Some of Toronto’s best art lives in Riverside, all made by local artists! This self-guided tour lets you learn about some of the neighbourhood’s art highlights that you can check out for yourself!
STOP 1: Time: and a Clock (1996)
Queen and Broadview intersection
“Time: and a Clock” is a three-part metal art series by artist Eldon Garnet commissioned and launched in 1996 by the Riverside BIA (then called Queen-Broadview Village BIA). The hallmark piece marking the passage to Toronto’s east end can be found at the top of the Riverside Bridge with the infamous quote along with the clock: “This River I Step In, Is Not The River I Stand In”. Part two includes expressions about time in the sidewalks of the four corners of the Broadview and Queen Street East intersection, and Part 3 can be found beside Jimmie Simpson Park atop metal poles at the eastern end of the Riverside BIA: “Coursing,” “Disappearing,” “Trembling,” and “Returning.”
STOP 2: ‘Welcome to Riverside’ Mural (2013)
651 Queen Street East
The ‘Welcome to Riverside’ mural was designed by OCAD alumnus Jessie Durham and painted on wooden panels by Melissa Luk along with community volunteers. It was first installed at 742 Queen E in 2013 before being moved to 651 Queen E in 2017. It highlighted a solidification of the Riverside BIA brand of the 2000s after being renamed from Queen-Broadview Village BIA.
STOP 3: The Riverside Common Art Project (2025)
657 Queen St East
This art by Nippising First Nation artist Quentin “Que Rock” Commanda can be seen throughout the elements of this City park. The overall design is inspired by the Anishinaabe Medicine wheel. Each pole is a representation of the four seasons, the four cardinal directions, and the four elements. The benches are designed to showcase life in the water. There are layers of Anishinaabe teachings that illustrate that all things are connected through spirit. The Riverside Common wall is a wayfinding and placemaking piece that features bold, visible identifying text which was a collaboration with Pop Marquee.
STOP 4: Laneway Art Project (2025)
Thompson St between Carroll St and Munro St, south of Joel Weeks Park
This vibrant multi-piece project was co-designed by the local community and facilitated by The Laneway Project and Toronto mural artist Julia Prazja. Community members of all ages participated in design workshops and Riverside Community Paint Days to co-create the murals on the fence and garage along the laneway, and the three panels on the west-facing wall of 660 Queen St East.
STOP 5: Riverside Sports Heritage & Legacy Murals (2014-15)
1 Munro Street
These murals by artist Monica Wickeler highlight Riverside’s sports history and legacy. The lower portion references sports associated with the Royal Canadian Bicycle and Curling Club, highlighting the area’s history as the home of Toronto’s first baseball stadium -the Toronto Baseball Grounds. The mural’s upper portion was launched during the 2015 Pan Am Games and highlights modern Pan Am and Para-Pan Am sports.
STOP 6: River Moon (2021)
672 Queen St East (in the laneway)
This art was created by the Moonlight Murals Collective as part of the “Women Paint Riverside: Currents of Change” project, as one of 20+ murals by local women and non-binary artists. The art is a depiction of the three artists’ and highlights the importance of water and our connections to nature in the community.
STOP 7: Alquimia (2019)
714 & 716 Queen St East
Created by Toronto-based multidisciplinary artist Jacquie Comrie, this mural features vibrant colours and a semi-abstract style. Paying homage to the Riverside neighbourhood, the mural is an interpretation of the quote “This river I step in is not the river I stand in” that speaks of the inevitable nature of all things: Alchemy and change – while transforming the corner into a space of mental elevation for everyone.
STOP 8: A Time for Pollinators (2016)
777 Queen St East
Completed in 2016, local Riverside artist Nick Sweetman used themes of the local environment and ecosystem to reflect the importance of bee-keeping and local pollinators The mural also celebrates a founding member of the Riverside BIA, Albert Edelstein, who was a jeweller and watchmaker, and the theme of time and clocks that is present within the community.
STOP 9: BISKAABIIYAANG (2024)
800 Queen St East
Quentin “Que Rock” Commanda created this mural, the title translating to an Anishinaabe word that describes returning home after having been on a journey, and the mural represents the Anishinaabe creation story.
STOP 10: Pass it On (2025)
791 Queen St East and 785 Queen St East
Created by Gust of Wind Studio, the mural encourages the idea of “pass it on,” reflecting the community compassion and spirit in the Riverside community and especially found at Fontbonne Ministries Mustard Seed location.
If you use this tour and post on social media, be sure to tag the artists along with us @riverside_bia, we’d love to see!
Be sure to follow @riverside_bia on Instagram and check the Riverside Blog for regular updates on the neighbourhood! Stay tuned for more tours in this series coming soon!
This feature is part of our self-guided tours series curated by Richard – a Communication & Media Studies major at York University – in collaboration with the Riverside BIA.
