Although Sherbourne Common is a pretty good place to relax in the summer, the only reason I have gone down in the winter is for the ice skating rink which I can only give a 3-star rating.
I have been down a few times previously in the summer, and the park is a fairly nice respite from the usual downtown clamour. The north side has a small playground with some unusual steel poles (for climbing I guess?), and 3 large water displays that are actually for returning treated water to Lake Ontario. Apparently they are lit at nights, but I have never been there to see this. The south side has lots of open space with benches to relax on, quite a few trees for shade, and a great view of the lake, as well as a splash pad that serves as an ice rink in the winter. Overall, a nice upgrade to an area that was recently just dreary industrial wasteland.
But it was the ice rink that I came to use on New Year's Day and again this morning. It is a fairly small oval, and the ice does not seem very thick, so it gets worn out pretty fast. The Zamboni was just finishing up when I arrived the first day, and with about a dozen skaters the ice was already pretty rough when I left 45min later. It was very cold this morning, so there were only a few other skaters, but it was already very scratched up when I arrived. There are washrooms inside the small building next to the rink, but no indoor changing area or amenities, and I did not see any on-site staff other than the Zamboni driver. Overall, okay for a little skating if it's not too busy, but not as good as the other outdoor rinks that I have visited. read more