Mel Lastman Square 2021

Mel Lastman Square is a beautiful park featuring 20,000 square feet of open space, a garden court, an outdoor amphitheatre, fountains and a reflecting pool. Special events that showcase music, art, dancing, theatre, food, and sports are planned by our city's various cultural groups for every season. The Square has various levels and areas that are suitable for an assortment of activities, such as cultural festivals, concerts, fund raisers, awareness campaigns, children's activities, art displays and more.

It is named for then North York mayor (and later Toronto mayor) Mel Lastman.
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." 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.

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.

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.