Monday, July 27, 2026
Toronto’s waterfront reached a major milestone with the opening of 10 new acres in Biidaasige Park, marking the completion of another significant chapter in the transformation of the Port Lands.
The opening of the new western section of Biidaasige Park expands public access to a reimagined section of Toronto’s shoreline and reconnects people to both Lake Ontario and a new one-kilometre stretch of the Don River through nature, recreation, culture and public gathering spaces. It represents a shared commitment by partners to creating new public spaces, advancing waterfront revitalization and expanding Toronto’s largest park in a generation.
“Completing the Port Lands Flood Protection project work, opening Biidaasige Park and the new mouth of the Don River has marked a turning point for the city’s relationship with the lake. We have now moved from setting the stage for revitalization to bringing the next wave to life. People can now experience one of North America’s most ambitious waterfront transformations firsthand—from new trails, public art and gathering spaces to restored natural habitats and access to the water. Toronto’s eastern waterfront is no longer a promise on paper; it is a place taking shape in real time, with new parks, new connections, and future neighbourhoods,” said George Zegarac, president and CEO, Waterfront Toronto.
What was once industrial land is now a waterfront destination where nature, culture, recreation and climate resilience converge. Visitors can paddle from Canoe Cove, explore a naturalized river valley, gather on a 3,000-person event lawn, take in sweeping views of Lake Ontario and the Toronto skyline from the Water’s Edge Promenade, and experience world-renowned public art with the unveiling of the western section of the Lassonde Art Trail, which, together with the eastern section, now features 15 installations from leading international artists throughout the park.
“Our government has been a consistent partner in the redevelopment of the Port Lands, and today marks another exciting milestone for Toronto’s waterfront. Residents and visitors now have even more opportunities to enjoy this extraordinary public space. We are proud to be investing over $465 million into the Port Lands Flood Protection (PLFP) project to protect communities, restore natural spaces and create vibrant places where people can connect with nature and one another,” said Julie Dabrusin, Minister of the Environment, Climate Change and Nature and MP for Toronto–Danforth.
Part of Waterfront Toronto’s Port Lands Flood Protection (PLFP) project, funded by a $1.4 billion tri-government investment including more than $465 million by the Government of Canada, more than $471 million by the Government of Ontario and more than $471 million by the City of Toronto, Biidaasige Park demonstrates how cities can integrate flood protection, ecological restoration and public space into one connected vision.
The 10-acre expansion adds parkland almost the size of the Rogers Centre building, and five times the size of Toronto’s Sugar Beach into the already expansive park opened last summer. The portions of Biidaasige Park opened in 2025 and 2026 total approximately 60 acres, with an additional five acres of parkland still to come.
Last summer’s opening drew huge crowds eager to kayak along the shoreline, spot returning wildlife, join guided site tours and cycle the new routes. With those experiences already capturing the city’s imagination, this next phase adds even more to a park that is quickly becoming a Toronto landmark.
When complete, Biidaasige Park will be more than twice the size of Chicago’s Millennium Park which redefined that city’s modern identity by transforming a former rail yard and parking lot into an architectural and artistic tourist destination that now generates billions in economic revenue.
“Today marks another major milestone in the transformation of Toronto’s waterfront. What was once industrial land is now becoming one of the most ambitious waterfront revitalization projects in North America. People can paddle along the shoreline, enjoy public art, connect with nature and experience the city from an entirely new perspective. Together with our federal, provincial and Indigenous partners, we are building not only a world-class park, but complete communities with new homes, jobs and public spaces that will benefit generations to come.” said Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow.
New public features include:
- Canoe Cove, a paddling course and pebble landing for non-motorized watercraft
- A 3,000-person event lawn
- More than 250 metres of extended Water’s Edge Promenade
- A promontory, or elevated viewpoint, offering panoramic sightlines across the inner harbour and city skyline
- The Atlas Crane, a preserved 300-ton marine cargo crane, installed in 1961 and decommissioned in the 2000s, and elements of the Marine Terminal 35 building celebrate the area’s industrial heritage
- Existing and planned Indigenous design features, including a Fire Holder feature and Teaching Signifier Sturgeon Stones – both designed by Solomon King and Brook McIllroy. It also includes Directional Compasses/Marker Trees designed by Two Row Architect, and Interpretive Signage by NVision Insight Group, celebrating the area’s Indigenous past and present
- The western expansion of the four-kilometre Lassonde Art Trail, featuring 7 public art installations by artists Ryan Gander, Alexa Kumiko Hatanaka, Lisa Hirmer, Virginia Overton, and Hank Willis Thomas; with another two highly anticipated sculptures by Kent Monkman and Monira Al Qadiri to come this fall
The Biidaasige Park opening represents far more than the addition of new parkland. It is also the continuation of one of the largest ecological restoration efforts ever undertaken on Toronto’s waterfront.
Across the broader site, more than one million plants and approximately 5,000 trees have been introduced to support wetlands, fish habitats, native planting areas and naturalized shorelines.
The restored Don River mouth and surrounding parklands are already creating conditions for wildlife and native plant species not seen on Toronto’s waterfront in more than a century. Early ecological monitoring indicates increased bird and pollinator activity throughout the area, including the return of species such as the Great Blue Heron and Razorbill.
These restored ecosystems are improving biodiversity, strengthening climate resilience and reconnecting people to the natural environment.
The lead design was conducted by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates Inc., who spent almost two decades leading the planning and execution of the Biidaasige Park project. The landscape also includes plantings developed in consultation with Indigenous partners, ceremonial and interpretive elements, marker trees, The Drum and other features that contribute to a deeper sense of meaning, identity and connection throughout the site.
Visitors can also experience the Lassonde Art Trail, an innovative open-air public art experience that integrates internationally recognized, interactive artworks throughout the park, encouraging exploration by foot, bicycle and water.
“Biidaasige Park is more than a beautiful new gathering place, it is a reflection of what can be achieved when we work together to honour our Treaties, the land, the water, and the stories that have always belonged here. This park is located on Toronto Purchase Treaty lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit. We are proud to have contributed our knowledge, history, and teachings throughout the development of Biidaasige Park, and we hope that everyone who visits will gain a deeper appreciation for the history of this place and the importance of protecting and restoring the natural world for future generations,” said Margaret Sault, Chief of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.
Featured image: (Waterfront Toronto)
