PDAC 2027, the convention of the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada, runs from Sunday 7 March to Wednesday 10 March 2027 in Toronto. PDAC reports that its 2026 edition attracted 32,155 participants, and the organiser describes an audience of more than 30,000 people from over 140 countries: mining companies, explorers, investors, bankers, government delegations, geoscientists and students. For four days, the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and the Fairmont Royal York carry the industry's busiest week of the year.
Toronto is the Elly8.net home market. Toronto and the GTA run on the Elly8 fleet and chauffeurs, so the car that meets you at Pearson, the SUV that waits outside your investor dinner and the Sprinter that moves an exhibitor team all come from the same desk that took your booking. Every price below is fixed, all-in and bookable online before you fly.
How do you get to PDAC 2027 by car?
Book a fixed Pearson or Billy Bishop transfer to your downtown hotel before convention week, then add a chauffeur by the hour for the days you have meetings outside the convention. Pearson to downtown Toronto is US$155 in a Business Sedan and US$405 in an Executive Sprinter, per vehicle, with meet and greet inside arrivals.
The convention itself is compact. PDAC says its two venues, the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC) and the Fairmont Royal York, are about a five-minute walk from each other and about five minutes from Union Station, and that most downtown hotels are within a 15-minute walk. Many attendees walk between sessions, and we would not suggest a car for a two-block trip.
Where a chauffeur earns its place is at the edges of the day: the arrival from the airport with luggage and sample cases, the early breakfast meeting in Yorkville, the investor dinner across town, the afternoon visit to a head office in Mississauga, and the late departure after the closing events.
PDAC 2027 at a glance
- Dates: Sunday 7 March to Wednesday 10 March 2027, according to the PDAC convention site.
- Main venue: Metro Toronto Convention Centre, 222 Bremner Blvd, which hosts programming, exhibits and many of the networking events.
- Second venue: Fairmont Royal York, 100 Front St W, for the events held there.
- Scale: 32,155 participants in 2026, with attendees from more than 140 countries.
- Hotels: PDAC's official partner hotels are already taking reservations for 2027, and the organiser advises booking early before rooms sell out.
The PDAC key dates and venue page carries the floor plans, registration deadlines and the MTCC map. The full programme, from the investors exchange to the short courses and the evening receptions, sets the rhythm of your days, and the car plan should follow it.
Arriving for PDAC: Toronto Pearson and Billy Bishop
Most international and cross-country attendees land at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), about 31 km (19 mi) from downtown, roughly 31 minutes on a clear road. Convention week falls in an ordinary working week, so the weekday rush hours on the highways into the city can double that. Pearson has two passenger terminals, Terminal 1 and Terminal 3. Give us your flight number when you book: the desk tracks the flight, confirms the terminal and adjusts the pickup if you land early or late. The chauffeur waits inside the arrivals hall with a name board, and waiting is complimentary after a tracked landing, so a slow customs hall or a late bag does not change the price.
Shorter regional flights use Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ), about 3 km (2 mi) from downtown and about 8 minutes on a clear road. Cars do not drive onto the island for a normal pickup, so the chauffeur meets you on the mainland side after the short ferry or the pedestrian tunnel. PDAC also notes a free airport shuttle between Billy Bishop and the west side of the Fairmont Royal York, at Front and York Streets, running every 15 minutes, which is a sensible option if you have one bag and your hotel is near Union.
| Route or package | Business Sedan | Business SUV | First Class Sedan | Executive Sprinter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pearson (YYZ) to downtown Toronto | US$155 | US$205 | US$275 | US$405 |
| Pearson round trip | US$295 | US$390 | US$525 | US$770 |
| Billy Bishop (YTZ) to downtown | US$95 | US$125 | US$170 | US$250 |
| By the hour, as directed (3-hour minimum) | US$110 | US$140 | US$180 | US$220 |
| Evening out and event night (5 hours) | US$550 | US$700 | US$900 | US$1,100 |
| Full-day chauffeur (8 hours) | US$810 | US$1,035 | US$1,325 | US$1,620 |
| Corporate roadshow day (10 hours) | US$990 | US$1,260 | US$1,620 | US$1,980 |
Prices are per vehicle, in US dollars and all-in: chauffeur, vehicle, taxes, standard gratuity and airport meet and greet. Tolls, parking and waiting beyond the included time are billed at cost. A First Class SUV is US$250 from Pearson. The price list does not change for PDAC week; what changes is availability, because every hotel driveway on Front Street is busy at the same hours. For how the airport meeting works step by step, see Toronto airport transfers.
