From Berczy Park or anywhere on the Esplanade, a licensed dispensary is about 12 minutes south on Queens Quay East. Here are the routes and the local rules worth knowing.
The nearest licensed dispensary on the waterfront side of the Esplanade is Sugar Beach Cannabis, about a 12-minute walk south from the Esplanade and Berczy Park to 192 Queens Quay East. Head down Lower Jarvis or Lower Sherbourne Street, pass under the rail corridor and the Gardiner, and you come out by the lake beside Sherbourne Common.
This guide is written for people who live on or around the Esplanade, and for anyone meeting friends at Berczy Park: the quickest way down, how to make it a short errand, and the local rules that matter in one of Toronto's busiest patio neighbourhoods.
Where the Esplanade and Berczy Park sit
The Esplanade runs east from near Yonge Street, one block south of Front Street East. Its western blocks are lined with restaurants and patios; further east it becomes a residential street of condos, co-ops and townhouses.
Berczy Park is the triangle-shaped park just north of the Esplanade's western end, between Front Street East and Wellington Street, west of Church Street. Its fountain, ringed with dog sculptures, makes it an easy meeting point.
The store is south of all of this, across the rail corridor and Lake Shore Boulevard, on Queens Quay East.
Three ways down, depending on where you start
From Berczy Park
- Walk east along Front Street East or the Esplanade to Jarvis Street.
- Turn right and head south on Lower Jarvis Street, under the rail corridor and across Lake Shore Boulevard beneath the Gardiner. Use the signalized crossing.
- At Queens Quay East you will see Sugar Beach and its pink umbrellas.
- Turn left and walk east for about 3 minutes to 192 Queens Quay East, Unit A5.
About 12 minutes in total.
From the middle of the Esplanade, near Jarvis
You are already on the most direct line. Walk south on Lower Jarvis Street and follow steps 2 to 4 above.
From the eastern, residential stretch
Use Lower Sherbourne Street. Walk south under the rail corridor and the Gardiner, and you arrive at the water right at Sherbourne Common, next door to the store. This is the quieter of the two routes.
Walking times from the neighbourhood
| You are at | About how long to the store |
|---|---|
| Berczy Park | 12 min walk |
| The Esplanade | 12 min walk |
| St. Lawrence Market | 12 min walk |
| Distillery District | 12 min walk |
| Union Station | 20 min walk |
If you also shop at the market, our St. Lawrence Market guide covers that walk, and the wider Old Town and King East guide covers the streets north of Front.
Make it a quick errand
Most Esplanade residents are not making a special trip. They are fitting a stop around groceries, a dog walk or the commute. Ordering ahead makes that easy.
- Browse the live menu at home.
- Pick your products. Every item shows a regular price and a lower member price.
- Order online.
- Walk down, show your government-issued photo ID, pay and pick up in store.
Walk-ins are welcome. Sugar Beach Cannabis is pickup only. We are open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week; hours can change on holidays, so call ahead.
The local rules in a patio and park neighbourhood
The western end of the Esplanade packs patios, parks, condo lobbies and busy sidewalks into a few blocks. Ontario and the City of Toronto both have rules that apply here.
Patios
Ontario's where you can't smoke or vape page bans smoking and vaping on any bar or restaurant patio, including public areas within 9 metres of the patio. On the Esplanade's restaurant blocks, that covers a lot of the sidewalk in patio season.
Building entrances, including condo lobbies
Toronto's Smoking Bylaw (Chapter 709) makes it illegal to smoke within nine metres of an entrance or exit of any public building, and it applies to lit cannabis as well as tobacco. The City says multi-residential buildings are covered when they have a street-level entrance the public can use, such as a lobby with a buzzer before a second locked door. If you live on the Esplanade, check whether your own building's entrance fits that description.
Berczy Park and other city parks
The City's park rules say smoking and vaping, including cannabis, are not permitted in certain areas of city parks or within 20 metres of their perimeter. Those areas include:
- playgrounds
- sporting areas such as courts and fields
- enclosed public spaces and washrooms
- swimming beaches
- designated dog off-leash areas
Ontario separately bans smoking and vaping on children's playgrounds and within 20 metres of them. Parks in this neighbourhood are small and busy with families, so look for posted signs and keep well clear of anywhere children play.
At home
Ontario bans smoking and vaping in the indoor common areas of condos and apartment buildings, including elevators, stairwells, hallways, parking garages, laundry facilities and lobbies. Inside your own unit, your lease or condo rules may add restrictions. Our guide to cannabis in Toronto condos and rentals explains how those layers fit together.
If you smoke or vape where it is not allowed, Ontario says you can be fined $1,000 for a first offence and $5,000 for any further offence, if convicted.
Choosing your order
The menu includes dried flower, pre-rolls and blunts, vapes (510-thread cartridges and all-in-one disposables), edibles, beverages, extracts and concentrates such as rosin, live resin, diamonds and hash, and oils and drops.
- People usually choose by THC and CBD content and by terpene profile.
- If a product type is new to you, start low and go slow.
- Staff can explain formats and labels; for medical use, talk to a healthcare provider.
Our guide to reading an Ontario cannabis label explains the numbers on the package.
Getting it home and storing it
Ontario allows adults to carry up to 30 grams of dried cannabis, or equivalent, in public, and you can buy up to 30 grams, or equivalent, at one time. Keep products sealed on the walk back. At home, store cannabis in its original packaging, locked and out of reach of children and pets, and keep edibles and beverages apart from everyday food.
Visit Sugar Beach Cannabis
Sugar Beach Cannabis is at 192 Queens Quay East, Unit A5, Toronto, ON M5A 3Y4, beside Sherbourne Common and about a 12-minute walk south of the Esplanade and Berczy Park. Order online and pick up in store from the live menu, or walk in. Open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily; call ahead on holidays. 19+ only, government photo ID required.
Questions first? Call 437-780-0285, email tim@sugarbeachcannabis.com or use the contact page. Read more about us.
Frequently asked questions
How far is the nearest waterfront dispensary from the Esplanade?
Sugar Beach Cannabis is about a 12-minute walk from Berczy Park and the Esplanade. Walk south on Lower Jarvis or Lower Sherbourne Street to Queens Quay East; the store is at 192 Queens Quay East, beside Sherbourne Common.
Can you smoke cannabis in Berczy Park?
Toronto's park rules ban smoking and vaping, including cannabis, in certain park areas such as playgrounds, sporting areas, washrooms and off-leash areas, and within 20 metres of them. Ontario also bans it within 20 metres of children's playgrounds, so check the posted signs and use products at home.
Can you smoke cannabis on an Esplanade patio?
No. Ontario bans smoking and vaping on any bar or restaurant patio and in public areas within 9 metres of the patio. Toronto also bans smoking lit cannabis within nine metres of a public building's entrance or exit.
What are Sugar Beach Cannabis's hours?
The store is open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. Hours can change on holidays, so call 437-780-0285 ahead.
This article is general information about cannabis rules and products in Ontario, not legal or medical advice. Rules change: check the official sources linked above. Cannabis is for adults 19+. Never drive impaired.
