Let's Go To The Ex!
We had a great talk on December 9th on Zoom from Don Boyle, CEO of Exhibition Place, about the new plans and program ideas for our historic waterfront venue and fairground. Don's deck is here.
WFA Chair Ed Hore recently won a pro bono court victory against Cabana Pool Bar, the outdoor nightclub at the east end of Toronto Harbour. He was acting for York Quay Neighbourhood Association (YQNA), a member organisation of Waterfront for All. Huge weekend DJ music events disturbed the Toronto Islanders and others. YQNA teamed up with the Toronto Islanders and the City of Toronto to fight an application by the nightclub owners for a liquor licence allowing more people, longer hours and fewer restrictions on loud amplified music than were permitted under the existing liquor licence.
On June 14, 2021, in lengthy reasons, the Ontario Divisional Court dismissed an appeal by Powerhouse Corporation (a corporation related to the nightclub). The effect is that Cabana is not entitled to hold loud outdoor events extending into the morning hours, as it had hoped.
Update, November 16, 2021: The Ontario Court of Appeal dismissed Powerhouse's application for leave to appeal, so the litigation concluded.
Latest posts
WFA Speaker Series talk on Toronto ferries.
On Tuesday November 18, 2025, Ron Jenkins delivered a fascinating Zoom talk on the ferries that have been moving people across Toronto Harbour to the Islands for the last two centuries. The deck is here.
Native seeds buried under eight metres of soil when the foot of the Don was a marsh long ago are coming back to life at Biidaasige Park. Excavation and construction for the new park exposed ancient seeds to water and sun; they woke up and started growing again.
We learned about this amazing rebirth of native plants at our October 26, 2025 Walk/Talk led by David Stonehouse of the Waterfront Secretariat, with special guests forestry expert Steve Smith of Urban Forest Associates and landscape architect Netami Stuart of Toronto Parks and Recreation. The weather was perfect. It was a great day. Many thanks to our expert speakers, and to the many people that joined us for a scenic Sunday stroll.
