Metro Toronto Convention Centre
Encyclopedia
Metro Toronto Convention Centre (originally and still colloquially Metro Convention Centre), located in Downtown Toronto
, Ontario
at 255 Front Street West
, has 600000 square feet (55,741.8 m²) of space. The convention centre was completed in October 1984 and is home to the 1330-seat John Bassett Theatre
. Large convention gatherings will sometimes also make use of the nearby Rogers Centre
as a venue.
To the east end of the complex was the former Canadian National Railway
's L'Hotel CN (Toronto)
hotel, in 2003 it became the 586-room InterContinental Toronto Centre
. Across the street is the CBC
's Canadian Broadcasting Centre
. The centre is connected to Union Station
through a footbridge
, and is also accessible via the underground PATH
system.
A new largely underground addition, designed by Bregman + Hamann Architects, was added to the south side next to the CN Tower
in 1997 to expand convention space.
The centre has hosted many large scale events over the years, the most famous of which was the G7 conference in 1988 as well as the 1985 NHL Entry Draft
. It also hosted the XVI International AIDS Conference
in 2006. As well, it has played host to Toronto auditions for So You Think You Can Dance Canada
and Canadian Idol. It has also been the site of numerous political conventions, and is the annual home of the NHL Awards. Fan Expo
is held here, as well as the Canadian International Auto Show
.
The G-20 summit
was held at the centre on June 26 and June 27, 2010. It was the same venue for the 14th G7 summit
held in 1988.
In April 2011 the Canada Lands Corporation (who own the Centre and attached hotel on behalf of the Federal government) announced that the Centre and hotel were for sale,
:
Downtown Toronto
Downtown Toronto is the central business district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is approximately bounded by Bloor Street to the north, Lake Ontario to the south, the Don River to the east, and Bathurst Street to the west...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
at 255 Front Street West
Front Street (Toronto)
Front Street is an east-west road in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The street marks the rough outline of the shoreline of Lake Ontario as it existed during the original English settlement of York, then called Palace Street...
, has 600000 square feet (55,741.8 m²) of space. The convention centre was completed in October 1984 and is home to the 1330-seat John Bassett Theatre
John Bassett Theatre
The John W.H. Bassett Theatre is located in the heart of Toronto, Ontario's entertainment district.The 1,330 seat , multi-purpose theatre is a self-contained venue within the Metro Toronto Convention Centre's North Building. The adjacent rooms host pre-and post-performance receptions...
. Large convention gatherings will sometimes also make use of the nearby Rogers Centre
Rogers Centre
Rogers Centre is a multi-purpose stadium, in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated next to the CN Tower, near the shores of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989, it is home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League...
as a venue.
To the east end of the complex was the former Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
's L'Hotel CN (Toronto)
InterContinental Toronto Centre
The InterContinental Toronto Centre, formerly L'Hotel CN, was built by the Canadian National Railway in 1984 in Toronto, Ontario as part of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre complex. It was operated by Canadian National Hotels from 1984 to 1988, sold to Crowne Plaza and renamed Crowne Plaza Hotel...
hotel, in 2003 it became the 586-room InterContinental Toronto Centre
InterContinental Toronto Centre
The InterContinental Toronto Centre, formerly L'Hotel CN, was built by the Canadian National Railway in 1984 in Toronto, Ontario as part of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre complex. It was operated by Canadian National Hotels from 1984 to 1988, sold to Crowne Plaza and renamed Crowne Plaza Hotel...
. Across the street is the CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
's Canadian Broadcasting Centre
Canadian Broadcasting Centre
The Canadian Broadcasting Centre, located in Toronto, Ontario, is the broadcast headquarters and master control point for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's English-language television and radio services...
. The centre is connected to Union Station
Union Station (Toronto)
Union Station is the major inter-city rail station and a major commuter rail hub in Toronto, located on Front Street West and occupying the south side of the block bounded by Bay Street and York Street in the central business district. The station building is owned by the City of Toronto, while the...
through a footbridge
Footbridge
A footbridge or pedestrian bridge is a bridge designed for pedestrians and in some cases cyclists, animal traffic and horse riders, rather than vehicular traffic. Footbridges complement the landscape and can be used decoratively to visually link two distinct areas or to signal a transaction...
