ontario place fence

Toronto is now home to what might be the longest blackboard in the world

Toronto residents might just be unknowingly accomplishing a world record as they protest the redevelopment of Ontario Place, turning the fence surrounding the space into a nearly kilometre-long blackboard.

The public outrage surrounding Doug Ford's contraversial plan to redevelop the vacant land of Ontario Place is no secret to Toronto residents, and, when fencing went up restricting access to the land, locals began using the fence as a space for public protest.

ontario place fence

Messages along the fence reflect concerns for the area's wildlife.

The fence, that stretches on for approximately 800 metres along Lakeshore Boulevard, has been reinforced, replaced, and painted over endlessly in the months since it went up, but it hasn't stopped locals from drawing on it.

While the fence has been used as a hub for protest messages against Ford's plan to build a huge spa over the greenspace, it might soon make news for another reason: it could quite possibly be the longest blackboard in the entire world.

ontario place fence

Massive drawings adorning the fence.

Painted black and covered in chalk drawings, there's no disputing that the fence is a blackboard — no matter how frequently workers are sent out to paint over the drawings. The question, then, is whether it truly is the longest one in the world.

The previous largest blackboard in the world was located in a Tokyo subway station. The blackboard stood at roughly 8 feet (2.4 metres) tall and 14 metres long, totalling to 33.6 square metres.

ontario place fence

The fence measures in at 1920 square metres.

In comparison, the Ontario Place blackboard is 800 metres long and 8 feet (2.4 metres) tall, measuring in at an impressive 1920 square metres, absolutely dwarfing its predecessor.

While the public consensus about the Ontario Place development is generally negative, and it seems to be trundling on despite protest by locals and wildlife advocates, maybe a world record can prove to be a small silver lining in what is otherwise a massive crap storm.

Photos by

Fareen Karim


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