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Metro Toronto Convention Centre (originally and still colloquially Metro Convention Centre, and sometimes MTCC), is a convention complex located in
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
,
Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
, Canada along Front Street West in the former
Railway Lands Railway Lands is an area in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Originally a large railway switching yard near the Toronto waterfront, including the CNR Spadina Roundhouse and the John Street Roundhouse, CPR John Roundhouse, it has since been redeve ...
in
downtown Toronto Downtown Toronto is the main central business district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Located entirely within the district of Old Toronto, it is approximately 16.6 square kilometres in area, bounded by Bloor Street to the northeast and Dupont Stre ...
. The property is today owned by
Oxford Properties Oxford Properties is a Canadian multinational corporation, with operations in real estate investment, development and property management. Its portfolio includes office, retail, industrial, multi-residential, life sciences and hotel assets. Esta ...
. The centre is operated by the Metropolitan Toronto Convention Centre Corporation, an independent agency of the
Government of Ontario The government of Ontario (french: Gouvernement de l'Ontario) is the body responsible for the administration of the Canadian province of Ontario. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown—represented in the province by the lieutenant governor†...
.


Description

The MTCC has of space, and is home to the 1232-seat
John Bassett Theatre The John W. H. Bassett Theatre is a multi-purpose theatre located in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada on Front Street, in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. The theatre is regularly used by the CTV Television Network for television shows such ...
. To the east end of the complex is the 586-room
InterContinental Toronto Centre The InterContinental Toronto Centre is a hotel located in the downtown core of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre complex on Front Street West in the former Railway Lands. The hotel is managed by InterCont ...
hotel (formerly
Canadian National Railway The Canadian National Railway Company (french: Compagnie des chemins de fer nationaux du Canada) is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States. CN i ...
's ''L'Hotel CN''). At the west end of the complex is a 265,000 square foot Class-B office building. Within the office building is the Pint restaurant, which was formerly a
Baton Rouge Baton Rouge ( ; ) is a city in and the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-sma ...
from 2006 to 2017 and a
Planet Hollywood Planet Hollywood International Inc. (stylized as planet Hollywood, planet Hollywood observatory and ph) is a themed restaurant chain inspired by the popular portrayal of Hollywood. The company is owned by Earl Enterprises corporation. Earl En ...
from 1996 to 2006. A south building containing exhibition space is located south of the rail lines, on Bremner Boulevard. The centre is connected to the
Union Station A union station (also known as a union terminal, a joint station in Europe, and a joint-use station in Japan) is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway companies, allowing passengers to ...
railway and transit station through the
SkyWalk A skyway, skybridge, skywalk, or sky walkway is an elevated type of pedway connecting two or more buildings in an urban area, or connecting elevated points within mountainous recreational zones. Urban skyways very often take the form of enclos ...
, and is also accessible via the underground
PATH A path is a route for physical travel – see Trail. Path or PATH may also refer to: Physical paths of different types * Bicycle path * Bridle path, used by people on horseback * Course (navigation), the intended path of a vehicle * Desire p ...
system. The centre is also connected by the Skywalk system to the nearby
Rogers Centre Rogers Centre (originally SkyDome) is a multi-purpose retractable roof stadium in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated at the base of the CN Tower near the northern shore of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989 on the former Railway Lands, it ...
and large conventions or exhibitions will sometimes also use it as an additional venue. According to a 2018 report, over the past 34 years, the MTCC has hosted over 20,000 events and has added in direct spending economic impact to the community. Direct spending economic impact is created when conference, trade and public show attendees spend on dining, hotel nights, shopping, transportation and more in Toronto. Based on the Ontario Tourism Regional Economic Impact Model (TREIM), the MTCC also sustained a record-breaking 7,622 jobs in the community in its 2017/18 fiscal year.


