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Opening September 18, 2026, Public Pier will bring a temporary cultural destination to Marina Quay West at 539 Queens Quay West. Running over three weekends, the pilot will test possible uses for the site before its transformation into a permanent City park and cultural venue. Beside the Toronto Music Garden and across the Portland Street slip from the Canada Malting Silos, the sizeable pier occupies a prominent location on the western waterfront. Beside its expansive city and harbour views, it currently offers visitors few reasons to drop by.
In its initial pop-up test phase, Amrina Quay West will offer free afternoon and evening programming that will include vendor shops, music, food and drink, public art, and spaces to gather in. After dark, Silo Nights will animate the Canada Malting Silos with large-scale projections.
Marking its 150th anniversary, OCAD University is curating Silo Nights with work by Toronto-based and international artists spanning projection, animation, digital media, and emerging technologies.
“Public Pier demonstrates the power of partnership to bring new energy, ideas and experiences to Toronto’s waterfront,” said 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.”
Public Pier is a collaboration between The Bentway, Harbourfront Centre, OCAD University, and the Waterfront BIA, with the Toronto Port Authority as lead sponsor. Their combined expertise spans public space, arts and culture, design, community engagement, and waterfront destination development. The pilot’s programming will also include dance and other cultural offerings.
“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.”
Across six days, organizers will examine how temporary amenities and cultural attractions influence the ways people discover, use, and gather at the pier. Visitor feedback and on-site observations will help assess its potential to support community life and local commerce, inform plans for the permanent park, and guide broader public-space investment along the waterfront.
“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,” said 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.”
Framed by the Canada Malting Silos, the pilot will also recast the waterfront’s industrial legacy as a setting for new civic and cultural uses. The Bentway brings experience connecting public space, arts programming, and community participation to the partnership.
Ilana Altman, CEO of The Bentway, added: “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.”
Public Pier will run Fridays and Saturdays on September 18 and 19, September 25 and 26, and October 2 and 3. Friday hours are 6 PM to 11 PM, with Saturdays running from 1 PM to 11 PM. For Nuit Blanche on October 3, the event will continue until 2 AM. Admission is free, and the full program and further updates will be posted at PublicPier.ca on September 8, 2026.
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