The Well might be my new favourite place in Toronto, Ontario, and not only because it’s crawling with pets on leash and enthusiastically dog-friendly. But that’s a big reason.

Admittedly, The Well may not be the first place in Toronto I’d head to with my dog on a comfortable sunny day (I might save that for STACKT Market, which has an off-leash zone). Still, it’s definitely my new favourite dog-friendly place during inclement weather or winter. And Toronto has a lot of that, especially from November to March. The Well offers protection from the storm and a reprieve from traffic.

Bring Your Dog to The Well

Located in Toronto between Front Street and Wellington Street and from the outside, The Well looks from the outside like it might be one big club or bar – and that’s what I thought it was when I first drove by it. But no, this is one of the city’s newest mixed-use experiments: part outdoor promenade, part shopping district, part food hall, and part residential neighbourhood.

Once a warehouse district – for decades I never ventured west of Spadina Avenue in Toronto for that reason – the blocks around The Well and all the way to Liberty Village have been reclaimed. Thanks in part to the demand for condo development, the downtown of Toronto is creeping westward, creating pockets of neighbourhoods, which means more residents with dogs.

Walk Your Dog at The Well

And dogs need walking. The open pedestrian walkway through The Well proved to be a thoroughfare for dog jaunts, at least during the weekday afternoon when I was there. The two-level shopping galleria of The Well is not enclosed by a solid roof, but 60 percent of the area is covered by an architecturally interesting glass canopy shielding shoppers from some rain and snow – likely another draw for dog people.

Add to the fact that the zone is pedestrian only (safer for Fido) and most stores permit pups inside, and it becomes a draw for visitors too, not just nearby residents.

Underground parking also makes it easier for out-of-towners, especially those road tripping with their dogs, to access the area without dodging and weaving city street traffic.

Shop With Your Dog at The Well

So, what’s at The Well? Shopping, both fun and practical, and eating, also both fun and practical. Along with an event space, offices, residential condos, banks, coffee cafes, and Arcadia Earth, an immersive art and technology experience. Note that Arcadia Earth is not pet dog-friendly.

First, the shopping: along the paved walkways that give the area an indoor mall feel (but it’s not, so dogs can easily walk through) are stores that permit dogs inside, including Lululemon, Adidas, Structube furniture, and a massive Indigo bookstore on the second level.

If stores didn’t let dogs and their people inside, they’d likely miss out on sales opportunities (there are that many people with pups) – especially, The Bone and Biscuit Co., pet product boutique … that’s where I met Charlie the cockapoo. This place demands socialized pups, because you’re likely to meet up with many others.

Dine With Your Dog at The Well

Second, the eating: The Wellington Market food hall is the highlight of The Well and what most people talk about after a visit. The food hall is the largest I’ve experienced, with more than 50 vendors, and if you can’t find what you want to eat here, you won’t find it. From grilled cheese to ramen, sushi to fish and chips, empanadas to smoothies, and cookies, cupcakes, and danishes. Thanks to The Well, I tried my first smash burger – a seafood smash burger specifically. Turns out, I might prefer my burgers unsmashed.

And guess what? Dogs ARE permitted in The Wellington Market on a leash and under control, just not in the food prep areas (though why would you?). During the summer, the surrounding outdoor seating makes it even easier to dine with your dog at The Well.

Dog Rules at The Well

• Dogs must be restrained by a leash and be well-behaved.
• Dogs must remain in the care and control of their owners at all times and never be left unattended.
• Look for the Pet Love symbol indicating dog-friendly shops and zones.
• Dogs are permitted in the Wellington Market and on participating dining patios but not within food preparation areas.
• If an accident does happen, please clean up after your dog.
• If a guest’s dog starts barking or whimpering, they are to take him/her away from the area.
• Service dogs are always welcome in all common areas.

Here’s a fun fact many don’t know: the land where The Well now stands once sat along the historic shoreline of Lake Ontario in the 1800s. Front Street was once close enough to the water that feet away, cargo ships pull up to docks to be unloaded. Since then, blocks of the lake have been filled in to accommodate the growth of downtown, including the land that now holds up the Gardner Expressway, a major highway into Toronto.

If you go….

The Well in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, covers several city blocks but is officially located at 486 Front Street West, Toronto. The entrance to the underground parking is at 484 Front Street West, Toronto. Weekday parking is $20 and $15 after 6 pm. Weekends and holidays all-day parking is $15.

The outdoor dog-friendly STACKT Market, which has a fenced off-leash zone, is a 10-minute  walk away at 28 Bathurst Street, Toronto.

The closest dog-friendly hotel is 1 Hotel Toronto, 550 Wellington St W, Toronto, is the closest hotel to The Well, at about a 10- to 15-minute walk, but it’s expensive (starting at $500 per night). However, dogs under 50 pounds are permitted at no additional charge.

Writer bio: Sherri Telenko has been a professional writer for decades and a travel writer for the last two. She’s a member of TMAC (Travel Media Association of Canada) and Dog Writers Association of America and travels almost weekly with her canine companion, Victoria.Contact Sherri at dogtrotting.net here. All written content is original, written by a person, and based on experience and research. Please subscribe!