Winter Walk Along Toronto’s Waterfront: Jack Layton Ferry Terminal to Ireland Park

Jack Layton Ferry Terminal

February 25, 2026

The Jack Layton Ferry Terminal was quiet and empty on this winter morning. I walked past the terminal where long lineups form in the spring and summer — often early in the day — and it felt almost strange to have the space to myself. From there, it’s only a short distance to the water at Harbour Square Park, and I could already see the ice on the lake from a distance.

As I got closer, the patterns began to come into focus: large ice floes broken into shifting plates, separated by dark stretches of open water. Two swans were resting on the ice, with Long-tailed Ducks moving through the water nearby, along with a Red-breasted Merganser riding the choppy waves between the floes. The lake felt active, even in the cold — not frozen in place, but constantly rearranging itself.

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