Sherbourne Common’s splash pad is one of the striking features of the multi-purpose park. The 920-square metre splash pad, located in front of the park’s zinc-clad pavilion, is made of sandblasted concrete embedded with cooling tubes.  Forty-four water jets made of stainless steel are included within the concrete slab – which doubles as a skating rink in the winter – along  with linear diffusers that shoot water upward.

At Canada’s Sugar Beach, located a few meters west of Sherbourne Common,  twenty-seven dynamic water jets are embedded in a large, granite maple leaf beside the beach. The water jets are designed and programmed to give a cascading water effect at different heights. At night, the water jets display a variety of bright colours projected by dozens of LED lights.

Sherbourne Common and Canada’s Sugar Beach — popular new additions to the waterfront — have been widely recognized for their design excellence. The parks and their water features are operated by the City of Toronto’s Parks, Forestry and Recreation Department and will be open through Labour Day.

AZ Awards are issued to designers and architects that have demonstrated exceptional creativity in achieving best concept and product designs.

From Wednesday, April 11, members of the public will be able to vote for their favourites designs. Deadline to cast your vote is Friday, May 4, by midnight EST.  The People’s Choice award winner will be announced during the AZ AWARDS gala presentation, which will take place in Toronto on June 7.

Canada’s Sugar Beach was built as part of Toronto’s waterfront revitalization. Located at the foot of lower Jarvis Street, south of Queens Quay, Canada’s Sugar Beach transformed a former industrial area into a fun, dynamic space.

Designed by Claude Cormier + Associés, the park’s features include a number of  Muskoka chairs, signature pink umbrellas, soft sand and an interactive water feature embedded in a granite maple leaf, which makes cooling off fun for adults and children.

How do I vote for Canada’s Sugar Beach? Click here to register and cast your vote.

The goal of the initiative is to deliver a high-level road map for accelerating development and maximizing the value of the Port Lands as a unique city legacy. The undertaking is the result of Toronto City Council’s September 21 unanimous decision for Waterfront Toronto in conjunction with the City of Toronto to lead a review of the Port Lands and to ensure the process is informed by extensive public consultation.

An initial public meeting is being held from 6:30pm to 9:00pm on Monday December 12 at the Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge Street. The meeting will include a summary of the work to date, the goals for the Port Lands initiative and an overview of acceleration opportunities and challenges for development.  The meeting will provide the public with an opportunity to ask questions and discuss their goals and ideas for the Port Lands.

“The work being undertaken is an opportunity to seize the full potential of these lands and to deliver development of enduring value and legacy to the people of Toronto,” said Councillor Peter Milczyn, chair of the City’s Planning and Growth Committee. “It is a first step in realizing our joint objective of creating one of the world’s great waterfronts.”

The work is a highly collaborative process. Waterfront Toronto and the City are working closely with Toronto and Region Conservation and seeking input from other agencies such as The Toronto Port Lands Company and the Toronto Port Authority.  Stakeholders such as land owners, tenants, port users and sector specific groups are being engaged throughout the process.

Work on the Port Lands acceleration initiative is well underway. A series of technical working groups are examining key issues including land use and design, infrastructure and constructability, and real estate development and financing.  Waterfront Toronto has also issued or will be issuing a number of Requests for Proposals to competitively procure the required technical expertise.

“Our intent is to take a fresh and wide-ranging look at the challenges and opportunities of developing the Port Lands, including examining phasing options, higher-value interim uses, and the feasibility of modifying or removing existing constraints,” said Waterfront Toronto President and CEO John Campbell.

The comprehensive undertaking builds on the large body of work delivered to date on the Port Lands and Lower Don Lands and explores new ideas and creative solutions. The project includes:

• Further examining the options for the Don Mouth Naturalization and Port Lands Flood Protection Environmental Assessment (EA) within the EA’s terms of reference, by reviewing costing and exploring options for value enhancements through such things as alternative construction approaches and project phasing, and by increasing the development potential of surrounding lands;
• Identifying financial and policy tools, incentives, and delivery mechanisms that enable development and offset or reduce the initial public sector investment needed to provide required infrastructure such as roads, services, utilities and flood protection;
• Exploring opportunities to increase private sector investment involvement; and
• Ensuring that the plan delivers a great waterfront for people to live, work and play.

Public consultation will play a central role in the creation of the go forward plan for the Port Lands and will include traditional in-person public meetings and interactive social media and/or web enabled consultations. The on-line consultation initiative is expected to launch early in 2012. In addition to the December 12 meeting, two rounds of public consultation are planned to be held throughout the city in 2012.

