Toronto welcomes international Pride fest, but city’s a gay mecca anyway
CANADA GAYS | Toronto Pride was already a spectacular event, but this year it will coincide with the international WorldPride event later this month. (Photo courtesy Toronto Tourism)
The annual Gay Pride celebration in Toronto has long been one of the biggest, boldest and best-attended around, but for 2014, get ready for the city’s greatest festival yet. The annual WorldPride, which moves to a different city each year, will take place concurrently with Toronto Pride. Later this month (June 20–29), WorldPride will dominate the city’s famed Church Street Gay Village. Adding to the buzz is the fact that this year marks the first time that WorldPride takes place in a North American city.
The 10-day event will include concerts by a slew of A-listers, including Tegan and Sara, Chely Wright, Melissa Etheridge, Deborah Cox, Martha Wash and superstar DJs David Morales and Quentin Harris (expect the lineup to continue evolving between now and the big week). Official events are many, beginning with an opening ceremony on June 20, and culminating during the big weekend (June 27–29) with a Trans March, Dyke March, WorldPride Parade, Family Pride, Streetfair and Arts and Cultural Festival, and Closing Ceremony. Check the WorldPride website for further updates and details, and also on news about additional parties, gatherings and performances taking place during the big week.
If you’re in Toronto for WorldPride, you’ll surely experience the city’s lively, naughty-and-nice Church Street Gay Village. It’s one of the largest and most centrally located LGBT business and entertainment districts on the globe, with dozens of bars, restaurants, shops and other establishments catering enthusiastically to the community.
But, of course, there’s far more to both Toronto (SeeTorontoNow.com/toronto-diversity) and surrounding Ontario (OntarioTravel.net) than all the good fun you’ll discover on or near Church Street. Here, we’re taking a look at some cool neighborhoods in Toronto in case you wanna be there for WorldPride; next week, we’ll profile a few enchanting vacation spots within an easy drive that would make for charming pre- or post-Pride overnight getaways — or just good ideas for a Canadian vacation any time.
Beach and the Toronto Islands. During the summer, Torontonians venture en masse to the small archipelago located just offshore from downtown and known as the Toronto Islands (TorontoIslands.org). Among the many lovely spots for sunning and socializing on the islands, Hanlan’s Point Beach has the most ardent following among LGBT folks — it’s an officially clothing-optional beach that faces the lake and is quite well-kept and picturesque. You can easily reach the beach via a frequently scheduled ferry service (the ride takes 15 minutes, costs $7 round-trip, and affords passengers magnificent views of the city skyline — boats leave downtown from the foot of Bay Street, at Queens Quay).
Consider bringing a picnic lunch with you to Hanlan’s Point, as amenities are minimal. However, you can also stroll along a paved trail to Centre Island, which contains all sorts of amusements, restaurants and other things to see and do — from here there’s also separate ferry service back to Toronto, if you’d rather not hoof it back to Hanlan’s Point.
Queen Street West. Toronto’s most colorful ethnic neighborhoods lie west of downtown, where the hipster-factor is also highest. Walk along Queen Street West to experience the heart of the city’s alternative culture — you’ll find everything from offbeat antiques stores to vintage clothing boutiques to shops specializing in witchcraft to divey tattoo parlors. Farther west, Queen Street intersects with yet another strip of trendy, hipster-infested bars, cafes and shops, Ossington Avenue, which is definitely worth a tour.
Up until the middle of the 20th century, Toronto endured a reputation as a hard-working, earnest, but rather dull metropolis.
The incisive writer Jan Morris once described it as “a small provincial city of almost absurdly British character.” A walk through the many bustling ethnic neighborhoods, around the vibrant Gay Village, and past the quirky, counter-cultural businesses along Queen Street West reveal just how dramatically times have changed.
— Andrew Collins
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition June 13, 2014.