Great Skate #47: The Bentway Skate Trail, Toronto


This marks the eighth (!?!) year of my Great Skate Project. While I may not be able to get to a new rink every weekend this winter, I’ll try my best to skate somewhere at least once a week, and write here about the rinks I visit for the first time.

My friend Carrie joined me for Great Skate #47 on Saturday, January 5, 2019. Carrie hadn’t been skating in a few years. I wanted her to enjoy getting back on the ice again, so we visited a rink in Toronto that is known for its amenities: The Bentway Skate Trail.

The Bentway Skate Trail opened in January 2018. It’s part of a larger public space under the Gardiner Expressway, next to historic Fort York in the west end of Toronto. Along with wintertime skating, it has art installations, music performances and other special events throughout the year. The Bentway was created by “the collaboration of a range of city-builders and experts” and it’s a neat example how private philanthropy can intersect with urban planning.

The skate trail itself is a figure eight, 220m long, very similar to many of the newer rinks in Toronto’s public parks. Admission is free. Skate and helmet rentals, a skate sharpening service and indoor changerooms and lockers are available. And there are some extras that reminded me of the rink in New York’s Bryant Park:

  • Free wifi
  • Props for unsteady skaters (in both children and adult sizes)
  • Sheltered outdoor seating areas
  • A licensed snack bar

Carrie and I had a really good time. It was busy, but the crowd moved at a steady pace (clockwise!) and didn’t feel chaotic. We skated for at least half an hour, then treated ourselves to mulled wine. It was an excellent start to a new year of Great Skates.

Why is it called The Bentway?

The Bentway is situated under the tall concrete structures that support the Gardiner Expressway. “Bents” is the technical term for those structures. Perhaps it would be more comforting if they were called “sturdys” or “rigids” but “bents” does a nice job of hinting at that minor thrill you feel when you are looking up at the underside of the Gardiner Expressway, wondering how secure it actually is.

Skaters on the rink under the "bents" at The Bentway Skate Trail.

The Zamboni makes the rounds at The Bentway Skate Trail.

More Great Skates:

How the Great Skate Project began

The list of Great Skates so far


Location: The Bentway, 250 Fort York Blvd, Toronto, ON M5V 3K9, Canada

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