The final report on the results of the Port Lands review is expected to be completed for the June 2012 City Council meeting. On January 24, 2012 the City and Waterfront Toronto will provide City Council’s Executive Committee with a report on required funding for the review.

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.

Toronto is Canada’s largest city and sixth largest government, and home to a diverse population of about 2.7 million people. Toronto’s government is dedicated to delivering customer service excellence, creating a transparent and accountable government, reducing the size and cost of government and building a transportation city. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can dial 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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Media contacts:

Michelle Noble, Waterfront Toronto, 647-288-8048

Wynna Brown, City of Toronto, 416-392-8937

The blog surveyed international green spaces for the best in emerging standards for design in the public sphere. Sherbourne Common shares the list with eight other spaces from countries across the globe.

Sherbourne Common is a unique park that seamlessly blends art and innovation. Located in the heart of the new East Bayfront neighbourhood, Sherbourne Common is far more than the area’s main park. It is the first park in Canada to incorporate a neighbourhood-wide stormwater treatment facility. Public art is integrated with the water infrastructure to create a public space that is as beautiful as it is functional. The park also features a splash pad that’s a skating rink in the winter months, a playground, an open green space and a pavilion.

The Atlantic Cities explores innovative ideas and issues facing today’s global cities and neighborhoods. Last month, the blog also ranked Underpass Park at the top of its list of Nine Cool Projects Under Freeway Overpasses.

OPPI’s annual Excellence in Planning Awards Program recognizes excellence in all aspects of the planning profession.  Waterfront Toronto’s Lower Don Lands Plan won in the Urban/Community Design category which acknowledges planners’ contributions to the built form within our communities and recognizes planned, newly constructed or renovated sites or areas.

“We are honoured that the Lower Don Lands has been recognized as a model of excellence by the Ontario Professional Planners Institute,” said John Campbell, President and CEO of Waterfront Toronto. “The Lower Don Lands is an incredibly complicated yet integral piece of the waterfront puzzle and one that is essential to get right.”

Located in the flood plain of the Don River, The Lower Don Lands is a 110 hectare (272 acre) brownfield site at the eastern end of Toronto’s harbour. The site is at the junction of two new waterfront communities already under construction, and it is the gateway to the larger Port Lands area and the first stage of the Port Lands that will be developed. Planning for the area had to address a myriad of requirements and challenges including flood protection, infrastructure, urban design, transportation and contaminated soil and groundwater.

Waterfront Toronto’s plan for the Lower Don Lands, created by a team lead by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates Inc., reroutes the mouth of the Don River through the area and creates vibrant mixed-use communities around the new river mouth. The plan enables the development of 13,000 new homes, 3,000,000 square feet of commercial/retail space, plus 53 hectares (130 acres) of parks and public space. The plan also protects more than 230 hectares (568 acres) of land currently at risk due to flooding.

The Lower Don Lands plan has been recognized as an exceptional model of sustainable urban development, and has won numerous local and international awards. The Lower Don Lands project is one of 16 founding projects of The Climate Positive Development Program: a partnership between the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI), and the U.S. Green Building Council.

OPPI

OPPI’s Awards Program acknowledges the significant contribution that professional planners make in their communities, and helps to build awareness of the planning profession among related professions, government, the private sector, and the general public.

OPPI is the recognized voice of the Province’s planning profession. Its more than 3,500 members work in government, private practice, universities, and non-profit agencies in the fields of urban and rural development, urban design, environmental planning, transportation, health and social services, heritage conservation, housing, and economic development.

Waterfront Toronto

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.

Media Contact:

Tari Stork, Manager, Project Communications, Waterfront Toronto
T: 416-214-1344 x 279 / C: 416-414-1577 / tstork@waterfrontoronto.ca

Loretta Ryan, MCIP, RPP, CAE, Director, Public Affairs, Ontario Professional Planners Institute
C: 416-668-8469 / policy@ontarioplanners.on.ca

The City of Toronto’s Urban Design Awards recognize and acknowledge the significant contribution that architects, landscape architects, urban designers, artists, design students, and city builders make to the look and livability of Toronto. This year’s competition drew a record 129 entries in nine categories.