The convention footprint: MTCC, Royal York and Union Station
PDAC's own transport notes describe the geography well. The MTCC is connected to Union Station by an indoor walkway, the Skywalk, and the Fairmont Royal York sits directly across Front Street from Union. The UP Express airport train stops inside the Skywalk, and the TTC subway, GO Transit and VIA Rail all meet at Union. In March, that indoor connection matters: you can move between the train, the convention and the hotel without stepping outside.
For a car, the practical points are the hotel driveways and the streets around the convention centre. Drop-offs at the MTCC are made on the streets outside the building, and at peak times, when sessions start and finish, those streets fill with taxis, rideshare cars and shuttles. A pre-booked chauffeur arrives at a time you set rather than circling, and the desk sends you the chauffeur's name and contact details before pickup, so you can meet at the hotel lobby or at a side entrance away from the crowd.
Attendees staying on Front Street or in the Financial District can walk. Those in Yorkville or at the airport hotels are the ones who need a car each morning; PDAC notes that several airport hotels run shuttles to Pearson, where attendees change to the UP Express, and a direct car from an airport hotel to the MTCC avoids that change.
A PDAC day with an hourly chauffeur
PDAC is a meetings convention as much as a show. Mining companies hold back-to-back investor meetings, banks run client breakfasts and dinners, and delegations visit ministries, exchanges and law firms. The pattern that works is a chauffeur by the hour, booked for the hours you are moving.
Morning. The chauffeur collects you at your hotel, takes you to a breakfast meeting, then to the MTCC for the opening sessions. If your morning is all inside the convention, book the car from lunchtime instead.
Afternoon. Meetings at offices on Bay Street, King Street or University Avenue are short drives from the convention, but the walk is long in sleet with a laptop bag. The car waits nearby between meetings, so you do not stand on the curb trying to find a ride while the next appointment starts.
Evening. PDAC week is full of receptions and private dinners. The evening out and event night package, five hours from US$550 in a Business Sedan to US$1,100 in an Executive Sprinter, covers the drop-off, the wait and the ride back to the hotel, including a second stop if the evening moves on.
By the hour, Toronto runs from US$110 in a Business Sedan to US$220 in an Executive Sprinter, with a 3-hour minimum. A full-day chauffeur for eight hours is US$810 to US$1,620, and the 10-hour corporate roadshow day, built for a team moving between meetings, is US$990 to US$1,980. More on hourly chauffeur service and roadshow chauffeurs.
Exhibitor teams, delegations and investor groups
Exhibitors arrive with booth staff, sample cases and display material, and leave the same way. An Executive Sprinter moves the whole team and its bags in one vehicle, US$405 from Pearson to downtown and US$220 by the hour, which is usually simpler than a convoy of taxis at the arrivals curb. For larger programmes, the desk schedules several vehicles under one booking reference; see conference transportation, group transportation and the Sprinter van with driver.
Government and corporate delegations often need a car on call for the whole week. A corporate account gives your company fixed airport fares, one monthly invoice and a named contact at the desk. Travel agents and destination managers booking for clients can use travel-agent accounts. For senior guests, chauffeurs are briefed only on timing and route, and the desk signs non-disclosure agreements on request. Elly8.net is a transportation service, not a security company; close protection should be arranged separately.
UP Express, TTC, rideshare or a chauffeur: the honest comparison
Toronto's airport train is good, and for many PDAC attendees it is the right choice.
| Option | Price, Pearson to downtown | Time | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| UP Express train | C$12.35 adult single | about 28 min to Union, every 15 min | One traveller, light bag, hotel near Union or the MTCC |
| TTC bus and subway | TTC fare | longer, with a change at Kipling Station | Budget travellers with light luggage |
| Rideshare | varies with demand | 31 min clear road, longer at peak | Off-peak arrivals with flexible plans |
| Elly8.net Business Sedan | US$155 fixed, all-in | door to door | Late flights, meetings, fixed budget |
| Elly8.net Executive Sprinter | US$405 fixed, all-in | door to door | Exhibitor teams and groups with cases |
UP Express lists an adult single fare of C$12.35, with trains about every 15 minutes and a journey of about 28 minutes from Pearson Station at Terminal 1 to Union. PDAC's transportation page points out that the Union stop connects to the MTCC by the Skywalk, so a solo attendee with a carry-on staying near the convention can be at registration with almost no walking outside. That is hard to beat, and we say so.
