The episode follows David Suzuki and his daughter Sarika Cullis-Suzuki as they travel across Canada in a trailer in an attempt to discover if some of the biggest Canadian cities are ready for the challenges of the future. On their Toronto stop, David and Sarika park their trailer on the waterfront to learn more about the various projects that are underway as part of the revitalization initiative.

Guided by Waterfront Toronto President and CEO John Campbell and Parks Director James Roche, David and Sarika tour the East Bayfront precinct, including Sherbourne Common and its neighbourhood-wide storm and lake water treatment facility. In the West Don lands David and Sarika visit Don River Park which is being built on top of a flood protection landform and they learn how Waterfront Toronto is transforming derelict and unused space beneath a series of overpasses into a community park.

The episode aired on Thursday, February 16 at 8PM on CBC-TV and will air again on Thursday, February 23 at 10PM on CBC-News Network; and on Sunday, February 26 at 6PM on CBC-News Network.  To watch the episode online, follow the link – http://www.cbc.ca/natureofthings/episode/suzuki-diaries-future-city.html

TORONTO – Infrastructure Ontario and Waterfront Toronto announced today that Dundee Kilmer Developments has signed a fixed-price contract to design, build and finance the development that will be used as the Athletes’ Village during the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games.

The project is expected to create and support 5,200 jobs, including employment of approximately 700 workers on the construction site.

The project will advance implementation of Waterfront Toronto’s award-winning precinct plan for the West Don Lands area and when complete in 2015, the project will support the wider community by providing a beautifully designed, sustainable mixed-use riverside community. The project will also provide 10,000 Pan and Parapan athletes, coaches and team officials a safe and supportive environment during the 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games.

The community has been designed by a team of internationally renowned architects, including Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects, architectsAlliance, Daoust LeStage, TEN Arquitectos and MacLennan Jaunkalns Miller Architects and will be constructed by EllisDon Ledcor PAAV Inc.

The project will deliver design excellence and sustainability, with all new buildings designed to achieve LEED^® Gold.

In time for the Pan/Parapan American Games in 2015, Dundee Kilmer Developments has committed to complete:

• The next phase of West Don Lands infrastructure, roads and public spaces, including new municipal services, Front Street promenade, local streets, and the reconstruction of Eastern Avenue and Cherry Street, which will include a new streetcar route;
• A new 82,000 square-foot YMCA recreational facility, which will function as training facility during the Games, then serve the West Don Lands and surrounding communities following the Games;
• George Brown College’s first ever student residence, which will be used during the Games to support athletes and officials, and will subsequently provide housing for 500 students;
• 787 units of market housing, which will be used temporarily for Games accommodation, then converted for permanent occupancy following the Games. Once converted, up to 100 units representing five per cent of the total residential units will be reserved for affordable ownership;
• 253 units of affordable rental housing, representing 24 per cent of the total residential units being built in time for the Games, which will be used temporarily for Games accommodation, then converted for permanent occupancy following the Games;
• Additional accommodations and facilities required for use during the Games, including offices, administrative and ancillary facilities; and
• Site preparation work necessary to support temporary Games facilities.

Dundee Kilmer will also provide facilities management services (grounds and building maintenance) during the Games, and will subsequently convert buildings for their legacy use.

The project is an innovative public-private partnership arrangement that reduces the cost to tax payers and transfers risk to the developer. The arrangement reduces the cost of building the community by enabling Dundee Kilmer to also develop additional market housing post Games.

The fixed-price contract between Dundee Kilmer and the Province of Ontario is for $514 million, and will be paid in stages at significant construction milestones, to ensure the project’s on-time and on-budget delivery. The Province will recover approximately $65 million in development costs from future facility operators, for a total net provincial outlay of approximately $449 million.

The project is expanding on the investments made to date by federal, provincial and municipal governments. With lands that have been unusable for decades, these investments have enabled Waterfront Toronto’s revitalization efforts of the 80-acre West Don Lands precinct.

The project was subject to a fair, open and competitive procurement process that was overseen by a third-party fairness advisor. Dundee Kilmer Developments submitted the proposal that delivered the best value and consistently demonstrated the team’s proven experience and capabilities in financing, designing, developing and constructing large, world-class facilities.

