Half a century before The Docks thrilled island residents, the place to dance on Toronto’s waterfront was the Palais Royale (see Stroll). After eventually falling into disrepair and abandoned, the heritage building is a centre of activity again, as the Pegasus Group, the company that now owns the lease to the hall, puts the final touches on its restoration.
Amid the Palais’ renewal, conflict has erupted between local residents, the developer and Ward 14 councillor Sylvia Watson over plans for a parking lot under a grove of willow trees and a 2.4-meter fence that will cut across the beach to keep out vandals. Pegasus, which owns several bars in Toronto, intends to open the Palais as a banquet hall this spring. They expect to start construction of the parking lot in late May.