History

The site was formerly federally owned
Railway Lands Railway Lands is an area in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Originally a large railway switching yard near the Toronto waterfront, including the CNR Spadina Roundhouse and the John Street Roundhouse, CPR John Roundhouse, it has since been redeve ...
. Prior to the early 1980s, the site was home to tail end tracks and a parking lot. During the 1970s, the site was part of the proposed and failed "Metro Centre" development which sought to convert the large rail lands in one large development. Development instead proceeded in parcel-by-parcel fashion, with developments such as
Roy Thomson Hall Roy Thomson Hall is a concert hall in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Located downtown in the city's entertainment district, it is home to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, and the Toronto Defiant. Opened in 1982, its circ ...
, the
CN Tower The CN Tower (french: Tour CN) is a concrete communications and observation tower in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Built on the former Railway Lands, it was completed in 1976. Its name "CN" referred to Canadian National, the railway c ...
and the SkyDome stadium (renamed
Rogers Centre Rogers Centre (originally SkyDome) is a multi-purpose retractable roof stadium in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated at the base of the CN Tower near the northern shore of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989 on the former Railway Lands, it ...
in 2005). The rail yards were transferred to new locations north and east of Toronto. The main rail lines south of the centre were retained. The convention centre and hotel was completed in 1984, built by CN Real Estate designed by Architects Crang and Boake. In 1995, ownership was transferred to Canada Lands Corporation, an agency of the Government of Canada. A new largely underground addition, designed by Bregman + Hamann Architects, was added south of the railways, east of the CN Tower in 1997 to expand convention space. In April 2011, the Canada Lands Corporation announced that the centre and hotel was for sale.
OMERS The Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS) is a Canadian public pension fund, headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. OMERS is a defined benefit, jointly sponsored, multi-employer public pension plan created in 1962 by Ontario provinc ...
-owned Oxford Properties won the rights to the complex in August 2011. The purchase of the North Building, the hotel, the 277 Front Street West office building and a 1,200 stall parking facility was completed in September 2011 for . The complex was adjacent to other Oxford-owned properties at 315 and 325 Front Street. In October 2012, Oxford Properties proposed the re-development of the site with an updated convention centre, casino, hotel and retail complex. The current MTCC complex would be demolished and replaced with a new complex. In January 2021, a site at the convention centre opened as a large-scale clinic for distribution of the
COVID-19 vaccine A COVID19 vaccine is a vaccine intended to provide acquired immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID19). Prior to the COVID19 pandemic, an e ...
during the
COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto The COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto is an ongoing viral pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Toronto is the most populous city in Canad ...
.


Events

The centre has hosted many large-scale events over the years. The
G-20 summit The following list of G20 summits summarizes all G20 conferences held at various different levels: summits of heads of state or heads of government, ministerial-level meetings, Engagement Group meetings and others. Summits of state leaders ...
was held at the centre on June 26 and June 27, 2010. It was the same venue for the
14th G7 summit The 14th G7 Summit was held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada between June 19 and 21, 1988. The venue for the summit meetings was the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Downtown Toronto.Japan, Ministry of Foreign Affairs ( MOFA) Summit Meetings in the ...
held in 1988. The
1985 NHL Entry Draft The 1985 NHL Entry Draft was the 23rd NHL Entry Draft. It was the first draft outside Montreal. The event was held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Ontario, and attended by 7,000 fans. The National Hockey League (NHL) teams sele ...
was held at the centre. It has also hosted the
XVI International AIDS Conference The XVI International AIDS Conference was held in Toronto, Ontario, during the week of 13–18 August 2006. This was the third time that Canada has hosted the International AIDS Conference, after Montreal in 1989 and Vancouver in 1996. The main v ...
in 2006. As well, it has played host to Toronto auditions for ''
So You Think You Can Dance Canada ''So You Think You Can Dance Canada'' is a dance competition and reality show that aired on CTV. Based on the original American TV show ''So You Think You Can Dance'', the Canadian series showcased the best in Canadian dancing talent. Each seas ...
'' and ''Canadian Idol''. It has also been the site of numerous political conventions, and was the annual home of the
NHL Awards The National Hockey League presents numerous annual awards and trophies to recognize its teams and players. The oldest, and most recognizable, is the Stanley Cup. First awarded in 1893, the Stanley Cup is awarded to the NHL's playoff champion. ...
.
Fan Expo Fan Expo is a group of fan conventions operated by Fan Expo HQ, a unit of the Informa Connect division of Informa plc. Most of its events are run under the Fan Expo brand, which stems from its namesake, the Toronto-based Fan Expo Canada. History ...
& Enthusiast Gaming Live Expo (EGLX) is held here, as well as the
Canadian International Auto Show The Canadian International AutoShow (CIAS) is Canada's largest auto show. This event has been held in Toronto, Ontario since 1974 and is staged annually in February at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. It draws an average of 300,000 visitors th ...
. The 2016
Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference Microsoft Inspire (formerly the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference, and previously abbreviated WPC) is a conference held annually by Microsoft Corporation for its partner community. At Inspire, partners are taught about Microsoft's roadmap fo ...
was held here as well. In 2011, on the occasion of Art Toronto the artist
Achim Zeman Achim Zeman (born 1961 in Stuttgart) is a German painter and installation artist. He is a representative of Op-Art and is based on the rules of Concrete Art. Biography Zeman studied at the Berlin University of the Arts from 1983 to 1989 an ...
presented an installation at the entrance-hall of the building called ''Str@del'': Eight columns, walls, the ceiling and the reception were covered in red and matte white
fluorescent Fluorescence is the emission of light by a substance that has absorbed light or other electromagnetic radiation. It is a form of luminescence. In most cases, the emitted light has a longer wavelength, and therefore a lower photon energy, tha ...
foils. The stripes, wide and narrow surrounded the architectural space, and because of their arrangement left the impression on the viewer as if he was experiencing countless whirlpools, which swirled around him.


