Front of old brick building painted with a large blue mural, and Pride flags hanging off it. In front of the building, a lamp post with hanging flower pots. In the background, a large lush tree and a high-rise condo building.
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Regent Park

The Dreamer's Peace Garden
40 Oak Street
The Dreamer's Peace Garden was inspired and established by Regent Park resident Elsaida Douglas, who migrated to Canada from Jamaica in the 1970s. Douglas became a prominent community member in Regent Park, who championed changes to public housing policies. She became an advocate for ending gun violence after losing her son in 2001, and founded a collective of women called the Dreamers who opposed gun violence. She founded the Peace Garden in 2005 as a memorial to lives lost. The garden was originally located behind 605 Whiteside Place, but was relocated to 40 Oak Street in 2011. The garden now rests in front of the Christian Resource Centre (CRC), and is open to visitors as an expression of peace, unity, and love. The memorial plaque from the original garden can be viewed in the centre of the garden benches.

Daniels Spectrum
585 Dundas Street East
Daniels Spectrum is a cultural community hub that was first opened to the public in 2012 as part of the Regent Park Revitalization Project. This hub emerged as a partnership between Artscape, Toronto Community Housing, the Daniels Corporation, and the Regent Park community. This building is home to a number of different cultural and arts-based organizations, including the Regent Park Film Festival, Pathways to Education, and Regent Park School of Music. Daniels Spectrum also hosts a lounge, performance and exhibition spaces, and hallway galleries. The colourful building, designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects, stands out on Dundas Street East. Each colour is based on the flags of the different nations of origin of Regent Park residents at the time of construction.

Regent Park
620 Dundas Street East
Located between Dundas Street East, Sumach Street, Sackville Street, and Oak Street, Regent Park provides an open green space for the neighbourhood, featuring a playground, splash pad, and plaza. The creation of this park was part of a major revitalization project in the neighbourhood, ensuring residents in the community had greater access to green space and community programs. Regent Park hosts a number of community events throughout the year, including Taste of Regent Park, put on by the Regent Park Community Food Centre, film screenings by the Regent Park Film Festival, and Pow Wows hosted by the nearby Toronto Council Fire Native Cultural Centre. The park also features a community garden, bake oven, and greenhouse, offering food programming and the opportunity for residents and agencies to grow fresh food downtown. The bake oven is decorated with a colourful mural designed by artist BBomit and Toronto youth groups.

Dan Bergeron, 'Faces of Regent Park Art' Installation
614 Dundas Street East
Designed by Dan Bergeron, 'Faces of Regent Park' captures the lives of the different residents and diverse communities that make up the Regent Park neighbourhood. Each portrait is a mixed-media piece mounted on glass, featuring a portrait on either side. The portraits are installed in Regent Park's concrete plaza. To create the portraits, Bergeron photographed twelve volunteer subjects, and applied patterns and textures over their faces. Bergeron incorporated street art from the community into his portraits, including graffiti tags. The portraits can be seen in front of Regent Park on Dundas Street East. Prominent community members portrayed in these portraits include Elsaida Douglas and Mustafa the Poet.

Pam McConnell Aquatic Centre
640 Dundas Street East
Located on the southeast side of Regent Park, the Pam McConnell Aquatic Centre is a part of the revitalization initiatives in Regent Park, and first opened to the public in 2012. The centre was named to honour local politician, Regent Park resident, and community advocate Pam McConnell in 2018, after she passed away in 2017. Pam McConnell was a strong advocate for poverty reduction policies and affordable recreation spaces, including the construction of a state-of-the-art community aquatic facility. The aquatic centre is a striking feature of the park, and features a green roof and a sun terrace along with its indoor pools.

Adam Beck Cigar Box Manufacturing Company Building
736 Dundas Street East
Built in 1913, this former factory building was designed by John M. Lyle. Lyle designed a number of notable buildings in Toronto, including Union Station and the Royal Alexandra Theatre. The owner of this building was the Honourable Adam Beck, a businessman and politician. Beck was also an advocate for ensuring there was a publicly owned electrical supply in Ontario, and was a key founder of Ontario Hydro. The Heritage Toronto plaque can be viewed on the walls of the building, next to the main doors.

