Yonge-Dundas Square Wears Bold and Bright Colours for its 20th Anniversary

Yonge-Dundas Square is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. If you’re a Torontonian or visitor to the city, you’ve probably seen Yonge-Dundas Square. It’s that big open space at the corner of Yonge Street and Dundas Street East, where there’s always something going on. The Square is known for the huge screens surrounding it, the fountains, the stage, and the crowds of people. Over the years, it has been home and host to numerous events, celebrations, concerts, public art installations and milestones of countless community organizations with roots here in Canada or from abroad. The diversity of the city is reflected in the events and celebrations.

The Square, the experiences it provides and the memories it fosters, are as varied as the people who come to it. With that in mind, for its 20th anniversary, Yonge-Dundas Square worked with creative firm Puncture Design to develop a look and feel that celebrates the multi-faceted nature of the Square and the variety of experiences it creates and hosts. The result, bold and bright blocks of colours that work in tandem with the surrounding lights and sounds to capture attention and convey celebration.

Yonge-Dundas Square stage

Becoming Yonge-Dundas Square

The idea of making a public square at Yonge and Dundas goes back to 1996, when the Yonge Street Business and Residents Association and the City of Toronto decided it was time to make the intersection better. In 1998, the City of Toronto approved the redevelopment including the demolition of a building which once had a movie theatre, bowling alley and a night club, to make way for a new multi-functional and dynamic space to host different kinds of activities and events.

Intersection of Yonge and Dundas before it became Yonge-Dundas Square. Photo credit: City of Toronto Archives. Series 1465, File 548, Item 17.

A local Toronto urban design firm, Brown + Storey Architects Inc., won a competition to design the new space. From 1999 to 2003, the design would win multiple prestigious awards, notably the Award of Excellence: Significant Building in the Design Stage by the Canadian Architect Magazine.

In 2002, the Square welcomed its first public audience with a sneak preview with a spectacle of water and light featuring the 20 newly installed water fountains. The idea was to set the stage for the public to see how the Square would come alive before its official opening in 2003.

Over the years, the surrounding area has evolved with new buildings and billboards which gave Yonge-Dundas Square the nickname of Canada’s Times Square. In 2017, Yonge-Dundas Square embarked on a new partnership with OUTFRONT Media to provide new permanent digital signage and technologies on the Square. This marked the first major capital investment in the space since its construction, and the first public-private partnership of its kind in Canada.

Creating Yonge-Dundas Square was a team effort of the City of Toronto, residents, businesses, and community groups who worked together to make it happen. What makes the Square different from other public squares in Toronto is it was created to be financially self-sustaining by operating on a cost-recovery basis with surplus earnings returning to the City. In 2004, Toronto City Council approved ongoing financial support of fixed costs to support ongoing community access. In addition to the many community-based festivals, charity and City of Toronto produced events, it’s the only civic square in this city that welcomes bookings for commercial events and promotions.

Memorable Moments from 20 Years of Events

Yonge-Dundas Square hosts upwards of 200 event days each year. That’s thousands of experiences! Here are 20 of some of the most memorable Yonge-Dundas Square moments from the past 20 years:

1. Beyonce

Concert for Best Buy Grand Opening in Toronto (2006). Photo credit: beyonceonline.org

2. DESIFEST celebrations of the rich cultural heritage of South Asia. A musical extravaganza that has been presented at the Square for 17 years.

3. Illuminite, presented by the Downtown Yonge BIA, celebrates the winter holiday season with a magical evening of music, dance and light (multiple years).

4. Les Girafes Urban Operetta by French performance troupe Compagnie Off presented by the City of Toronto and Just for Laughs (2006).

5. Live Green Toronto Festival, presented by the City of Toronto, is one of Toronto’s largest outdoor celebration of all things green (multiple years).

6. Luminato

The international arts festival dedicated to big, bold contemporary works, has utilized Yonge-Dundas Square a number of times over the years.

Ed Burtynsky’s “In the Wake of Progress” included a billboard takeover and sound score (2022). Photo credit: Luminato

7. NHL Face Off Party to kick off the hockey season in Toronto featuring the Tragically Hip (2014).

8. Nuit Blanche. Toronto’s all-night celebration of contemporary art and other exciting projects (multiple years).

9. NXNE Music Festival with momentous acts including Iggy Pop and the Stooges (2010), Devo (2011) and The Flaming Lips (2012).

10. Pride Toronto Festival

Over the years, numerous celebrations at the Square of 2SLGBTQ+ culture and diversity. Photo credit: Drag Queen Alyssa Edwards (2016)

11. Sam the Record Man relighting and relocation event after the Toronto Metropolitan University restored the iconic sign (2017).

12. Sears Great Canadian Chill

The event that warmed our hearts as Torontonians plunged into a pool of icy, cold water to support SickKids Hospital (multiple years). Photo credit: Getty Images

13. Summerlicious. When Toronto’s favourite foody event had help from a crane to have “Dinner In the Sky” 150 feet above the Square (2008).

14. Tony Hawk

For the launch of the Tony Hawk Signature Collection for Walmart Canada (2016). Photo credit: Getty Images

15. Toronto Caribbean Carnival, formerly Caribana, celebrates Caribbean culture and heritage with parades, music, and costumes (multiple years).

16. Toronto International BuskerFest featuring street performance from various disciplines and backgrounds (multiple years).

17. Toronto International Film Festival has hosted a number of events and outdoor film screenings at the Square (multiple years).

18. Toronto Rib & Beer Fest, presented by the Northern Heat Rib Series, a Square staple for nine years.

19. YOUTH DAY Global. Engages young people in the Arts and showcases their positive achievements in Music, Dance, Art, Photography, Fashion and Film (multiple years).

20. Ziigwan

Three-day Indigenous music and arts festival celebrates the healing and learning power of music and art, the rebirth of spring, and the collective awakening as we walk together on the path toward reconciliation. Photo credit: downiewenjack.ca (2023)

Tag us on Instagram @ydsquare and use #YDS20 for a chance to have your favourite Yonge-Dundas Square moments featured on our blog, social channels and the Square’s digital screens.

The Square continues to be the heart of Toronto and is a key partner in the ongoing efforts to promote economic development in the downtown area and to provide a vibrant and exciting place for the community and visitors to gather. As we celebrate 20 years of Yonge-Dundas Square, a new strategic plan for the Square is under development with a focus on its future. Stay tuned. Here’s to the next 20 years!