National refers to the National Yacht Club. The club was established in 1894 with the first clubhouse on the west side of the Queens Quay Wharf. Ten years later it was moved to a more protected area on the east side of the wharf - currently the site of the old Loblaws warehouse (N.E. corner of Bathurst and Lakeshore).
The National Yacht Club was constructed for the Sea Fleas making National Yacht Club a centre for powerboat racers.
The original name of the club was the National Yacht and Skiff Club, but in 1947 new Letters of Patent were granted for the current name of National Yacht Club .
Making a big mark on the current waterfront, first the Federal Government constructed the steel wall to give added protection to the basin in 1950. Then in 1983 the Toronto Harbour Commission proposed a new landfill sight for National Yacht Club with a new 50 year lease, creating the strip of land the clubhouse sits on today. By 1988 the new clubhouse which exists today opened to great celebration.
