A prominent but underused stretch of Toronto’s waterfront is about to become a temporary experiential public space and cultural destination.
Launching Friday, September 18, Public Pier is a collaborative public realm pilot that will temporarily transform Marina Quay West into a welcoming waterfront hub for arts and culture, gathering and public life. The project will explore how creative placemaking can bring people to the site and encourage them to enjoy the waterfront in new ways, as well as help shape the pier’s evolution into a future public park and cultural platform.
Located at 539 Queens Quay West, beside Toronto Music Garden and across from the Canada Malting Silos, Marina Quay West occupies a distinctive position on Toronto’s western waterfront. Despite its size, views, and central location, the site currently offers few reasons for people to visit or spend time there. Public Pier will begin to change that.
Public Pier will welcome visitors over three weekends in September and October with free day-to-night experiences including vendor shops, music, food and beverage, public art, and Silo Nights, a landmark projection program on the Canada Malting Silos curated by OCAD University, which will animate the site and surroundings, inviting Torontonians to see the potential of this new destination firsthand.
A collaboration between The Bentway, Harbourfront Centre, OCAD University, and the Waterfront BIA, Public Pier brings together complementary expertise in public space, arts and culture, design, community engagement, and waterfront destination development. Together, these organizations are advancing a shared vision for Toronto’s waterfront and demonstrating how cross-sector partnerships can shape places that are welcoming, vibrant, and meaningful to the city and its communities. The project is supported by the Toronto Port Authority as lead sponsor.
“Public Pier demonstrates the power of partnership to bring new energy, ideas and experiences to Toronto’s waterfront,” says OCAD U President and Vice-Chancellor Ana Serrano. “As the University celebrates its 150th year, we are proud to contribute to this shared vision by curating Silo Nights, bringing together artists working across projection, animation, digital media and emerging technologies, with creative voices from Toronto and around the world. Both Public Pier and Silo Nights reflect OCAD U’s longstanding commitment to collaboration and to using art and design to make a meaningful impact and to shape vibrant, welcoming public spaces.”
“Each of us brings something different to this partnership, and that’s what makes Public Pier so compelling,” adds Tenio Evangelista, president and chair of the Board of Directors, Harbourfront Centre. “Together with The Bentway, OCAD University and the Waterfront BIA, we’re creating new reasons for people to discover and spend time on Toronto’s waterfront through dance, arts and culture, food and shared experiences. It’s a great example of what’s possible when we work together to bring new energy to the waterfront.”
Through temporary day-to-night transformational programming, the project will test how amenities, placemaking, and cultural experiences can change the way people discover and use the pier. The site will become more inviting and accessible, creating new opportunities to gather, connect with the waterfront, and experience the space from a different perspective.
“Public Pier is about looking beyond what this space is today and demonstrating what it could become, sharing its potential to enhance Toronto’s waterfront as a vibrant world-class destination,” says Tim Kocur, executive director, Waterfront BIA. “Before Marina Quay West becomes a permanent public park, we have an opportunity to invite people into the space, to discover new uses, and to better understand how this site can support culture, community, and economic activity.”
Ilana Altman, CEO of The Bentway adds: “The future of the waterfront will depend on the partnerships we build today. We’re excited to build on The Bentway’s experience bringing culture, community, and public space together, while working alongside our partners to create a unique experience at Public Pier – one that brings people together and invites them to see the waterfront, and these former industrial spaces, as sites for new possibilities.”
The Public Pier pilot will also offer valuable insight into how people respond to and use the space when it is made more welcoming and active. Feedback and observations gathered throughout the project will help identify opportunities for the site’s future while demonstrating how temporary activation can contribute to longer-term public-space planning and investment along Toronto’s waterfront.
Project updates and programming details will be announced at PublicPier.ca on September 8, 2026.
Public Pier – Dates, Times
Marina Quay West, 539 Queens Quay West, Toronto
Fridays and Saturdays: September 18 and 19, September 25 and 26, and October 2 and 3
Fridays from 6 p.m. until 11 p.m.
Saturdays from 1 p.m. until 11 pm. (*during Nuit Blanche on Oct. 3, event will run until 2 a.m.)
About Public Pier
Public Pier is a collaborative public-realm pilot exploring the future potential of Marina Quay West as a vibrant waterfront destination for culture, gathering, and public life. Led by The Bentway, Harbourfront Centre, OCAD University, and the Waterfront BIA, the project uses temporary placemaking and cultural experiences to test how an underused waterfront site can contribute to community life, economic activity, and the future of Toronto’s public realm.
About Silo Nights Curated by OCAD University
Silo Nights will transform the iconic Canada Malting Silos into a giant canvas for immersive art and storytelling — featuring international artists, student collaborations, and Canadian and world premieres. The series culminates with a Nuit Blanche grand finale on October 3 exploring the theme, What We Carry Forward, illuminating the silos all night long.