Waterfront Toronto, in conjunction with the City of Toronto and Toronto and Region Conservation, is seeking Toronto City Council’s authorization to submit all the necessary planning documents that would ultimately result in an Official Plan Amendment for the Lower Don Lands plans. The Official Plan Amendment would pave the way for future revitalization of the area including rerouting the river, building flood protection and ultimately building new communities.

At its July 6/7 meeting, Council will be asked to endorse the draft Don Mouth and Lower Don Lands environmental assessments.  If endorsed, the draft Don Mouth Environmental Assessment will then be submitted to the Ministry of the Environment for final approval under the Environmental Assessment Act.

Council will also be asked to endorse an Official Plan Amendment and new Zoning By-law, which require review by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing and the Ministry of Natural Resources for consistency with flood management policies.  If passed by Council in August, Toronto’s Official Plan will be amended to enshrine the Lower Don Lands plans and will bring the project to a point of readiness where funding and economic development opportunities can be seized.

The plans were already unanimously endorsed by Toronto City Council’s Executive Committee on June 14 and by Toronto and East York Community Council on June 22.

“This is a pivotal moment for the future of the Lower Don Lands and is the culmination of years of planning,

design and public consultation,”said John Campbell, President and CEO, Waterfront Toronto.“The plans for the Lower Don Lands represent a unique opportunity to remake a significant and vital part of Toronto’s waterfront.”

Until now, regeneration and development of the Lower Don Lands has been hindered by a number of factors including flood risk, isolation from the rest of the city, soil and groundwater contamination and insufficient infrastructure.  The Lower Don Lands plans address and overcome all of these factors, and will transform this post-industrial area into a sought-after destination to live, work and play based on design excellence, ecology and economic sustainability.

Following an international design competition in 2007, the plans were developed by a team led by world renowned landscape architectural firm Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates Inc (MVVA). The plans were taken through a rigorous technical analysis as part of a comprehensive environmental assessment.  The process looked at several options and ultimately led to the development of the preferred alternative.  The MVVA led team used an integrated design approach – the collaboration of landscape architects, urban designers and leading sustainability experts –which brought together infrastructure, public realm, and ecology to connect the city, lake and river in a dynamic and balanced relationship at the mouth of the Don River.

The plans renaturalize the mouth of the Don River by rerouting it through the Lower Don Lands and at the same time protect more than 230 hectares (568 acres) of land currently at risk due to flooding. The flood mitigation measures eliminate a potential billion dollar-plus flood risk, while simultaneously unlocking the economic development potential for the lands.

The strategies embedded in this approach expand development opportunities for building at the edge of a naturalized river park setting. Under the plans the water’s edge will almost double and 49 hectares (120 acres) will be allocated to parks and open spaces. Comprehensive economic impact assessments project that the plans will result in:
•    $480 million in incremental increases in land value in the Lower Don Lands, before build-out;
•    $300 million in increased land value in surrounding neighbourhoods;
•    $55 million in new annual tax revenue in the Lower Don Lands; and
•    $6.8 billion in private investment leveraged in the Lower Don Lands.

“In addition to the economic and environmental benefits to the City, the plans create a unique opportunity for Toronto to showcase its leadership in progressive and sustainable city building,” said Campbell. “Reconnecting Toronto and the Don River at the edge of Lake Ontario will transform Toronto’s waterfront into an internationally recognized destination that combines sustainable city building with major river restoration and naturalization.”

Waterfront Toronto’s plans for the Lower Don Lands have received several prestigious international awards including accolades from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, the American Institute of Architects, and the Building Exchange (BEX) Conference.

The Lower Don Lands project is also one of 18 founding projects of the Climate Positive Development Program. A project of U.S. President Bill Clinton’s Climate Initiative and the U.S. Green Building Council, the program’s aim is to demonstrate sustainable urban growth models and support large urban developments in achieving zero carbon emissions.

The Lower Don Lands has been designed to achieve climate-positive goals using passive design, optimizing climatic effects from sun and wind, and prioritizing transit and multi-modal transportation options. Energy planning raises the bar for energy efficiency, deemphasizing reliance on the grid. The design also includes strategies for water re-use and leading edge information technology to support sustainable living and working.

The planning process for the Lower Don Lands has included extensive community and stakeholder consultation.  Numerous meetings with the public, non-profit agencies, community groups, private land owners and other stakeholders were held throughout the process.

