Departing Ontario Place for Toronto’s city centre, you will head east to transit the Western Gap into the Harbour. Follow the buoyed channel past Toronto Island Airport on your starboard side, keeping a sharp look out for airport ferries. Once in the harbour, the first of Harbour-front Centre’s marinas is located to port on the north shore.
Marina Quay West is behind an easy to find cement seawall just west of the white Rogers Centre dome. The entrance is on the east end just past a green flashing channel buoy. To check in, the marina requests you call ahead on VHF 68 or tie up on the east seawall and contact the office for further instructions and assistance. Advance reservations are available by telephone or online.
The marina has 10 to 12 feet of water throughout. The 200 slips, including roughly 20 for visitors, are a mix of floating docks and tie-along slips on the promenade. The floating docks have security gates at each entrance and there is 30-amp and some 50-amp electricity and water service available. You will find the marina office, showers and washrooms in the brown building located at the west end of the marina. Laundry facilities and ice are also available.
Marina Quay West runs alongside the promenade for the Music Garden,which offers programs throughout in partnership with Harbourfront Centre. The gardens, inspired by the music of Bach, host free Thursday and Sunday music and dance concerts.
Heading east to our next Harbourfront marina, exit turning to port and motor along the waterfront walkway past the Rogers Centre, CN Tower, Harbourfront Nautical Centre, and the Toronto Police Service Marine Unit base. The John Quay seawall in front of the Pier 4 Restaurant and Patio will accommodate boats on an hourly basis during the day, but overnight dockage is restricted to vessels larger than 45 feet with a reservation.
Behind the seawall is Marina Four, which boaters can enter at the east end of the seawall. Reservations are not accepted here so it is recommended that you call on VHF 68 to confirm slip availability before you enter the marina.
Marina Four has 100 slips – about seven are available for transients – and good water depth throughout. The floating docks, equipped with water and 20- and 30-amp electricity, will accommodate lengths up to 40 feet.
Marinas operated by Harbourfront Centre offer plenty to do both day and night. While docked at Harbourfront, you are on the doorstep of Canada’s largest city with the downtown just a few minutes walk away – and the TTC makes everything in the city accessible to boaters. The city is always alive and bustling with diverse neighbourhoods that reflect the multicultural makeup of Toronto.
Dining in Toronto offers a world of culinary delights. You’ll find everything from family restaurants to the finest in international and haute cuisine all within walking distance of the waterfront.
If you’re looking for some indoor activities to help pass a bad weather day, plan a visit to the Royal Ontario Museum, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Ontario Science Centre or Casa Loma. If the sun is shining, a trip up the CN tower is a must – as is a trip to the Toronto Zoo, if time permits.
Whether its live theatre or live entertainment you seek, Toronto’s various venues showcase world class performances. Many boaters also plan their cruises to the city around attending a major sports event held on or near the city’s lakefront. If sports aren’t your game, the city plays host to several festivals and special events throughout the boating season.
Of course, the Grand Lady of the season is the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE),which runs from mid-August through Labour Day.