Infrastructure Ontario and TO2015 are also working with municipalities, universities and provincial agencies to develop other Games venues across the Greater Toronto Area and Golden Horseshoe, such as the Aquatics Centre, the Velodrome, the Pan Am Athletics and Soccer stadiums and others.

The Pan/Parapan American Games are one of the world’s largest international multi-sport events, held every four years for athletes of the 41 member nations of the Pan American Sports Organization (PASO). The Games comprise all Olympic Summer Games sports, as well as traditional Pan American sports. The Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games will draw up to 10,000 athletes and officials to municipalities across the Greater Golden Horseshoe area. The Pan American Games will take place July 10–26 and the Parapan American Games August 7–14.

Infrastructure Ontario is a Crown corporation dedicated to delivering some of the province’s larger and more complex infrastructure renewal projects, on time and on budget; managing one of the largest real estate portfolios in Canada and providing real estate services, such as asset management and property and land management; and providing the public sector and not-for-profit organizations with long-term financing to renew public infrastructure.

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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Mandy Downes                                                                                   Tari Stork

Infrastructure Ontario                                                              Waterfront Toronto

416-327-5246                                                                          416-214-1344

Multimedia:

West Don Lands community renderings – here

Pan/Parapan Athletes’ Village Video – here

Backgrounders:

• Pan/Parapan American Games Athletes’ Village Legacy
• Pan/Parapan American Games Athletes’ Village Financial Close
• Pan/Parapan American Games Athletes’ Village Jobs and Economy
• Kilmer Van Nostrand Co. Ltd., Profile
• Dundee Realty Corporation Profile

Quotes

Bob Chiarelli, Minister of Infrastructure

“This project is an important investment that will create jobs, provide economic opportunities and transform a former industrial site into a vibrant and environmentally sustainable community.”

Charles Sousa, Minister responsible for the Pan/Parapan Am Games

“The start of construction in the West Don Lands is the first major step towards delivering the 2015 Games on time and on budget. The Athletes’ Village will provide an exceptional experience for athletes and bring long-lasting economic and social benefits to the community.”

Michael Chan, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport

“The Athletes’ Village will influence how the world views our city, our province and our country when we welcome the Pan/ Parapan American games to Toronto in 2015.”

Kathleen Wynne, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing and Minister of Aboriginal Affairs

“Families in need will benefit from this project, a portion of which will be transformed into affordable housing and serve as a living legacy. These new homes will give people a stable environment to improve their health and increase their opportunities to prosper.”

John Campbell, president and CEO, Waterfront Toronto

“This project accelerates development of the West Don Lands, builds on our work to date and leverages the investment our government partners have made in waterfront revitalization.”

Ian Troop, Chief Executive Officer, TO2015

“The Pan Am Games was the catalyst to kick-start this vital community project a full five to ten years earlier. The Athletes’ Village will be a state-of-the-art oasis for competitors where they can both rest and train to ensure top-notch performances during the Games.”

Dr. Gordon Chong, Chair of the Board of Directors, YMCA of Greater Toronto Area

“The YMCA will be a legacy of the Pan/Parapan Am games, creating a safe and supportive environment for this vibrant and diverse community. We want to create a place where everyone will have access to essential life programs regardless of their economic situation.”

Anne Sado, President, George Brown College

“This is another exciting day in the expansion of George Brown College. The addition of our first student residence is an important milestone in our commitment to delivering a consistently high-quality student experience. We are committed to being a vital part of this new neighbourhood”

Disponible en français

The annual awards recognize architectural design excellence and are given to architects and architectural graduates for buildings in the design stage. Canadian Architect jurors consider response to program, site, geographical and social context, and evaluate physical organization, structure, materials and environmental features when assessing submitted projects.

Designed by gh3 Architects and Landscape Architects/ R.V. Anderson Associates Limited, the 300-square-metre treatment facility will be  built as part of the stormwater treatment system to serve West Don Lands and the future North Keating Channel community.  The building will house the system’s main treatment plant and is intended to be a landmark structure for the West Don Lands.  Construction of the facility, located at northeast corner of Lake Shore Boulevard and Cherry Street, will begin in 2012 and be completed in 2013.