The Governments of Canada and Ontario and the City of Toronto created Waterfront Toronto to oversee and lead the renewal of Toronto’s waterfront. Public accessibility, design excellence, sustainable development, economic development and fiscal sustainability are the key drivers of waterfront revitalization.

For more information:
Lower Don Lands Backgrounder
Lower Don Lands Quick Facts

Media Contact:
Tari Stork, Manager, Project Communications, and Waterfront Toronto 416-214-1344 x 279
tstork@waterfrontoronto.ca

More than 500 names were submitted and thousands of people voted online during the month and a half long park naming contest. Sherbourne Commons, submitted by Doug Dent, received the most number of votes during the final round of voting followed by Merchant’s Wharf Park and Tkaronto Park. Once approved by Community Council, the park will be officially renamed when it opens later this summer.

“It’s very fitting that the winning name, which reflects the idea that public spaces belong to the people, would come out of a public naming contest,” said John Campbell, President and CEO of Waterfront Toronto. “As we transform East Bayfront from industrial, underutilized lands into one of Canada’s most sustainable and technologically advanced communities, the name Sherbourne Commons, will serve as a continual reminder that the waterfront is first and foremost about the people who will use it.”

The “Rename Sherbourne Park” contest was launched on April 26 by Waterfront Toronto and online news website Torontoist to give people a chance to become part of the history of the waterfront. Between April 26 and May 14, members of the public were invited to submit their park names to www.torontoist.com/park.

A shortlist of eight names, developed by a selection committee representing a broad range of voices in the community, including local City Councillor Pam McConnell, was released on May 31. The shortlist was also vetted by the City of Toronto Parks, Recreation and Forestry Division to ensure the names met the parks naming criteria outlined in the City of Toronto’s Policy Statement on Naming and Renaming Park & Recreation Facilities & Parks.

During the semi-final round of voting, between May 31 and June 7, members of the public ranked their favourite of the eight shortlisted park names. The three top ranked park names — Merchant’s Wharf Park, Sherbourne Commons and Tkaronto Park — were then put forward to the public for a final round of voting.

The park’s working name – Sherbourne Park – was based on its location at the foot of Lower Sherbourne Street in the heart of East Bayfront, a new waterfront community currently under construction between Jarvis St. and Parliament St.  The new waterfront park is transforming a once grim, industrial area into much needed public greenspace on the lake.  When it opens this summer, it will give Torontonians access to a part of the lakefront they have never been able to enjoy.

Mr. Dent, the winner of the Rename Sherbourne Park contest, will receive a commemorative rendering of the park and will be invited to be part of the park’s opening celebrations later this summer.

Learn More:

Rename Sherbourne Park Contest Backgrounder
Official Contest Rules and the City of Toronto’s Policy Statement on Naming and Renaming Park & Recreation Facilities & Parks

Waterfront Toronto
The Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario and the City of Toronto created Waterfront Toronto to oversee and lead the renewal of Toronto’s waterfront. Public accessibility, design excellence, sustainable development, economic development and fiscal sustainability are the key drivers of waterfront revitalization.

Torontoist
Torontoist focuses on absolutely everything interesting related to Toronto, including news, arts, events, culture, transit, politics, photography, advertising, street art and graffiti, food, and a whole lot more.  Established in October 2004 as part of the thirteen-city Gothamist network, Torontoist is now published by Ink Truck Media, and has become the largest, most influential, and most widely-read website of its kind in Canada.

For more information, please contact:
Samantha Gileno, Waterfront Toronto – 416.271.1316 or sgileno@waterfrontoronto.ca

Waterfront Toronto is conducting the soil recycling pilot as part of its Soils Management Strategy to determine the viability of treating and reusing impacted soils as an alternative to the dig-and-dump approach.

The pilot facility is strategically located in the Port Lands to be able to treat soils near their source, divert soils from landfill, and provide Waterfront Toronto with a source of treated soil that can be used in revitalization projects.

Remediation efforts within the waterfront include the excavation and removal of contaminated soil, which is expected to generate in excess of two-million cubic metres of impacted soil.  Soil treatment, remediation, and reuse will prevent the excavated soil from being transported and disposed of in landfill.

The pilot will process up to 50,000 cubic metres of soils in the pilot phase of operation employing the newest and best technologies available to treat contaminated soils.  The pilot proponents, DEC and Tetra Tech, will use soil washing, complemented by field trials of a number of other cutting-edge technologies.  Soil-washing is a technology that has been successfully used to promote the recycling of soils in several other countries.

