Coronation Park

Coronation Park — a living memorial by the lake

Here the trees themselves are the monument. Planted in 1937 by and for war veterans, they stand in symbolic rings around a central royal oak, turning a strip of Lake Ontario shoreline into one of Toronto’s most quietly moving green spaces.

Highlights

• The King’s Oak — the central Royal Oak, planted for the 1937 coronation of King George VI, with every other tree ringed around it.
• The Empire Circle — a ring of oaks representing Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, South Africa, the UK and the Crown Colonies.
• Remembrance Drive — 123 sugar maples planted during the 1939 royal tour, with groves honouring Canadian divisions and service branches.
• The Victory-Peace Monument — John McEwan’s 1995 work, its brass disk inscribed “1939 1945 PEACE”.
• The Martin Goodman / Waterfront Trail — running right along the water’s edge for walkers, runners and cyclists.

What you’ll find

Set on about nine acres of lakefront landfill, the park pairs commemoration with everyday recreation:

• Baseball diamonds for pick-up and league games.
• An off-leash dog area.
• A seasonal outdoor ice rink.
• The Coronation Park Pavilion, dating from 1995.
• Open lawns with sweeping skyline and open-water views.

Things to do — and who it’s for

• Runners and cyclists — easy waterfront kilometres on the Martin Goodman Trail.
• History-minded visitors — trace the memorial trees and monuments across a century of Canadian service.
• Dog owners — let dogs run in the dedicated off-leash area.
• Ball players — take a game on the diamonds.
• Families — spread a lakeside picnic with skyline and lake views.

Getting there & practical

The park sits on the central waterfront just west of the Exhibition Place and Ontario Place area, south of Fort York and beside HMCS York. It is an easy connection by the waterfront streetcar or a short walk from Exhibition GO, and the Waterfront Trail links it to the rest of the harbourfront on foot or by bike. The park is open and free year-round, and an hour or two is enough to walk the rings, reach the water and take in the views.

When to visit

Autumn is the signature season, when the memorial maples turn colour among the oaks. Summer brings cool lakefront breezes and wide open-water views, winter opens the outdoor ice rink, and each November the park hosts Remembrance Day observances.

Good to know

Approved in 1934 and completed for King George VI’s coronation day on 12 May 1937, Coronation Park commemorates service members from the First World War, the Boer War, the North-West Rebellion and the Fenian Raids. It was rededicated in November 2018 for the First World War centenary, and in May 2023 an oak was planted here for the coronation of King Charles III.

Visitor tips

• Start at the central Royal Oak and read the rings outward — the layout only makes sense from the middle.
• Bring a windbreaker; the open lakefront is breezy even on warm days.
• Come near sunset for the best light on the skyline and the water.

Questions & answers

Why are the trees called a memorial? They were planted in 1937 by and for war veterans and arranged in symbolic rings, so the living trees — not a single statue — form the monument.

What is the King’s Oak? It is the Royal Oak at the park’s centre, planted for the 1937 coronation of King George VI, with all the other trees ringed around it.

Is there a war monument as well? Yes — the Victory-Peace Monument by John McEwan, erected in 1995 for the 50th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, with a brass disk reading “1939 1945 PEACE”.

Can I bring my dog? Yes, there is a dedicated off-leash dog area within the park.

Is it worth visiting in winter? It is — a seasonal outdoor ice rink operates, and the lakefront views are striking in the cold months.

Does anything happen on Remembrance Day? Yes, the park holds Remembrance observances each November, fitting for a living memorial to Canada’s war dead.