The Large Places or Neighbourhood Designs category honours major areas of innovation that also provide evidence of community involvement and acceptance for large parks, area plans, subdivisions, industrial parks, campus plans and streetscapes. Canada’s Sugar Beach, designed by Claude Cormier Architectes Paysagistes in association with the Planning Partnership, transformed a parking lot and a neglected part of the waterfront to a park that has attracted thousands of people to the area since it opened in August 2010. The park features three distinct components: an urban beach; a plaza space; and a tree-lined promenade running diagonally through the park. The jury stated, “in every way, Canada’s Sugar Beach represents a superb addition to the city’s public realm, creating an intimate but spacious vantage point from which to enjoy the harbor.”
The Elements category recognizes a stand-alone object, landscape element or small-scale piece of a building which contributes significantly to the quality of the public realm.  The central park of the Easy Bayfront community, Sherbourne Common was completed in two phases that opened in September 2010 and July 2011. Teeple Architects designed the Sherbourne Common Pavilion, a building that provides vital functions for the park while being a stunning structure that enlivens the space with its blue-grey exterior and architecture features, that as the jury noted, “create a striking new gateway to the waterfront while providing useful public space functions. The angular, low-slung design, which references Frank Gehry, ensures that the structure serves as a strong visual counterpoint to the diverse landscape that surrounds it.”

Since 2005, Waterfront Toronto has received nine Toronto Urban Design Awards.  Design excellence is a core priority for Waterfront Toronto. The organization’s goal is that everything built on Toronto’s waterfront — from buildings to streets to parks and public art — will set new standards for architecture and public space.

To help achieve and uphold its standards for design excellence, Waterfront Toronto hosts international design competitions, works with some of world’s top architects and landscape designers and incorporates urban design as an important component in its environmental assessment process. The Waterfront Design Review Panel, an independent body comprised of some of Canada’s most prestigious architects and planners also guides and informs the organization’s projects.

(Left to right). Toronto Councillor Norm Kelly, Waterfront Toronto Chair Mark Wilson, Ontario Minister of Research and Infrastructure, Glen Murray, and Federal Minister of the Environment, Peter Kent, officially open Sherbourne Common.

Waterfront Toronto and its government partners officially opened the completed Sherbourne Common, a unique park that seamlessly blends art and innovation.

Located in the heart of the new East Bayfront neighbourhood, Sherbourne Common is far more than the area’s main park. It is the first park in Canada to incorporate a neighbourhood-wide stormwater treatment facility. Public art is integrated with the water infrastructure to create a public space that is as beautiful as it is functional.

The park, which lies on both sides of Queens Quay Boulevard east of Lower Sherbourne Street, was completed in two phases. The portion south of Queens Quay was completed and opened in September 2010, and the portion on the north side was completed in July 2011.

A water treatment facility, housed in the basement of the park’s pavilion on the southern side, cleans collected storm and lake water with ultraviolet light.  The treated water is then sent underground to the north side of the park where it is released through three dramatic nine-metre-high art sculpture towers. The water flows from the tops of the towers, down metal mesh veils and into a 240-metre long water channel, or urban river, where it then flows out to Lake Ontario.

“Our government is pleased to have invested in the renewal of Toronto’s waterfront by providing more than $27 million in helping transform this part of Toronto’s industrial past into a beautiful public space,” said Minister Flaherty, MP (Whitby–Oshawa) and Canada’s Finance Minister.  “Investing in infrastructure strengthens and binds this country and builds a healthier environment for all Canadians.”

“To have Sherbourne Common completed is a tremendous accomplishment,” said Minister Kent, MP (Thornhill) and Canada’s Environment Minister. “The Sherbourne Common development is an integral part of the incredible transformation already underway across Toronto’s Waterfront. It will form the anchor for a thriving community of families, schools and businesses.”

“Sherbourne Common is going to be a wonderful asset for our community,” said Glen Murray, MPP (Toronto Centre) and Ontario Minister of Research and Innovation. “Our government is proud to support this project, which will give residents another way to enjoy the waterfront, bring neighbours and families together and make our community move lively and more livable for decades to come.”

“Sherbourne Common is a great example of how a park can be more than just a fantastic public space, with the addition of public infrastructure and public art,” said Councillor Norm Kelly, Chair of Parks & Environment for the City of Toronto. “This park will be a great asset to the developing East Bayfront community and all the people of Toronto,” Kelly added.

“Sherbourne Common is a catalyst for the development of the East Bayfront neighbourhood,” said Waterfront Toronto Board Chair Mark Wilson. “The park has already helped us attract private and public sector partners who are working with us to transform this former industrial area into a dynamic new community.”