Sumach - Shuter Parkette
485 Shuter Street
The Sumach-Shuter Parkette offers a shaded green space featuring a playground and splash pad. Located at the intersection of Sumach and Shuter Streets, the parkette is right across from the Regent Park Athletic Grounds.

Nelson Mandela Park Public School
440 Shuter Street
First founded as the Park Public School in 1853, the Nelson Mandela Park Public School was one of the first public schools in Toronto. While the building itself has been rebuilt and renovated throughout the years (most recently in 2013) the Nelson Mandela Park Public School has occupied the same site since it was first constructed. The school was renamed for Nelson Mandela on November 17, 2001, after he attended a ceremony at the school in his honour. Today, the school offers education with a focus on wellbeing and equity, with a specific focus on confronting anti-Black racism.

Regent Park Community Centre and Jyhling Lee 'Model Home' Sculpture
402 Shuter Street
Located right next to Nelson Mandela Park Public School, the Regent Park Community Centre is an expansive building that offers a diverse range of facilities, including recreational activities, a childcare centre, an employment centre, a green roof, and connections to the public school next door. Designed by architect Susan Spencer Lewin, the building first opened in 2016. A sculpture called 'Model Home' is displayed in front of the colourful facade of the community centre. 'Model Home' was designed by artist Jyhling Lee. Lee constructed the metal sculpture to look like a paper cut-out of a room within a house, and the design displays a collection of meaningful personal objects submitted by the Regent Park community to create a sense of home. The sculpture features a table, benches, and chairs, providing a space for people to sit, read, and play.

Toronto's Narrowest House
383 Shuter Street
*Note: Private property. Please observe the house from the sidewalk only. Described as the narrowest detached house in Toronto, this home at 383 Shuter Street is only eight feet wide. The house was renovated to include two bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a finished basement, and features a garden and a cathedral ceiling. When it was first constructed in 1890, the house was only one storey. It was later expanded to have three storeys by one of its previous owners, who was an architect. Sandwiched between two other homes, this house attracts attention with its narrow frame and many windows.

Joyce Yeh and Melissa Luk Artbox
Northeast corner of Shuter Street and Regent Street
The Bell Box Murals project has transformed utility cabinets into works of art. One side of this box depicts diverse faces and doves breaking through a brick wall and the other side depicts an abstract pattern made from a local sound recording.

Dominion Brewery Office Buildings
473 Queen Street East
First built in 1879, this expansive building housed the offices for the Dominion Brewery, founded by Robert Davies. Son of Thomas Davies, founder of the Don Brewery, Robert eventually purchased the Valley Brickworks. He used the bricks to construct buildings for brewhouses, taverns, and homes for his employees in the area around Queen Street East. This brewery operated until 1936, and the remaining building is now used for office and retail space. The building still retains many of its original features, and is listed on the City of Toronto's Inventory of Heritage Properties.

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Explore Regent Park

Now is the time for residents to experience all that tourists have been raving about for years. Discover shops, stops, places and spaces on city main streets. Stay curious, Toronto.

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Explore FREE Public Art Across the City. Toronto's Year of Public Art 2021-2022 is a year-long celebration of Toronto's exceptional public art collection and the creative community behind it.

We hope that you enjoyed exploring this Toronto neighbourhood and found many other points of interest along the way. While StrollTO highlights some of the 'hidden gems' in the neighbourhood, there may be others that could be included in a future edition. Would you like to share a point of interest that you discovered in the neighbourhood? Email us at [email protected].

Neighbourhood Stroll

This stroll explores the beautiful parks and community spaces that were a part of the Regent Park Revitalization Project, while highlighting local street art and heritage buildings. See the impact of Regent Park community members such as Pam McConnell and Elsaida Douglas, and experience how the neighbourhood has changed over time, from old breweries to modern works of architecture such as Daniels Spectrum. The stroll takes you right through the Historic Queen East BIA, which hosts a diverse selection of shops, restaurants, and galleries.