The pilot allows Waterfront Toronto to better assess the environmental, economic and operational viability of treating and reusing soils before committing to a full-scale recycling facility.  The goals of the pilot are to identify a range of treatment options and costs of remediating soil; confirm that impacted soil can be treated to an environmental condition that allows it to be reused in revitalization projects for residential, parkland and commercial projects; and showcase treatment technologies that will benefit brownfield remediation.

“We have been presented with a unique opportunity to help bring Ontario to the leading edge of Brownfield remediation using sustainability and technology,” said John Campbell, President and CEO of Waterfront Toronto. “By using state-of-the-art technologies and processes not widely used in Canada, we have the opportunity to turn contaminated soils into a resource instead of a liability.  This facility has the potential to change the way impacted soils are treated on the waterfront and possibly across Canada.”

Creating sustainable communities is a fundamental objective for Waterfront Toronto. In addition to requiring LEED® Gold certification as the standard on all new buildings, Waterfront Toronto is employing innovation and technology to advance standards in brownfield remediation.  By employing global best practices and made-in-Toronto solutions, the city’s new waterfront communities will protect and enhance our natural environment, and will ultimately be recognized as global models for sustainability.

Waterfront Toronto’s sustainable development approach is guided by a comprehensive Sustainability Framework, which serves as a roadmap to ensure that sustainability principles are woven into every facet of operations and decision making.

The public will have an opportunity to review the project in further detail at a public meeting on Wednesday, June 16 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Toronto Fire/EMS Training Centre located at 895 Eastern Avenue. Members of the project team will present detailed plans for the facility and answer questions.

Soil Recycling Pilot Facility Backgrounder
Soil Recycling Pilot Facility Fact Sheet

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Media Contact:
Tari Stork, Manager, Project Communications, Waterfront Toronto 416-214-1344 x 279

The final three park names for public voting at www.torontoist.com/park are:

• Merchant’s Wharf Park —pays homage to the old pier that once stood at the foot of Sherbourne Street
• Sherbourne Commons — incorporates both the park’s location at the foot of Sherbourne St. and the concept of “the commons” where the greens/open park-like spaces belong to the people without regulatory restriction or proprietary requirement
• Tkaronto Park —from the Iroquoian word meaning “trees standing in water” also an early origin of the name Toronto

“We’re thrilled that this contest has given so many people a stake in the revitalization of our waterfront,” said John Campbell, President and CEO of Waterfront Toronto. “It’s a reminder that our waterfront isn’t about one community or one pocket of the city —the waterfront is an asset for the entire city.”

The “Rename Sherbourne Park” contest — www.torontoist.com/park — was launched on April 26 by Waterfront Toronto and online news website Torontoist. Between April 26 and May 14, members of the public were invited to submit their park names to www.torontoist.com/park.

A shortlist of eight names, developed by a selection committee representing a broad range of voices in the community, including local City Councillor Pam McConnell, was released on May 31. The shortlist was also vetted by the City of Toronto Parks, Recreation and Forestry Division to ensure the names met the parks naming criteria outlined in the City of Toronto’s Policy Statement on Naming and Renaming Park & Recreation Facilities & Parks.

During the semi-final round of voting, between May 31 and June 7, members of the public ranked their favourite of the eight shortlisted park names. The three top ranked park names — Merchant’s Wharf Park, Sherbourne Commons and Tkaronto Park — are now part of the final round of voting.

The park’s working name – Sherbourne Park – is based on its location at the foot of Lower Sherbourne Street in the heart of East Bayfront, a new waterfront community currently under construction between Jarvis St. and Parliament St.  The new waterfront park is transforming a once grim, industrial area into much needed public greenspace on the lake.  When it opens this summer, it will give Torontonians access to a part of the lakefront they have never been able to enjoy.

The winning park name will be announced on June 16, 2010 and must be formally approved by Toronto and East York Community Council.

The official contest rules and the City of Toronto’s Policy Statement on Naming and Renaming Park & Recreation Facilities & Parks are available on www.torontoist.com/park. Contest details are available in the Rename Sherbourne Park Contest Backgrounder.

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Waterfront Toronto

The Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario and the City of Toronto created Waterfront Toronto to oversee and lead the renewal of Toronto’s waterfront. Public accessibility, design excellence, sustainable development, economic development and fiscal sustainability are the key drivers of waterfront revitalization.