George Brown College is currently constructing a new waterfront campus on the western edge of the park south of Queens Quay that will open fall 2012. Great Gulf will be building its mixed-use development on the eastern flank of the north portion of the park. Sales of units will launch later this year with occupancy expected by 2015.  The $800 million Bayside development by Hines will be constructed on the east side of Sherbourne Common south of Queens Quay. The project will feature 1,700 residential units, plus retail, cultural and commercial spaces in multiple buildings. Units will go on sale in 2012 and the first occupancy is expected by 2015.

Sherbourne Common was designed by Vancouver-based landscape architectural firm Phillips Farevaag Smallenberg in association with The Planning Partnership. The art sculpture towers, entitled “Light Showers”, were designed by Jill Anholt. Chosen through an online public naming contest, the name ‘Sherbourne Common’ reflects the idea that parks and public spaces should belong to the people.

The spectacular waterfront park is designed to be both a city-wide destination and neighbourhood amenity for daylong and year-round use. Along with the art features, the newly completed north portion features a children’s playground, a grove of trees, plus seating and benches. The water towers are lit at night and as people move over the bridge of the water channel, motion sensors trigger shifting light patterns in the water falling from the sculptures. The mesh veils of art sculptures are designed to capture water in the winter to form unique ice patterns.

The south portion of the park features a large greenspace overlooking the lake that can be used for festivals and special events, a splash pad that becomes a skating rink in the winter months, and a weather-protected pavilion with washrooms and space for a future café.

The total budget for Sherbourne Common was $28.7 million plus an additional $1.9 million for the public art. The federal government provided $27 million, the provincial government provided $1 million and the City of Toronto contributed $2.6 million. The cost for the art feature will be recovered through development fees as part of the Waterfront Toronto public art strategy.

Waterfront Toronto has made major strides in revitalizing Toronto’s waterfront. In addition to building and improving 17 parks and public spaces, Waterfront Toronto has finalized development agreements with Great Gulf Group of Companies, Urban Capital and Hines for private sector projects on the waterfront, as well as with George Brown College for the development of their new state-of-the-art Health Sciences campus.

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.

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MEDIA KIT:

Sherbourne Common Fact Sheet
East Bayfront Backgrounder

Media Contacts:

Bruce Sudds, Waterfront Toronto 416-214-1344 x290 or 416-271-1316, bsudds@waterfrontoronto.ca

Toronto – Waterfront Toronto and Toronto and Region Conservation (TRCA) together with the Governments of Canada, Ontario and the City of Toronto officially launched construction of the final phase of Mimico Waterfront Park today.

Located on the shore of Lake Ontario in Etobicoke, Mimico Waterfront Park connects people to the water across a lakefront area that historically has lacked public access to the waterfront.  When completed in 2012 the park will provide 1.1 kilometer of linear waterfront park space between Norris Crescent Parkette and Humber Bay Park West.

Waterfront Toronto opened the first 600 meter western portion of the park in 2008. The final 500 meters of linear park will enable Torontonians to enjoy the lakefront west of Humber Bay Park West for the first time and will provide the missing link in the city’s waterfront trail system.

“As Federal Minister responsible for the GTA and the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Initiative, I am pleased once again that our government is part of this remarkable transformation along Toronto’s lakeshore,” said Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty. “When completed, Mimico Waterfront Park will be an inviting and open community hub that will make a vital contribution to the overall prosperity and lifestyles of the residents and businesses of the waterfront.”

“We know that when we invest in Toronto’s waterfront we will see tangible returns.  At the same time, the investment in Mimico Waterfront Park will act as a catalyst for the local economy,” said Bernard Trottier, Member of Parliament for Etobicoke—Lakeshore.  “It is good to see this proud community along our waterfront evolving into the vibrant, exciting destination it deserves to be.”

“Today’s official start of Phase Two of the redevelopment of Mimico Waterfront Park is exciting for the residents and businesses of Etobicoke-Lakeshore who have always appreciated our community’s unique location, public spaces and access to the waterfront trails and parks,”  said Laurel Broten, MPP, Etobicoke-Lakeshore. “Moving forward with Mimico Waterfront Park is a key element of our strategy to revitalize and strengthen our lakeshore community and ensure that this wonderful natural legacy will be appreciated by families for generations to come.”

“Mimico Waterfront Park is an important local asset that enhances and strengthens the local community,” said Mark Grimes, Councillor for Etobicoke-Lakeshore. “Phase Two is the missing link that will extend and connect the waterfront and improve access for all park users. It will also provide an economic boost to local businesses by attracting visitors and additional investment in the area.”

