General Information

• Streetcar

509 Harbourfront streetcars run between Union and Exhibition. 510 Spadina streetcars run between Spadina and Union. Exit your streetcar at the Harbourfront Centre stop.

• Subway

Head southbound on the Yonge-University line to Union Station.

• Walk 

Head South down York Street from Union Station. Take a right on Queens Quay West for about two minutes and Harbourfront Centre will be on your left at 235 Queens Quay West. The PATH provides a direct route south to Queens Quay West.

• Bike

Ride the Martin Goodman Trail or take any street between Bathurst and Parliament traveling south to Queens Quay West and bike along the water for the most scenic route. Bike parking is available.

• Boat 

Visiting Harbourfront Centre by boat during the summer is easy! All docking areas can be accessed through either the western or eastern channel. Upon entry into the Toronto Inner Harbour, head for the north shore. Please call VHF channel 68 or phone 416-203-1212 for further details and reservation information.

• Car

With the opening of the new York-Bay-Yonge off-ramp, please be aware of and obey the new traffic movements, signs and signals along Lake Shore Boulevard, Harbour Street, and Lower Simcoe Street. Underground parking is available on-site at 235 Queens Quay West, or above-ground one block west at Rees Street and Queens Quay West. Motorists exiting from the new off-ramp MAY make a right turn and travel south on Lower Simcoe Street. There is NO TURN on Lake Shore Boulevard for travel south on Lower Simcoe Street. Motorists travelling WESTBOUND on Queens Quay West MAY make a left turn at Lower Simcoe Street into our site. Please note the advance left turn signal light. Motorists travelling EASTBOUND on Queens Quay West MAY NOT make a right turn into our site.

• Parking

Guardians may park their vehicles in the parking garage. Obtain a ticket from the parking entrance machine. If your stay is less than 20 minutes, take your ticket and insert it at the parking exit machine. If your stay is longer than 20 minutes you can take your parking ticket to a payment kiosk in the garage for payment.

Kids First Program 

Harbourfront Centre is a registered charitable organization and financial assistance is available through our Kids First Program. Applications are considered individually and in confidence. 

You can download the subsidy application form here or call the Camps Office for more information. Incomplete applications will not be considered. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure the subsidy application is complete.

Applications for subsidies for our Summer Camps must be received by 4pm (ET), May 26, 2023.

Please Note: All Kids First applicants must submit a complete application to be considered. Applications are processed as they are received. Spaces are limited and based on availability, and available funds.

Accessibility

Harbourfront Centre Camps is committed to providing a welcoming and accessible destination for all visitors. We embrace the principles of dignity, independence, integration, and equal opportunity to serve our visitors with disabilities and our community at large. For more information on our organizational Accessibility Standards, please visit here.

Ontario Camps Association

The stamp of a great camp!

The Ontario Camps Association (OCA) continues to be recognized as a world leader in organized camping for children and youth. As an Accredited Member of the Ontario Camps Association, we are proud to display its logo, an icon that stands for a quality camping experience. We adhere to the highest standards of safety, supervision and quality programming to ensure the camp experience is a positive one for all involved.

For more information on the OCA and to see the standards of accreditation, please visit here.

Inclusion and Support

Harbourfront Centre Camps holds the values of accessibility, inclusion and respect at the core of our daily operations. Services will be provided in a manner that respects the dignity and independence of all participants. In order to provide the best support to a camper with exceptionalities or special needs, we require all needs or challenges to be included in the Medical Information form in full. If your camper requires one-to-one support, you must contact the Camps Registrar to discuss options prior to registering.

Additional support at camp is sometimes necessary for a positive camp experience. Below are the most commonly used support systems for our campers:

• One-to-one support provided by the family
• One-to-one or additional support provided by a community partner
• One-to-one or additional support provided by Harbourfront Centre Camps
  • Pre-registration is mandatory and space is limited. 
  • One-to-one support fees: $600/per week

Our staff is dedicated to working with you to explore all available options for your child to attend our camps. For more information, please contact the Registrar.

Volunteer Opportunities for 1-1 support 

Youth and young adults (ages 16-25), who have previously participated in our camps programs with 1-1 support are welcome to return as a volunteer. Please contact the office for further information. Please note: A volunteer can also request additional support.

Lunch 

There are two options for lunch. You can send a packed lunch from home for your camper each day or you can opt for meal plans mentioned below.  Please do not give your camper money for lunch, as they will not be able to leave the campus to purchase items. In addition to lunch break, campers are given time to eat snacks. We recommend providing one or two snacks in addition to their lunch. 

Meal Plans

The Lunch Lady has been preparing individual catered lunches since 1993. Today, it is the largest provider in Canada, serving thousands of meals in schools, camps and daycare centres through their network of locally owned and operated Lunch Lady Kitchens. All meals are prepared fresh daily in peanut/nut-free, provincially inspected kitchens. Menus offer choices that are familiar to and enjoyed by all children while meeting and exceeding the nutritional guidelines set by the province. 

In order to meet camper’s dietary requirements, Harbourfront Centre offers several meal options.

Registration for the meal plan closes every Wednesday for the following week. Requests made after this time cannot be accommodated. 

Due to the nature of the service, we cannot accommodate food allergies. We also do not recommend the meal plan for children who are picky eaters as the food is premade and cannot accommodate substitutions.  We recommend that you send additional food for morning and afternoon snack breaks. Refunds will only be processed for those who cancel the meal plan in writing via email at least 10 business days prior to the start date of your child’s camp, after which refunds will not be processed. 

There are three meal plan sizes to pick from (small, medium, large), these are based on the portion size provided. The small menu is geared towards our youngest campers.  Please see here for menus and further detail.

Special Treats 

We ask that if it is your camper’s birthday or another special occasion that you refrain from sending food such as cakes or cupcakes for the group as we are unable to serve food to other campers due to the presence of food allergies and/or dietary restrictions.

Peanut and Nut Policy 

Harbourfront Centre Camps is a nut-sensitive facility. For the safety of all our campers and staff, PEANUTS, NUTS AND ALL OTHER NUT PRODUCTS ARE PROHIBITED FROM ALL OUR CAMP PROGRAMS. We have campers and staff with nut and nut product allergies of varying degrees. Many of these children and staff face the very real possibility of suffering a fatal allergic reaction to even the tiniest trace amount of nuts. This includes but is not limited to peanut butter, almond butter, Nutella, chocolate bars containing nuts, granola bars containing nuts, or any other product that may traditionally contain traces of nuts. 

Lunch Checks

Your camper’s lunch will be checked daily by camp staff. Campers with lunches containing nut products, will have the meal held by camp staff, and will be returned at the end of the day. If the main portion of a camper’s lunch is removed, the office will contact the parent/guardian to see if you can provide an alternative lunch. If a parent/guardian is unable to provide an alternative, campers will be given a nut-free meal replacement and the household will be charged $15.00. We recognize that this may be a staple food source for many campers, and as such, we have a list of alternate foods provided to us by the Municipal Public Health Office. We cannot guarantee a nut-free facility as we are a public site. We will do our best to ensure the safety and inclusion of all campers and staff. Additionally, in respect to those with dietary preferences and allergies we do not allow food sharing (including special events such as birthdays). If sending nut alternatives (i.e., Wow Butter) please communicate this to the camp staff.  

Camp T-Shirts 

T-Shirts will be unavailable for the 2023 season.