Torontoist

Torontoist focuses on absolutely everything interesting related to Toronto, including news, arts, events, culture, transit, politics, photography, advertising, street art and graffiti, food, and a whole lot more.  Established in October 2004 as part of the thirteen-city Gothamist network, Torontoist is now published by Ink Truck Media, and has become the largest, most influential, and most widely-read website of its kind in Canada.

For more information, please contact:

Samantha Gileno, Waterfront Toronto – 416.271.1316 or sgileno@waterfrontoronto.ca

The “Rename Sherbourne Park” contest – www.torontoist.com/park – was launched on April 26 by Waterfront Toronto and online news website Torontoist.

Between April 26 and May 14, members of the public were invited to submit their park names to www.torontoist.com/park.  Contest submissions had to follow the City’s policy on park naming and were to reflect the park’s location in one of Toronto’s newest, most sustainable and technologically-advanced communities.

The shortlist, developed by a selection committee representing a broad range of voices in the community, including local City Councillor Pam McConnell, covers a range of historical, commemorative and geographical perspectives which strongly relate to the waterfront and aspects of urban revitalization.

The eight shortlisted names for the Rename Sherbourne Park Contest are:*

• Bayfront Village Green
• Blue Edge Park
• Kanadario Park (from the Iroquois word meaning “sparkling” or “beautiful” water)
• Merchant’s Wharf Park
• Ridout Park
• Sherbourne Commons
• Tkaronto Park (from the Mohawk word meaning “trees standing in water” also an early origin of the name Toronto)
• Waterside Park

The shortlist was also vetted by the City of Toronto Parks, Recreation and Forestry Division to ensure the names meet the parks naming criteria outlined in the City of Toronto’s Policy Statement on Naming and Renaming Park & Recreation Facilities & Parks.

“It’s clear from the overwhelming response to this contest that a lot of people are engaged in waterfront revitalization” said John Campbell, President and CEO of Waterfront Toronto. “We’re now looking forward to broadening the conversation by having the entire city vote for a new name for the park.”

Members of the public have two opportunities to vote for their favourite park name at www.torontoist.com/park. During the semi-final round of voting, from May 31 to June 7, members of the public can rank their favourite of the eight shortlisted park names. The three top ranked park names will move on to the final round of voting which will take place between June 9 and June 15. The name that receives the most number of votes will become the new name of the park.

The park’s working name – Sherbourne Park – is based on its location at the foot of Lower Sherbourne Street in the heart of East Bayfront, a new waterfront community currently under construction between Jarvis St. and Parliament St.  The new waterfront park is transforming a once grim, industrial area into much needed public greenspace on the lake.  When it opens this summer, it will give Torontonians access to a part of the lakefront they have never been able to enjoy.

Sponsored by Waterfront Toronto and Torontoist in collaboration with the City of Toronto, the “Rename Sherbourne Park Contest” gives members of the public an opportunity to become part of the history of the waterfront.  The winning park name will be announced on June 16, 2010 and must be formally approved by Toronto and East York Community Council.

The official contest rules and the City of Toronto’s Policy Statement on Naming and Renaming Park & Recreation Facilities & Parks are available on www.torontoist.com/park.

*Details about the shortlisted submissions are available in the Rename Sherbourne Park Contest Backgrounder  or at www.torontoist.com/park.

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Waterfront Toronto

The Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario and the City of Toronto created Waterfront Toronto to oversee and lead the renewal of Toronto’s waterfront. Public accessibility, design excellence, sustainable development, economic development and fiscal sustainability are the key drivers of waterfront revitalization.

Torontoist

Torontoist focuses on absolutely everything interesting related to Toronto, including news, arts, events, culture, transit, politics, photography, advertising, street art and graffiti, food, and a whole lot more.  Established in October 2004 as part of the thirteen-city Gothamist network, Torontoist is now published by Ink Truck Media, and has become the largest, most influential, and most widely-read website of its kind in Canada.

Rename Sherbourne Park Contest Backgrounder

For more information, please contact:
Samantha Gileno, Waterfront Toronto – 416.271.1316 or sgileno@waterfrontoronto.ca

Toronto, June 25, 2007 – Federal Environment Minister John Baird, Ontario Minister of Public Infrastructure Renewal David Caplan and Toronto Mayor David Miller today launched the start of construction of both a flood protection berm and the Don River Park in the West Don Lands, the first new community to be developed as part of waterfront revitalization.

