With a mission to introduce good, primarily Canadian jazz, in a non-exclusionary and culturally inclusive fashion and drawing more than 1 million people annually, the Beaches JazzFest encourages Torontonians, Canadians and visitors from abroad to reach out and enjoy Canadian and international jazz talent and innovation. Rather than having Canadian talent first being recognized abroad before being accepted locally – JazzFest legitimizes local talent and continues to provide a springboard for artists to catapult into the world music scene. All for free and within easy walking distance of Lake Ontario..