Main Streets: Dundas Street East, Parliament Street, Queen Street East and River Street
  1. The Dreamer's Peace Garden
    40 Oak Street
    The Dreamer's Peace Garden was inspired and established by Regent Park resident Elsaida Douglas, who migrated to Canada from Jamaica in the 1970s. Douglas became a prominent community member in Regent Park, who championed changes to public housing policies. She became an advocate for ending gun violence after losing her son in 2001, and founded a collective of women called the Dreamers who opposed gun violence. She founded the Peace Garden in 2005 as a memorial to lives lost. The garden was originally located behind 605 Whiteside Place, but was relocated to 40 Oak Street in 2011. The garden now rests in front of the Christian Resource Centre (CRC), and is open to visitors as an expression of peace, unity, and love. The memorial plaque from the original garden can be viewed in the centre of the garden benches.
  2. Daniels Spectrum
    585 Dundas Street East
    Daniels Spectrum is a cultural community hub that was first opened to the public in 2012 as part of the Regent Park Revitalization Project. This hub emerged as a partnership between Artscape, Toronto Community Housing, the Daniels Corporation, and the Regent Park community. This building is home to a number of different cultural and arts-based organizations, including the Regent Park Film Festival, Pathways to Education, and Regent Park School of Music. Daniels Spectrum also hosts a lounge, performance and exhibition spaces, and hallway galleries. The colourful building, designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects, stands out on Dundas Street East. Each colour is based on the flags of the different nations of origin of Regent Park residents at the time of construction.
  3. Regent Park
    620 Dundas Street East
    Located between Dundas Street East, Sumach Street, Sackville Street, and Oak Street, Regent Park provides an open green space for the neighbourhood, featuring a playground, splash pad, and plaza. The creation of this park was part of a major revitalization project in the neighbourhood, ensuring residents in the community had greater access to green space and community programs. Regent Park hosts a number of community events throughout the year, including Taste of Regent Park, put on by the Regent Park Community Food Centre, film screenings by the Regent Park Film Festival, and Pow Wows hosted by the nearby Toronto Council Fire Native Cultural Centre. The park also features a community garden, bake oven, and greenhouse, offering food programming and the opportunity for residents and agencies to grow fresh food downtown. The bake oven is decorated with a colourful mural designed by artist BBomit and Toronto youth groups.
  4. Dan Bergeron, 'Faces of Regent Park Art' Installation
    614 Dundas Street East
    Designed by Dan Bergeron, 'Faces of Regent Park' captures the lives of the different residents and diverse communities that make up the Regent Park neighbourhood. Each portrait is a mixed-media piece mounted on glass, featuring a portrait on either side. The portraits are installed in Regent Park's concrete plaza. To create the portraits, Bergeron photographed twelve volunteer subjects, and applied patterns and textures over their faces. Bergeron incorporated street art from the community into his portraits, including graffiti tags. The portraits can be seen in front of Regent Park on Dundas Street East. Prominent community members portrayed in these portraits include Elsaida Douglas and Mustafa the Poet.
  5. Pam McConnell Aquatic Centre
    640 Dundas Street East
    Located on the southeast side of Regent Park, the Pam McConnell Aquatic Centre is a part of the revitalization initiatives in Regent Park, and first opened to the public in 2012. The centre was named to honour local politician, Regent Park resident, and community advocate Pam McConnell in 2018, after she passed away in 2017. Pam McConnell was a strong advocate for poverty reduction policies and affordable recreation spaces, including the construction of a state-of-the-art community aquatic facility. The aquatic centre is a striking feature of the park, and features a green roof and a sun terrace along with its indoor pools.
  6. Adam Beck Cigar Box Manufacturing Company Building
    736 Dundas Street East
    Built in 1913, this former factory building was designed by John M. Lyle. Lyle designed a number of notable buildings in Toronto, including Union Station and the Royal Alexandra Theatre. The owner of this building was the Honourable Adam Beck, a businessman and politician. Beck was also an advocate for ensuring there was a publicly owned electrical supply in Ontario, and was a key founder of Ontario Hydro. The Heritage Toronto plaque can be viewed on the walls of the building, next to the main doors.
