Explorer at Waterview at 58 Marine Parade Drive is a 13-storey, 270-suite mid-rise built by Monarch in the mid-2000s — sources put completion at 2006 or 2007 — directly across from the Humber Bay parks and the waterfront trail.
It is the human-scale alternative in a pocket that has grown steadily taller: fewer floors, fewer neighbours per elevator, and a front-row position on Marine Parade Drive. Here is my honest read on living there.
The building
Explorer belongs to the first wave of Monarch’s Waterview community, before the taller towers — Nautilus among them — filled in the skyline behind it. At 13 storeys it reads as a mid-rise, and its position on Marine Parade Drive puts the lakefront promenade essentially at the door.
The record, per the sources at the end of this page:
| Detail | On record |
|---|---|
| Address | 58 Marine Parade Drive, Etobicoke (Humber Bay Shores) |
| Developer | Monarch Group |
| Completed | 2006 or 2007 (sources differ) |
| Storeys | 13 |
| Suites | 270 |
| Tenure | Condominium |
One note on the completion date: condos.ca records the building as a 2006 build, while TalkCondo lists 2007. Either way it is a mid-2000s building — old enough to have a fully settled condo corporation and a track record, which is something I actually like to see when I pull a status certificate.
Amenities on record include a gym, an indoor pool, a sauna, a concierge and security, a party room, a business centre, a meeting room, guest suites and visitor parking — a solid list for a mid-rise of this era.
Location and getting around
Marine Parade Drive is the address in Humber Bay Shores if what you want is the water. Cross the street and you are on the promenade; Humber Bay Park East and West, the butterfly habitat and the yacht clubs are all a stroll away, and the Martin Goodman Trail carries cyclists over the Humber Bay Arch Bridge and along the lake toward downtown.
Transit works the way it does everywhere in this pocket: the streetcar along Lake Shore Boulevard West, Mimico GO on the Lakeshore West line a short trip away for a one-stop ride to Union, and the Gardiner via Park Lawn Road for drivers. The honest caveat is that Park Lawn and Lake Shore concentrate the neighbourhood’s rush-hour traffic, so try your commute before you commit to it.
Groceries, pharmacies, coffee and restaurants line Lake Shore and Marine Parade within walking distance; larger retail runs mean a drive to the Queensway or Sherway Gardens.
What day-to-day life offers
What people tell me they like about Explorer, once they live there, is the scale. Two hundred and seventy suites over 13 floors is a very different daily experience from the 40-plus-storey towers nearby: shorter elevator waits, amenity rooms that rarely feel crowded, and a lobby where the concierge can actually know your face.
The pool-sauna-gym floor covers the winter months, the business centre and meeting room are useful in the work-from-home era, and guest suites take the pressure off when family visits. Outside, the promenade sets the daily rhythm — this is a neighbourhood where the evening walk is a genuine amenity.
What to weigh: a mid-2000s building will feel its age in places — finishes and mechanical systems are of their era, and some suites will have been renovated while others have not, which makes unit-by-unit inspection matter more here than in a newer tower. Lower height also means fewer of the panoramic lake views the tall neighbours advertise; here the appeal is proximity rather than altitude.
Who this building suits (and who it may not)
Explorer tends to suit:
- People who want the waterfront without the megatower — the mid-rise scale is the building’s defining feature.
- Downsizers and long-term owner-occupiers, who tend to value a settled, mature building and a quieter amenity floor.
- Walkers, runners and dog owners — the park system across the street is the backyard.
Who should weigh it more carefully: buyers set on new-build finishes and glassy height, who will likely be happier in one of the pocket’s younger towers; and commuters who need rapid transit at the door, since the streetcar-or-GO reality here takes planning. Again — character, not defects. Visit twice, once on a summer evening and once on a February morning, and you will know which camp you are in.
Buying or renting here
Explorer is a resale building, and in a 270-suite mid-rise the flow of listings is steadier than in a boutique building but thinner than in the towers, so the right suite can take patience. Floor plans from this era often run more generous than newer construction — verify the measurements on the specific unit rather than the marketing history. I publish no prices here because they go stale in weeks; ask me for today’s picture instead.
For renters and landlords: first occupancy predates November 15, 2018 by more than a decade, so Ontario’s rent-increase guideline generally applies to tenancies here — the unit-level rules are in my rent-control guide. For landlords, the building’s location does the marketing for you; for tenants, it is a chance at the waterfront in a quieter building than the towers.
The takeaway
Explorer at Waterview is the mid-rise answer in Humber Bay Shores: 13 storeys, 270 suites, Monarch-built in the mid-2000s, with the promenade at the door. You trade newer finishes and tower views for human scale and a settled community. For a lot of my clients that is exactly the right trade.
Thinking about Explorer at Waterview?
Tell me whether you are buying, selling or renting and I will give you a current, straight answer on the building — including how it stacks up against Nautilus and the rest of the Waterview family. No pitch, no obligation.
connect@jatindua.com · 437-987-1925 · Book a free consultation
Confidential. Reviewed personally and answered within 24 hours. I never share, sell or distribute your information.
Frequently asked questions
When was Explorer at Waterview built?
Sources differ slightly: condos.ca records 58 Marine Parade Drive as built in 2006, while TalkCondo lists completion in 2007. Either way it is a mid-2000s Monarch building with 13 storeys and 270 suites.
What amenities does Explorer at Waterview have?
Listed amenities include a gym, indoor pool, sauna, concierge and security, party room, business centre, meeting room, guest suites and visitor parking. Confirm the current list with the building.
Is Explorer at Waterview right on the water?
It sits on Marine Parade Drive directly across from the Humber Bay parks and the lakefront promenade, so the waterfront trail system is essentially at the door.
Are rentals at 58 Marine Parade Drive rent-controlled?
Generally yes. First occupancy predates November 15, 2018, so Ontario’s annual rent-increase guideline typically applies here, though the analysis is always unit-specific — verify your own tenancy.
Sources
- Condos.ca — Explorer at Waterview, 58 Marine Parade Dr. Monarch as developer, 2006 build year, 13 storeys, 270 units and amenity list. Accessed 10 August 2026.
- TalkCondo — Explorer at Waterview Condos. Monarch Group, 2007 completion, 13 floors, 270 suites and amenities. Accessed 10 August 2026.
Related reading
- Living in Nautilus at Waterview — the 39-storey sibling
- Living in Voyager at Waterview
- Living in Waterford Towers
- Living in Waterscapes
- The Humber Bay Shores condo buildings guide
- Etobicoke communities hub
About the author — Jatin Dua, Etobicoke real estate agent
I am Jatin Dua, a Realtor with RE/MAX Quantum Realty, working out of 799 The Queensway in Etobicoke. I sell and lease across Humber Bay Shores, and Explorer is the building I point to when a client says the towers feel too big. Profiles like this one are how I try to answer the real question — how the buildings in this pocket actually differ — with the facts checked and the gloss left off.
Reach me at connect@jatindua.com or 437-987-1925.