Gallery

Image:MetroTorontoConventionCentre5.JPG, North Building of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre Image:MetroTorontoConventionCentre4.JPG, South Building of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre Image:MetroTorontoConventionCentre7.JPG, Grassland outside of the South Building Image:MetroTorontoConventionCentre6.JPG, Conference booths during setup Image:MetroTorontoConventionCentre9.JPG, Bridge that links the North Building and the South Building Image:Achim Zeman strudel 05, 2011 Art Toronto.jpg, Art-Installation of Achim Zeman, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, on the occasion of the Art Toronto 2011 Image:AchimZeman-arttoronto-88.jpg, Art-Installation (Detail) of Achim Zeman, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, on the occasion of the Art Toronto 2011


See also

Other convention venues in
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, or the
Greater Toronto Area The Greater Toronto Area, commonly referred to as the GTA, includes the City of Toronto and the regional municipalities of Durham, Halton, Peel, and York. In total, the region contains 25 urban, suburban, and rural municipalities. The Greater T ...
: *
International Centre The International Centre is a multi-purpose convention centre in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, located near Toronto Pearson International Airport. The International Centre is privately owned and hosts over 450 shows and events each year. History ...
in
Mississauga Mississauga ( ), historically known as Toronto Township, is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is situated on the shores of Lake Ontario in the Regional Municipality of Peel, adjoining the western border of Toronto. With a popul ...
*
Enercare Centre The Enercare Centre, formerly known as the Direct Energy Centre and originally the National Trade Centre, is an exhibition complex located at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is used by the Canadian National Exhibition and the Roya ...
at
Exhibition Place Exhibition Place is a publicly owned mixed-use district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located by the shoreline of Lake Ontario, just west of downtown. The site includes exhibit, trade, and banquet centres, theatre and music buildings, monuments ...
*
Toronto Congress Centre The Toronto Congress Centre (TCC) is an event, meeting and trade show complex in the former city of Etobicoke in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located near Toronto Pearson International Airport. It has over of exhibition space between two buildin ...
in
Etobicoke Etobicoke (, ) is an administrative district of, and one of six municipalities amalgamated into, the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Comprising the city's west-end, Etobicoke was first settled by Europeans in the 1790s, and the municipalit ...


References


External links

*
Building data
from
Emporis.com Emporis GmbH was a real estate data mining company that was headquartered in Hamburg, Germany. The company collected data and photographs of buildings worldwide, which were published in an online database from 2000 to September 2022. On 12 Sept ...
{{Authority control Convention centres in Canada Buildings and structures in Toronto Event venues established in 1984 Oxford Properties Railway Lands 1984 establishments in Ontario