  7. Sumach - Shuter Parkette
    485 Shuter Street
    The Sumach-Shuter Parkette offers a shaded green space featuring a playground and splash pad. Located at the intersection of Sumach and Shuter Streets, the parkette is right across from the Regent Park Athletic Grounds.
  8. Nelson Mandela Park Public School
    440 Shuter Street
    First founded as the Park Public School in 1853, the Nelson Mandela Park Public School was one of the first public schools in Toronto. While the building itself has been rebuilt and renovated throughout the years (most recently in 2013) the Nelson Mandela Park Public School has occupied the same site since it was first constructed. The school was renamed for Nelson Mandela on November 17, 2001, after he attended a ceremony at the school in his honour. Today, the school offers education with a focus on wellbeing and equity, with a specific focus on confronting anti-Black racism.
  9. Regent Park Community Centre and Jyhling Lee 'Model Home' Sculpture
    402 Shuter Street
    Located right next to Nelson Mandela Park Public School, the Regent Park Community Centre is an expansive building that offers a diverse range of facilities, including recreational activities, a childcare centre, an employment centre, a green roof, and connections to the public school next door. Designed by architect Susan Spencer Lewin, the building first opened in 2016. A sculpture called 'Model Home' is displayed in front of the colourful facade of the community centre. 'Model Home' was designed by artist Jyhling Lee. Lee constructed the metal sculpture to look like a paper cut-out of a room within a house, and the design displays a collection of meaningful personal objects submitted by the Regent Park community to create a sense of home. The sculpture features a table, benches, and chairs, providing a space for people to sit, read, and play.
  10. Toronto's Narrowest House
    383 Shuter Street
    *Note: Private property. Please observe the house from the sidewalk only. Described as the narrowest detached house in Toronto, this home at 383 Shuter Street is only eight feet wide. The house was renovated to include two bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a finished basement, and features a garden and a cathedral ceiling. When it was first constructed in 1890, the house was only one storey. It was later expanded to have three storeys by one of its previous owners, who was an architect. Sandwiched between two other homes, this house attracts attention with its narrow frame and many windows.
  11. Joyce Yeh and Melissa Luk Artbox
    Northeast corner of Shuter Street and Regent Street
    The Bell Box Murals project has transformed utility cabinets into works of art. One side of this box depicts diverse faces and doves breaking through a brick wall and the other side depicts an abstract pattern made from a local sound recording.
  12. Dominion Brewery Office Buildings
    473 Queen Street East
    First built in 1879, this expansive building housed the offices for the Dominion Brewery, founded by Robert Davies. Son of Thomas Davies, founder of the Don Brewery, Robert eventually purchased the Valley Brickworks. He used the bricks to construct buildings for brewhouses, taverns, and homes for his employees in the area around Queen Street East. This brewery operated until 1936, and the remaining building is now used for office and retail space. The building still retains many of its original features, and is listed on the City of Toronto's Inventory of Heritage Properties.

Accessibility information: This walk takes place along paved streets and paths. All points of interest are viewable from the sidewalk. There is a slight incline to walk into the Dreamer's Garden, and the paths through Regent Park and Sumach-Shuter Parkette may be difficult to maneuver depending on weather conditions.

The StrollTO itineraries may follow routes that do not receive winter maintenance. Please review winter safety tips and for more information contact 311.

Soundtracks of the City

From global superstars to local favourites and ones to watch, the Soundtracks of the City playlists all feature artists who have called Toronto home. Whether it’s a lyric about the neighborhood, an artist representing a cultural community, or a tie-in to the StrollTO itinerary itself, all the music reflects connections to an individual ward or the City as a whole.

Music was chosen based on an artist’s Spotify presence and each song’s broad appeal, as well as its associations with the cultures, languages and ethnicities that reflect Toronto’s neighborhoods and diverse music scene. Soundtracks of the City combines 425 songs that feature more than 500 different local artists or acts, showcasing songs in 23 different languages.