A giant rubber duck that caused feathers to fly for weeks before its arrival has settled into its temporary new home on Toronto's waterfront for Canada 150.

The six-storey-tall yellow duck was inflated on Toronto's harbourfront on Friday morning ahead of the weekend RedPath Waterfront Festival.

The duck's $200,000 price tag had some critics crying foul, questioning the bird's connection to Canada 150 festivities.

The festival, which has received government funding in previous years to promote tourism, received about 1$20,000 from the province and $250,000 from the federal government from the Canada 150 fund to tour the faux fowl in six cities.

The giant rubber duck is based on similar floating structures by a Dutch artist that have travelled the world.