, and is also accessible via the underground PATH
PATH (Toronto)
PATH is a network of pedestrian tunnels beneath the office towers of Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. According to Guinness World Records, PATH is the largest underground shopping complex in the world with 371,600 m² PATH is a network of pedestrian tunnels beneath the office towers of Downtown...
system.
A new largely underground addition, designed by Bregman + Hamann Architects, was added to the south side next to the CN Tower
CN Tower
The CN Tower is a communications and observation tower in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Standing tall, it was completed in 1976, becoming the world's tallest free-standing structure and world's tallest tower at the time. It held both records for 34 years until the completion of the Burj...
in 1997 to expand convention space.
The centre has hosted many large scale events over the years, the most famous of which was the G7 conference in 1988 as well as the 1985 NHL Entry Draft
1985 NHL Entry Draft
The 1985 NHL Entry Draft was the first draft outside of Montreal. The event was held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Ontario, and attended by 7,000 fans. The National Hockey League teams selected 252 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in the reverse order of the...
. It also hosted the XVI International AIDS Conference
XVI International AIDS Conference, 2006
The XVI International AIDS Conference was held in Toronto, Ontario, during the week of August 13-18 2006. This was the third time that Canada has hosted the International AIDS Conference, after Montreal in 1989 and Vancouver in 1996. The main venue for the conference was the Metro Toronto...
in 2006. As well, it has played host to Toronto auditions for So You Think You Can Dance Canada
So You Think You Can Dance Canada
So You Think You Can Dance Canada was a dance competition and reality show that aired on CTV.Based on the original American TV show So You Think You Can Dance, the Canadian series showcased the best in Canadian dancing talent. Each season, the show held auditions in major cities across the...
and Canadian Idol. It has also been the site of numerous political conventions, and is the annual home of the NHL Awards. Fan Expo
Fan Expo Canada
Toronto, Canada's Fan Expo Canada is an annual multigenre fan convention. It was founded as the Canadian National Comic Book Expo in 1994 by Hobby Star Marketing Inc...
is held here, as well as the Canadian International Auto Show
Canadian International AutoShow
The Canadian International AutoShow, CIAS for short, is Canada's largest auto show and most prestigious consumer event in Canada. This event has been held in Toronto, Ontario since 1974 and is currently located in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and spans into the Rogers Centre...
.
The G-20 summit
2010 G-20 Toronto summit
The 2010 G-20 Toronto summit was the fourth meeting of the G-20 heads of government, in discussion of the global financial system and the world economy, which took place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, during June 26–27, 2010...
was held at the centre on June 26 and June 27, 2010. It was the same venue for the 14th G7 summit
14th G7 summit
The 14th G7 Summit was held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada between June 19 and 21, 1988. The venue for the summit meetings was the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in central Toronto....
held in 1988.
In April 2011 the Canada Lands Corporation (who own the Centre and attached hotel on behalf of the Federal government) announced that the Centre and hotel were for sale,
See also
Other convention venues in the Greater Toronto AreaGreater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area is the largest metropolitan area in Canada, with a 2006 census population of 5.5 million. The Greater Toronto Area is usually defined as the central city of Toronto, along with four regional municipalities surrounding it: Durham, Halton, Peel, and York...
:
- International CentreInternational Centrethumb|250px|International Centre.The International Centre is a multi-purpose convention centre in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. It is located at 6900 Airport Road, near the Toronto Pearson International Airport. The building was opened in 1972 by DeHavilland...
in Malton, OntarioMalton, OntarioMalton is a neighbourhood in the northeastern part of the city of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, located to the northwest of Toronto. The neighbourhood has a population of approximately 36,400 as of 2002....
(Mississauga, OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
) - Direct Energy Centre at Exhibition PlaceExhibition PlaceExhibition Place is a mixed-use district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, by the shoreline of Lake Ontario, just west of downtown. The 197–acre area includes expo, trade, and banquet centres, theatre and music buildings, monuments, parkland, sports facilities, and a number of civic, provincial,...
- Toronto Congress CentreToronto Congress CentreThe Toronto Congress Centre is currently the largest convention centre in Canada. It is located in Etobicoke, Ontario at 650 Dixon Road, near the Toronto Pearson International Airport and International Centre....
in Etobicoke, OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
External links
- Metro Toronto Convention Centre
- Building data from Emporis.com
- InterContinental Toronto Centre