Dufferin Grove Park, Urban park in Toronto, Canada
Dufferin Grove Park spans two city blocks with green spaces, trees, and sports facilities located on the east side of Dufferin Street. The grounds include a playground, athletic fields, and picnic areas spread throughout the property.
The ruins in the park were identified in 2020 by artist and amateur historian Andrew Lochhead, and confirmed by artist Gene Threndyle, as remains of the second Toronto Custom House (1876–1919), designed by Richard Windeyer. After the Custom House was demolished in 1909, the keystones and capitals were built into the Colonial (later The Bay) Theatre, one of Toronto's first purpose-built cinemas. When that theatre was demolished in 1966, the ruins were moved to High Park before reaching Dufferin Grove in 1998.
The park hosts an outdoor theater space where Clay & Paper Theatre stages performances during summer months and special events. This venue draws people seeking shared cultural experiences in the open air.
The park provides washrooms, picnic tables, and free wireless internet across the grounds. Families with children will find good conditions, and athletes can use the fields and courts available throughout.
In 1998 artist Gene Threndyle and the Friends of Dufferin Grove Park built gardens and a fountain tracing the buried path of Denison Creek. The same installation brought a set of large architectural ruins from High Park; in 2020 they were identified as keystones and capitals from the second Toronto Custom House (1876-1919), designed by Richard Windeyer.
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