscoe at a city council meeting in April 1986. [3] Architect Michael Kirkland felt the overuse of concrete made the square feel "chintzy"; he would have used granite had the budget allowed for it. [3] The Square cost $5 million to build. [5]

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 on a nearby rooftop. MP Alan Redway read a tribute from Brian Mulroney and 7,000 balloons were released. [6]

Surrounded by Yonge Street on the east, the Toronto District School Board 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. [7]

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 festivities and numerous family events.

The family of one of the victims of the Toronto van attack donated a piano in April 2019 to the square. It has been placed under a rotunda at Mel Lastman Square. [8]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mel Lastman</span> Canadian politician (1933–2021)

Melvin Douglas Lastman 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 serve as the mayor of Toronto following the amalgamation of Metro Toronto in 1998 and its six constituent municipalities. Lastman is also known for having founded the Bad Boy Furniture chain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yonge Street</span> Historic road in Ontario, Canada

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 Upper Great Lakes. Ontario's first colonial administrator, John Graves Simcoe, named the street for his friend Sir George Yonge, an expert on ancient Roman roads.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yonge–Dundas Square</span> Public square in Toronto

Yonge–Dundas Square is a public square at the southeast corner of the intersection of Yonge Street and Dundas Street East in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Designed by Brown and Storey Architects, the square was conceived in 1997 as part of revitalizing the intersection. Since its completion in 2002 as Yonge–Dundas Square, the square has hosted many public events, performances and art displays, establishing itself as a prominent landmark in Toronto and one of the city's prime tourist attractions. Central to the Downtown Yonge entertainment and shopping district, the square is owned by the city and is the first public square in Canada to be maintained through a public–private partnership. The intersection is one of the busiest in Canada, with over 100,000 people crossing the city's first pedestrian scramble daily.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North York</span> District of Toronto, Ontario, Canada

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 York Region to the north at Steeles Avenue, on the west by the Humber River, on the east by Victoria Park Avenue. Its southern boundary is erratic and corresponds to the northern boundaries of the former municipalities of Toronto: York, Old Toronto and East York. As of the 2016 Census, the district has a population of 644,685.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North York City Centre</span> Business district

North York City Centre is a central business district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in the administrative district of North York. It is located along Yonge Street, between just south of Sheppard Avenue northward to Finch Avenue with its focus around Mel Lastman Square, a civic square, and spreads eastwards and westwards a few blocks, generally as far as Doris Avenue and Beecroft Road. The district is a high-density district of condominium and office towers with ground-floor commercial uses along the wide six lanes of Yonge Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nathan Phillips Square</span> Public square in Downtown Toronto

Nathan Phillips Square is an urban plaza in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It forms the forecourt to Toronto City Hall, or New City Hall, at the intersection of Queen Street West and Bay Street, and is named after Nathan Phillips, mayor of Toronto from 1955 to 1962. The square was designed by the City Hall's architect Viljo Revell and landscape architect Richard Strong. It opened in 1965. The square is the site of concerts, art displays, a weekly farmers' market, the winter festival of lights, and other public events, including demonstrations. During the winter months, the reflecting pool is converted into an ice rink for ice skating. The square attracts an estimated 1.5 million visitors yearly. With an area of 4.85 hectares, it is Canada's largest city square.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willowdale, Toronto</span> Neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Willowdale is a neighbourhood in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located in the district of North York. It developed from three postal villages: Newtonbrook, Willowdale and Lansing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dundas station (Toronto)</span> Toronto subway station

Dundas is a subway station on Line 1 Yonge–University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located at the intersection of Yonge Street and Dundas Street. Wi-Fi service is available at this station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North York Centre station</span> Toronto subway station

North York Centre is a subway station on Line 1 Yonge–University of the Toronto subway system. The station is located under Yonge Street, where it is intersected by Park Home Avenue and Empress Avenue. The station, the system's first and only infill station, opened in 1987 to serve North York City Centre, a high density business district in the Willowdale neighbourhood. Wi-Fi service is available at this station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finch station</span> Toronto subway station

