#1 Sports Event
Toronto hosted the best in men’s tennis this year and will welcome the women again in 2017. The games and accompanying entertainment were expected to draw 150,000 in 2016, with Cirque du Soleil staging live acrobatic performances between matches. Next: Summer 2017
#2 Sports Event
Dubbed Ontario’s largest sporting event, the Honda Indy focused in 2016 on making the weekend a family affair, admitting kids under 12 years old for free with a paying adult. New this year: the Nascar Pinty’s series and sponsors Pinty’s Delicious Foods and Tim Horton’s. Next: July 2017
#4 Sports Event (new to the list)
The RBC-sponsored golf tournament returned to Glen Abbey Golf Club in 2016 with an increased purse of $5.9 million (U.S.). Kids' tickets were free again this year, and new events included a five-kilometer race around the historic golf course. Next: July 18-24, 2017
#5 Sports Event
High society mixed with rockers at the country’s most prestigious horse race this year as Canadian bands the Strumbellas and Hedley put on post-race shows. Attendance grew to 37,000, and the television audience tripled to 315,000. Next: July 2017
#6 Sports Event
A grand reopening of BMO Field—now with added seats and roof overhangs to accommodate Toronto Argonauts football fans—preceded the sold-out home-opening win against FC Dallas. Next: May 2017
#7 Sports Event
More than 60 countries were represented by 27,000 runners last year when BMW joined Scotiabank as a sponsor. In 2015 the race became Canada’s first to receive the International Association of Athletics Federation’s gold-label status. Next: October 16, 2016
#8 Sports Event
About 1,200 fans participated in induction weekend events in 2015, including autograph sessions, a hockey game played by old-timers, a gala dinner, and a celebration toast for inductees only. Seven people were inducted, the largest class ever. Next: November 14, 2016
#10 Sports Event
Attendance dropped to about 70,000 at this year’s weekend race and festival, which included concerts and other entertainment on the Toronto Islands. Tim Horton’s returned as the title sponsor. Next: June 2017