PDAC also describes the TTC route to Pearson, a direct bus that meets the subway at Kipling Station. It is the cheapest option and the slowest, and with luggage it involves a change.
Rideshare apps work in Toronto and are fine at quiet hours. In a convention week, demand peaks at the same moments for everyone: the end of the day's sessions, the start of the evening events and the Wednesday departures. A pre-booked car does not change price with demand. The full trade-offs are in chauffeur vs Uber and Lyft and chauffeur vs taxi.
A chauffeur makes most sense for groups, for arrivals after the last train, for hotels away from Union such as Yorkville, for meetings across the city, and for anyone who needs a fixed number on the expense report.
March in Toronto: plan the timing
Early March in Toronto can still bring snow and slush. Leave more time for the airport run, choose an SUV if you have sample cases, and set pickups at a hotel entrance rather than a street corner.
For departures, the chauffeur pulls up at the departures curb of your terminal. Travellers flying to the United States clear US preclearance at Pearson before boarding, which adds a queue; on a weekday morning we usually suggest leaving downtown well over two hours before a US departure. Wednesday 10 March, the last day of the convention, is a heavy departure day.
Before and after the convention
Many PDAC visitors add a day. The signature Toronto day trip is a 10-hour day to Niagara Falls, from US$1,015 in a Business Sedan to US$2,025 in an Executive Sprinter. The private city highlights tour runs from US$440 to US$880.
Company offices and mining service firms are spread across the region. The desk books cars to Mississauga, Hamilton and Kitchener-Waterloo, and cross-border rides to Buffalo for US flights; the border crossing adds time and every passenger needs the travel documents the border requires. For any address that is not on the price list, the web booker quotes a fixed price before you reserve. Flights and hotels can be booked through our travel partner BookingWorldwide.net; Elly8.net books the car.
How booking works
- Enter the pickup and drop-off: the airport and your flight number, your hotel, the MTCC or a meeting address.
- Choose the vehicle, from Business Sedan to Executive Sprinter, or an hourly package.
- Press Reserve now on the Toronto price list, or use the web booker for any address. Confirmation arrives by email, with the chauffeur's details before pickup.
Elly8.net is a member of LimousineWorldwide.Directory, LimousineAssociation.International, HotelsWorldwide.Directory and VacationsWorldwide.Directory. PDAC week is one of the busiest weeks of the year for downtown hotels, and chauffeured cars book out with them, so reserve now.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a car from Pearson to the PDAC convention?
Pearson to downtown Toronto, including the MTCC and the Front Street hotels, is US$155 in a Business Sedan, US$205 in a Business SUV, US$275 in a First Class Sedan and US$405 in an Executive Sprinter, per vehicle and all-in. A round trip starts at US$295. The price is the same in PDAC week as in any other week.
Where does the chauffeur meet me at Pearson?
Inside the arrivals hall of your terminal, Terminal 1 or Terminal 3, holding a name board after baggage claim and customs. Add your flight number when you book; the desk tracks the flight, confirms the terminal and adjusts the pickup time. Waiting is complimentary after a tracked landing.
Is the UP Express better than a car for PDAC?
For one traveller with light luggage staying near Union Station, often yes. The adult single is C$12.35, the ride takes about 28 minutes, and the Union stop connects to the MTCC indoors. A car is better for groups, sample cases, late arrivals, hotels in Yorkville and anyone going straight to a meeting.
Can a chauffeur wait for me between investor meetings?
Yes. Book by the hour, from US$110 in a Business Sedan with a 3-hour minimum, or a 10-hour corporate roadshow day from US$990. The chauffeur stays nearby between meetings and is reachable by phone, so the car is ready when each meeting ends.
Can you move an exhibitor team and its cases?
Yes. An Executive Sprinter takes the team and its luggage in one vehicle, US$405 from Pearson to downtown or US$220 by the hour. For larger teams, the desk schedules several vehicles under one reference and one invoice through a corporate account.
What is the cancellation policy?
Free more than 72 hours before pickup; 10% at 72 hours or less; 50% at 48 hours or less; 100% at 24 hours or less or for a no-show. Refunds go to the original card. Changes to timing can be handled by the 24/7 desk.
When should we book for PDAC?
As soon as your registration and hotel are confirmed. The Toronto price list is fixed, but the number of chauffeured cars available downtown in convention week is not, and Sunday arrivals and Wednesday departures fill first.
