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In 1912, the city formed The Harbour Comission (THC) as a way to have control of the waterfront. One of their plans was to establish an amusement area and beach in West Toronto, and since the Sunnyside area, at the foot of Roncesvalles Avenue where it meets King and Queen Streets, was already a popular swimming hole this location was chosen. In the early 1920s, The Commission dredged the bottom of Lake Ontario, placing 3 million cubic metres of landfill along the shoreline. This allowed for the creation of Lakeshore Boulevard, a boardwalk, and a 3-kilometre long park along the water.

As the main focus of the new park, the THC commissioned architect Alfred Chapman to build the new Sunnyside Bathing Pavilion, which had changing areas, lockers, swimming instruction, and refreshments. Admission in 1922 was 25¢ for adults and 15¢ for children. That same year, the amusement park opened with 7 rides, including carousels, merry-go-rounds, and a wooden roller coaster called "The Flyer". The Sunnyside Stadium opened next to the amusement park and hosted several women's softball leagues. Further east down Lakeshore Boulevard, the Palais Royale was a bustling dance hall that hosted legends such as Count Basie and Bert Niosi during its nightclub days. In 1925, the Sunnyside Natatorium (Pool) was opened beside the Bathing Pavilion, allowing 2,000 people to swim in warmer water than the lake. At this time it was considered the largest outdoor pool in the world.

Due to traffic congestion on the boulevard, the city ordered the park demolished in 1955 in order to build the Gardiner Expressway. Two rides from the amusement park were saved - one carousel going to Disneyland in California and one ride to the CNE. Today, all that remains from the original park are the Sunnyside Bathing Pavilion, The Sunnyside Pool, and the Palais Royale.

Research by Olena Sullivan.