The design team had to address site challenges, the facility’s use and the project’s modest budget, while still meeting Waterfront Toronto’s requirements for design excellence. Their approach was to design a simple, elegant building that brings a modern interpretation to the ancient story of water. The design of the facility enclosure comes from the idea of a stone well, inverted to be displayed as a sculptural form above ground. The building will be embellished by etchings on its surface that act as a system of rain channels running from roof to wall, to ground plane and shaft that represent the broader system of urban hydrology in which the structure is rooted.

The faceted, limestone–clad building will be surrounded by the same limestone material, creating a composition that will be a striking counterpoint to the infrastructural complexity around it. Strategically placed glazed openings will be set within the facade to reveal glimpses of the building’s inner workings and become glowing highlights at night, while interior and exterior LED lighting will abstractly register information about the building’s performance to transparently and compellingly convey the workings of civil infrastructure sustaining a city for its inhabitants.

The Canadian Architect jury described the project as “a strong design in the tradition of elevating the architectural role of infrastructural work.”

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.

The Athletes’ Village will provide accommodations for the athletes and officials participating in the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games. After the Games, the Village area will become a mixed-use, inclusive and pedestrian-friendly riverside community that will include affordable
housing as outlined in Waterfront Toronto’s Precinct Plan for the West Don Lands.

The selection of the Dundee Kilmer Development Limited as the preferred bidder is the result of an open, fair and competitive procurement process, which was overseen by a third party fairness advisor, and included extensive evaluations of the three submitted bids. Throughout the bidding process, Dundee Kilmer Development Limited consistently demonstrated its proven experience and capabilities in financing, designing, developing and constructing large, world-class facilities. The team includes:

• Dundee Realty Corporation – Equity Investor, Developer
• Kilmer Van Nostrand Co. Limited – Equity Investor, Developer
• EllisDon Corporation – Design Builder, Constructor
• Ledcor Design Build (Ontario) Inc. – Design Builder, Constructor
• Brookfield Financial Corp. – Financial Advisor
• architectsAlliance – Joint Venture Architect
• Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg – Joint Venture Architect
• Daoust LeStage Inc. – Urban Design Architect
• TEN Arquitectos – Design

Infrastructure Ontario and Waterfront Toronto will begin negotiating contract details with the preferred bidder. Following finalization of a contract, the project is expected to reach commercial and financial close in fall 2011, which will mean that relevant contracts have been signed and the project’s costs are finalized.

Project costs will be announced publicly following financial close and construction of the Athletes’ Village is expected to begin shortly thereafter.

The Athletes’ Village project will also include construction of non-residential facilities such as a media centre, transport mall and polyclinic, where athletes will receive a range of health-care services. Infrastructure Ontario and Waterfront Toronto are working with Games organizing committee Toronto 2015 (TO2015) to develop these elements.

The project includes the design and construction of:
o a new mixed-use neighbourhood, including market and affordable housing;
o an environmentally sustainable community that aims to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Gold certification for the design and construction of the new permanent facilities. LEED® standards focus on healthy indoor environments, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and efficient use ofenergy, water and other resources; and
o new roads and services, such as hydro, sewer and water infrastructure.

The project is proceeding under Infrastructure Ontario’s Alternative Financing and Procurement (AFP) model whereby risks associated with designing, constructing, and financing the facilities are transferred to the private sector.

Infrastructure Ontario and TO2015 are working together to procure and deliver the Athletes’ Village as well as working with municipalities, universities and provincial agencies to develop other Games venues across the GTA and Golden Horseshoe, such as the Aquatics Centre, the
Velodrome, the Pan Am Athletics and Soccer Stadia and others.

Infrastructure Ontario is a Crown corporation dedicated to delivering some of the province’s larger and more complex infrastructure renewal projects, on time and on budget; managing one of the largest real estate portfolios in Canada and providing real estate services, such as asset management and property and land management; and providing the public sector and not-for-profit organizations with long-term financing to renew public infrastructure.

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.

Quotes:
Honourable Bob Chiarelli, Minister of Infrastructure
“This project reaffirms the government’s commitment to making Ontario a greater place to live, work and visit through the renewal of vital infrastructure.”

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Contacts:
Mandy Downes
Infrastructure Ontario
416-327-5246

Tari Stork
Waterfront Toronto
416-214-1344

(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