Finch is the northern terminus subway station of the eastern section of Line 1 Yonge–University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located under Yonge Street, north of Finch Avenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North York Central Library</span> Public library in Toronto, Canada

North York Central Library is a Toronto Public Library branch located in North York City Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is one of the two libraries in the Toronto public library system considered to be "Research and Reference Libraries", the other being the Toronto Reference Library in the city's downtown core. In contrast to the Toronto Reference Library, however, most of the items in the North York Central Library can be signed out.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willowdale (federal electoral district)</span> Federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada

Willowdale is a federal electoral district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1979. It is the riding with the biggest Korean community in Canada. As per the 2021 census, 9.9% of the population of Willowdale is Korean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metro Hall</span> Office building in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Metro Hall is a 27-storey Postmodern-style office tower at the corner of Wellington and John Street in the downtown core of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It looks out onto Pecaut Square. Part of the three-tower Metro Centre complex, the building was completed in 1992 to house the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto (Metro) and its employees. The building is now used by the City of Toronto following municipal consolidation in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Toronto</span>

Toronto was founded as the Town of York and capital of Upper Canada in 1793 after the Mississaugas sold the land to the British in the Toronto Purchase. For over 12,000 years, Indigenous People have lived in the Toronto area. The ancestors of the Huron-Wendat were the first known groups to establish agricultural villages in the area about 1,600 years ago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North York Civic Centre</span> Municipal building in Ontario, Canada

The North York Civic Centre is a municipal government building in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It opened in 1979 as the city hall of the former city of North York. It is located in North York City Centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albert Campbell Square</span> Square in Scarborough, Toronto, Canada

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Empress Walk</span> Condominium and retail complex in Toronto, Ontario

Empress Walk is a large Canadian condominium and retail complex in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located at the intersection of Yonge Street and Empress Avenue in the North York Centre area of the North York district It was developed by Canadian-developers Menkes Developments Ltd. Phase 1 was completed in 1997 and Phase 2 was completed in 2000. It became an important retail complex in North York following its construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North York City Centre (building)</span> Office building in Toronto, Canada

North York City Centre is an office tower complex in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Completed in 1989, it is home to the North York Central Library, secondary offices of the City of Toronto government, and other corporate headquarters.

Mario Gentile is a former municipal politician in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He served as a councillor and city controller in North York, and was also a member of the Metropolitan Toronto council. His political career ended with a criminal conviction in 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Toronto van attack</span> Canadian van attacks in Toronto

A vehicle-ramming attack occurred on April 23, 2018, when a rented van was driven along Yonge Street through the North York City Centre business district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The driver, 25-year-old Alek Minassian, targeted pedestrians, killing 11 and injuring 15, some critically. The incident is the deadliest vehicle-ramming attack in Canadian history.

References

  1. "Mel Lastman Square official opening: vol. 1, June 16, 1989-June 18, 1989". City of Toronto Archives. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
  2. "Mel Lastman Square". City of Toronto. Retrieved June 2, 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Hume, Christopher (June 16, 1989). "North York's Heart is in Lastman Square". The Toronto Star. Toronto via Proquest.
  4. City of North York - Mel Lastman Square (Plaque in square). North York: City of North York. 1989.
  5. James, Royson (June 16, 1989). "Tearful Mel is really scared he'll blow his cool on big day". The Toronto Star. Toronto via Proquest.
  6. Duffy, Andrew (June 17, 1989). "3,500 help Lastman open his square". The Toronto Star via Proquest.
  7. "Parks, Forestry and Recreation : Mel Lastman Square". City of Toronto. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
  8. "Family of woman killed in Toronto van attack donates piano to Mel Lastman Square". CBC. April 22, 2019. Retrieved June 13, 2019.