“The revitalization of the West Don Lands will transform an underused industrial area into a vibrant new sustainable community for Torontonians,” said the Honourable John Baird, Minister of the Environment. “The health of our cities and communities is critical to our country’s ongoing success. That is why Canada’s New Government is providing $17.6 million to fully fund the construction of the Don River Park. We are committed to working with other levels of government to renew Toronto’s waterfront and ensure a high quality of life for residents and visitors alike.”

Don River Park will be an active, vibrant and inviting neighbourhood park serving the community, the City and visitors alike. Don River Park will provide a rich and diverse offering of landscape experiences. It will transform an abandoned and contaminated post-industrial site into a dynamic, re-natured public park that is animated year-round. It will invite the city to the Don River and enhance the experience along the river’s edge.

Waterfront Toronto in partnership with the Ontario Realty Corporation is overseeing the construction of the six-hectare berm. The berm is a key requirement for developing the West Don Lands which are located in the flood plain of the Don River. The berm will provide flood protection for a 174 hectare area that extends west to York Street, including Toronto’s financial district. Don River Park, a signature piece of the new West Don Lands community, will be built on top of the berm.

“The waterfront’s future really begins today – as we begin the process of transforming the provincially owned West Don Lands into a new community that will one day rival London’s Canary Wharf or New York’s Battery Park,” said Caplan. “The long awaited berm construction is the critical step to making the West Don Lands, one of Canada’s first complete and sustainable communities.”

Approximately 200,000 cubic metres of fill will be used to construct the low-lying berm. This is the equivalent to the load carried by 10,000 dump trucks. At its high point, the berm will be four metres high. The berm is scheduled to be complete in 2008 after which final landscaping for Don River Park will take place. The park will be open in 2009. The cost of constructing the berm is $25 million. Don River Park will cost $15 million.

“This berm is vital to the transformation of the West Don Lands into the dynamic community Torontonians have long been looking for in the vicinity of their downtown waterfront,” said Mayor David Miller. “It will be an affordable and accessible community that will attract a wide variety of families and residents from diverse economic backgrounds who want to live, work and play in a clean, green urban environment.”

Starting construction of the berm and Don River Park is part of a number of development activities now underway in the West Don Lands. On June 18, 2007, Waterfront Toronto issued a Request for Qualifications for the development of 850 units of residential housing in the West Don Lands. And, Toronto Community Housing, Waterfront Toronto’s affordable housing partner for the first phase of West Don Lands development, will start construction of 130 units of affordable rental housing in the fall of 2007.

“Today represents a major milestone for revitalization of Toronto’s waterfront,” said Mark Wilson, Waterfront Toronto’s chair. “Building this berm has been one of the biggest barriers to transforming this area into a new vibrant neighbourhood. Today we officially overcome that barrier and start the major construction of the first new waterfront community.”

In addition to the berm, flood protection is also being provided by widening the channel of the Don River so that it can accommodate a larger flow of water. Toronto and Region Conservation (TRCA) is carrying out this work. Widening the river channel requires extending the railway bridge that spans the channel. This bridge work will be complete in July along with a new pedestrian underpass that links the new West Don Lands community to the existing Don River and waterfront trails. The underpass will open in 2009 when Don River Park is complete.

The West Don Lands, made up of 32 hectares next to the Distillery District, run from Parliament Street east to the Don River and from King Street south to the rail corridor. Waterfront Toronto has made community consultation an integral part of the design and development of the West Don Lands.

“In 1999 our community identified flood protection as the single biggest barrier to redevelopment of the West Don Lands,” said Cindy Wilkey, Chair of the West Don Lands Committee. “When the flood protection berm is completed in 2008, landscaping for the fabulous new Don River Park can start and new neighbours will finally be able to move in. The $20 million for flood protection and the $19 million for the creation of Don River Park are critical investments that will stimulate private sector partnership in building this new neighbourhood.”

The Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario and the City of Toronto created Waterfront Toronto to oversee and lead the renewal of Toronto’s waterfront. Public accessibility, design excellence, sustainable development, economic development and fiscal sustainability are the key drivers of waterfront revitalization.

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Media contacts:

Kristin Jenkins, Waterfront Toronto 416-214-1479
Eric Richer, Environment Canada 819-997-1441
Amy Tang, Ontario Ministry of Public Infrastructure Renewal, Minister’s Office 416-325-4048
Don Wanagas, City of Toronto, Mayor’s Office 416-338-7134

News Release (pdf)