The City of Toronto encourages residents to enjoy Family Day on Monday, February 18 by visiting select City indoor and outdoor recreation facilities, historic museums, conservatories, and more. Family Day schedules are available at www.toronto.ca/familyday, or by calling 311. Children must be accompanied by an adult for all activities.
Parks and recreation
Family Day programs will be available throughout the city. Residents can enjoy the day with free outdoor and indoor activities including skating, swimming, cooking, drumming, dancing, crafts, board games and family fitness classes.
Skating
There are 52 outdoor rinks or skating trails to choose from across the city, weather permitting. Many indoor arenas will also be open. There is no charge for public skating at the City’s indoor arenas and outdoor rinks. CSA-approved hockey helmets are mandatory for children under the age of six and are recommended for skaters of all ages.
Nathan Phillips Square skating party
Families can visit Nathan Phillips Square at City Hall, located at 100 Queen St. W., from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on Family Day are also invited to take part in a fun-filled outing from 1 to 4 p.m., sponsored by Tim Hortons, which will feature informal skating instruction and hot beverages at the Tim’s House lounge. Skate rentals are available.
Skiing and snowboarding
Earl Bales and Centennial Park Ski and Snowboard Centres will be open on Family Day, weather permitting. Updates and schedules are available at http://www.toronto.ca/ski.
Swimming
Leisure swimming will be available at many indoor pools on Family Day. City-run leisure swims are free of charge for everyone.
Recreation programs
Multiple recreation facilities will offer free programming for the whole family on Family Day. Children accompanied by an adult can enjoy swimming, indoor/outdoor skating, yoga, Zumba, gymnastics, sports, arts and crafts and much more.
Riverdale Farm
The City’s farm at 201 Winchester St., open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., features farm animals and offers various activities. Admission is free.
High Park Zoo
Toronto’s oldest animal attraction has been entertaining people for 120 years. The attraction, which houses domestic and exotic animals such as bison, llamas and reindeer, as well as the famous capybaras, Bonnie and Clyde, is located on Deer Pen Road and is open daily from 7 a.m. to dusk. Admission is free.
Conservatories and greenhouses
Residents and visitors can warm up and take in the sights and scents at Toronto’s conservatories. Both the Allan Gardens and Centennial Park conservatories will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Family Day. Admission is free and the conservatories are wheelchair-accessible.
Recreation Centres
Some community recreation centres will be closed on Family Day. Residents can find the list of open centres online at http://www.toronto.ca/familyday or call their local centre ahead of time to check its schedule.
Toronto History Museums
Two of the City’s Toronto History Museums will be open on Family Day. Programming highlights for those sites are listed below. Admission is free. More information is available at http://www.toronto.ca/museum-events.
Fort York National Historic Site (250 Fort York Blvd.)
Fort York will provide hours of family fun in an authentic, historical environment. Activities include face painting, interactive pop-up exhibitions, performances and crafts. Hot chocolate, marshmallows and hourly guided tours of the historic fort are also available.
The Fort and Fort York Visitor Centre will offer a treasure trove of Toronto History Museums’ family activities. These include an Irish dance workshop, a dress-up booth, a printing press activity, crafts and interactive exhibits. Visitors can also enjoy works from the Market Gallery’s exhibit, “Toronto Through the Eyes of Women Artists”.
The Fort’s historic buildings are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. while the Fort York Visitor Centre and The Bentway at Fort York skating trail are open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Scarborough Museum (1007 Brimley Rd.)
From noon to 4 p.m. visitors can pose for selfies with historic props, play family board games, build a snowman, join an ice cube scavenger hunt and check out what the blacksmith is making. They are also invited to warm up by the bonfire, roast marshmallows, sample hot chocolate, potato soup and fresh bread.
Winter Stations
Winter Stations is an award-winning, annual international design competition and exhibition of temporary public art installations affixed to the lifeguard stands along Ashbridges Bay, east to Balmy Beach. Check out the installations from February 18 through April 1 and find out more about it at https://winterstations.com.
Black History Month
Black History Month programming continues Family Day weekend. Residents can learn about the contributions and achievements of Toronto’s Black community by participating in events across the city. More information is available at https://www.toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/history-art-culture/black-history-month.
Toronto Zoo
The Toronto Zoo is open 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily, including Family Day. Visitors can participate in Keeper Talks and Carnivore Feedings, take part in the National Hippo Day celebrations, enjoy the winter Orchid Oasis, sign up for the family Owl Prowl, or check out award-winning exhibits, including the Tundra Trek, home to polar bears and arctic wolves. More information about the zoo is available at http://www.torontozoo.com.
Other municipal facilities and services
All City of Toronto emergency and 24-hour services will operate as usual on Family Day. City administrative offices and service counters will be closed. The major civic buildings including City Hall, Metro Hall and the civic centres will operate on a weekend schedule from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Family Day.
The TTC will operate on its Holiday service schedule on Family Day. More TTC information is available at http://ttc.ca/Routes/index.jsp.
City-operated child care centres and Children’s Services district offices will be closed on Family Day. Toronto Home Child Care Agency providers will offer service as usual.
All Toronto Public Library branches will be closed on Family Day. The Library’s digital collection is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at http://www.tpl.ca/downloads. A list of programs and events for families is available at https://kids.tpl.ca/programs.
Archival Services at 255 Spadina Rd. will also be closed on Family Day.
This news release is also available on the City’s website: http://ow.ly/Knjy30nHyiN.