tapesonthefloor
New Member
Having worked in tourism at that corner for a few years, let me tell you, I personally know hundreds of thousands of people (from all corners of the globe) who disagree with you.
If you've observed the Square over the same period of time that I have, you'll have noticed, then, that it's usually not the Square that draws tourists, but the corner of Yonge and Dundas itself. It's the hub of life and activity at the confluence of two of Toronto's major throughfares that creates TO's downtown "heart", and the Square is more of a corporate afterthought attempting to capitalize on that activity.
I'm not disagreeing with you about the Square's tourist appeal. In the summer I spend many a lunch hour sitting in its chairs, enjoying the sun, being a tourist myself. I do believe, though, that what the corner of Y&D originally brought to the city of Toronto was not considered from an urban planning perspective when the Square was designed. Have a peek at this really terrible photo:
Dundas Square, empty, in the midst of the celebration of the decade by tapesonthefloor, on Flickr
That was taken at the height of celebrations for Canada's recent gold win in men's Olympic hockey. This is the biggest celebration the city of Toronto will see for a very, very long time. The Square, which might've been the obvious place to celebrate, is completely ignored. People formed a solid mass of humanity along Yonge from Queen to north of Dundas, and yet they almost consciously avoid spilling over into the Square. Never forget that the heart of TO's downtown is Yonge, and not the empty space built to capitalize on it.