Mimico Waterfront Park is an important asset in enhancing and strengthening the local community. Mimico is a community that the City of Toronto has targeted for revitalization;  creating more and better waterfront park space is one of the strategies the City has identified to help attract investment in the area.

“One of Waterfront Toronto’s primary objectives is to leverage investment in parks and public spaces to deliver key economic and social benefits,” said Mark Wilson, Chair, Waterfront Toronto. “The investment in Mimico Waterfront Park will deliver far more than much needed waterfront public space. It is also a catalyst for re-invigorating the local economy.”

The first phase of the park has been well received and well used by local residents since it opened in 2008.  The new park has also helped attract new businesses and residents to Mimico. The final phase of the project is expected to help further revitalize the area.

TRCA is an integral partner for Waterfront Toronto in the revitalization of Toronto’s waterfront and is responsible for the planning and building of the park.

“Mimico Waterfront Park was planned and designed by the citizens of this community for the use and enjoyment of the citizens of this community.  We are proud to have worked beside our local stakeholders toward the revitalization in this historic part of the city” said Brian Denney, Chief Administrative Officer of TRCA.

As with all Waterfront Toronto projects, sustainability is a key feature of Mimico Waterfront Park.  The park was designed with the native ecology of the area in mind and it includes features that benefit residents as well as the local aquatic and terrestrial habitats.

The second phase of the park builds east from the first phase and will provide linear water’s edge public space that connects existing local parks. The park is being constructed through a lakefilling process along a narrow section of the existing shoreline.

Phase Two begins at Superior Avenue in the west and extends the waterfront trail and public waterfront access to Humber Bay Park West in the east. The park’s features include an additional 500 metres of waterfront trail, 250 metres of cantilevered pedestrian boardwalk, a separate multi-use trail located along the backshore that provides cycling and in-line skating access adjacent to the boardwalk, small pockets of wetland habitat, landscaping and park lighting.

The total project budget for Mimico Waterfront Park is $18.6 million dollars of which $6.9 million has been committed by the City of Toronto, $6.2 million by the Province of Ontario and $5.5 million by the Government of Canada. The budget for the second phase of Mimico Waterfront Park is $8.4 million.
Waterfront Toronto has made major strides in revitalizing Toronto’s waterfront. In addition to building and improving 17 parks and public spaces, Waterfront Toronto has finalized development agreements with Great Gulf Group of Companies, Urban Capital and Hines for private sector projects on the waterfront, as well as with George Brown College for the development of their new state-of-the-art Health Sciences campus.

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.

Media kit:
Mimico Waterfront Park – Fact Sheet

Media Contact:
Tari Stork, Manager, Project Communications, Waterfront Toronto
T: 416-214-1344 x 279 / C: 416-414-1577 / tstork@waterfrontoronto.ca

Located in the Corus Entertainment building right next to Canada’s Sugar Beach, this new gastro pub features a delicious menu, beautiful décor, large waterside patio and stunning views of Toronto’s habour.

Against the Grain is the first of many new restaurants, shop and cafés planned for the area as the new vibrant mixed-use neighbourhood gets built out.

By combining beautiful parks and animated spaces with successful commercial and residential development, East Bayfront will be a destination for residents and visitors alike.

Open seven days a week, check out Against the Grain for lunch, dinner or weekend brunch.

Against the Grain Urban Tavern
25 Dockside Drive, Corus Quay

For more information about Against the Grain, visit their website at www.atgurbantavern.ca.  Learn more about East Bayfront revitalization by visiting Waterfront Toronto’s website.

Underpass Park is the most extensive park to ever be built under an overpass in Canada, and the first of its kind in Toronto. The unique urban park is transforming the derelict space beneath the Eastern Avenue, Richmond and Adelaide overpasses into a bright and welcoming neighbourhood amenity and a key public space in the West Don Lands community.

WHO:

Hon. James Flaherty, Federal Minister of Finance
Hon. Glen Murray, Ontario Minister of Research and Innovation
Mayor of Toronto (To be confirmed)
Pam McConnell, City of Toronto Councillor
Mark Wilson, Chair of Waterfront Toronto

WHAT: Official start of construction for Underpass Park

WHEN: Thursday, May 26, 2011 – 11 a.m. (rain or shine)

WHERE: Underpass Park construction site St. Lawrence Street, south of King Street under the Eastern Avenue and Richmond Street overpasses.

Please note: This is an active construction area so please take caution as you approach the site and wear closed-toe footwear.

For more information:
Tari Stork, Manager, Project Communications, T: 416-214-1344 ext. 279 / C: 416-414-1577         tstork@waterfrontoronto.ca