August 2026 - Toronto ON
We took our initial visit in 2025 when the first phase opened.
Take the new ferry to
Water shuttle service will run seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Torontonians keen to hop aboard can book a ticket online in advance or purchase a ride at the docks. Much like the city’s ferry, the service runs on a fixed schedule.
Headed eastward, the shuttle leaves the Portland Slip at the top of every hour (e.g. 11 a.m.) and the Yonge Slip near the ferry terminal at 15 minutes past (e.g. 11:15 a.m.). The final stop is at Ookwemin Minising around half-past (e.g. 11:30 a.m.).
Conversely, passengers keen to head west can expect to leave the Ookwemin Minising stop at half-past (e.g. 11:30 a.m.) and the Yonge Slip at quarter to the hour (e.g. 11:45 a.m.). The final stop is at the Portland Slip on the hour (e.g. 12:00 p.m.).
The Portland Slip is at the base of Dan Leckie Way, just west of Bathurst Street on the waterfront. The Yonge Slip is just east of the ferry terminal, near the intersection of Yonge Street and Queens Quay West. The Ookwemin Minising stop is near the intersection of Cherry and Commissioners streets.
Passengers can ride the shuttle to the end of the route, or just one stop — and can bring their bikes aboard.
The Art Trail
It was transformed from a hellish landscape of decay, oil tanks, gravel and asphalt to a vibrant, living space for people, plants and wildlife.
Travelling by public transit
The site can be reached easily using public transit, with several TTC options available. From Union Station, take the 114 Cherry Street bus directly to Commissioners Street, with a journey of approximately 13–15 minutes. Visitors can also take the 504 King or 514 Cherry streetcars eastbound toward the Port Lands, exiting at Cherry Street and walking south to Commissioners Street. From the east end, the 72 Pape bus stops at Saulter Street and Commissioners Street. For the most up-to-date route and service information, visitors are encouraged to consult the TTC website before travelling.
New signage
PARK CREATION
2001
Motivated by a bid for the 2008 Summer Olympics and other potential opportunities, the federal and provincial governments, with the City of Toronto, formed the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation. It was tasked with the development and rehabilitation of the city’s waterfront, which included the Port Lands Flood Protection (PLFP) project. PLFP included the renaturalization of the Don River by creating a new river course and parklands through the Port Lands, and was designed to flood. This would protect the land beyond the flood area.
2007
Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, based in New York, wins an international competition to design the new Port Lands, including parks along the banks of the new river mouth.
2017
Construction starts on the new river mouth. Plugs on the north, west and south prevent river and lake water from entering the construction zone.
2024
The City establishes a formal Day One working group, comprising various divisions and agencies, to plan for the opening of Biidaasige Park. This includes the handover from Waterfront Toronto, the park’s designer and builder, to the City for ongoing management.
November
The new island created by the new river mouth is gifted an Indigenous name following an Indigenous-led naming process established by Toronto City Council PDF. Ookwemin Minising means “place of the black cherry trees” in Anishinaabemowin/Ojibwemowin. The same process bestows a name on the new parkland: Biidaasige Park, meaning “sunlight shining towards us” in Anishinaabemowin/Ojibwemowin. Later the same month, the “north plug” is removed, allowing the waters of the Don River to flow through the new river mouth, recreating the natural route lost more than 100 years ago.
July 2025
The first phase of Biidaasige Park opens to the public. Other phases will open in future years as Ookwemin Minising is developed as a flood-protected home for approximately 16,000 people and a workplace for another 3,000.
2026
No comments:
Post a Comment
This blog does not allow anonymous comments.