Expansion of Biidaasige Park adds 10 more acres to Port Lands site
By JULIA SAWICKI
Biidaasige Park officially unveiled its 10-acre western expansion last week, adding new waterfront trails, public gathering spaces and ecological habitats to one of Toronto’s largest recreational spaces.
City officials, Indigenous leaders and Waterfront Toronto representatives celebrated the opening on Friday, July 24, with performances, cultural ceremonies and remarks recognizing the collaboration behind the project.
The expansion includes new art installations as part of the Lassonde Art Trail, a canoe cove, offering guests to experience the waterfront by kayak or canoe, and a new 3,000-person event lawn, offering a view of Toronto’s skyline over the water.
“Last summer we came together to open Biidaasige park, which was Toronto’s largest park in a generation. Today, that park is getting even bigger and more exciting,” said Kevin Sullivan, Board chair at Waterfront Toronto. ”Everything you see is a culmination of an unprecedented feat of landscape design and engineering.
Biidaasige (meaning “sunlight shining towards us”) Park, had been a waste-filled industrial space just a few years ago. It is now filled with a variety of biodiverse plants that are native to the land.
In curating the ecosystem of the park, developers worked with Indigenous communities, selecting plants that reflected the ecology of the land, and which have cultural and medicinal significance to Indigenous communities, including sacred tobacco, white sagebrush, sweet grass and black cherry. Visitors can now spot birds, fish, and small mammals that have returned as wetlands and natural habitats have been restored.
“While this work protects communities and creates beautiful new spaces for everyone to enjoy, it also demonstrates what we can accomplish when environmental restoration and Indigenous knowledge come together with a shared purpose,” said Margaret Sault, Chief of the Missisaugas of the Credit First Nations.
“May Biidaasige park be a place where people gather, learn, reflect and deepen their respect for the land, the waters and one another for generations to come,” added Sault.
Biidaasige park was built through the $1.4 billion Port Lands Flood Protection Project, which renaturalized the mouth of the Don River and protected surrounding neighbourhoods from flooding.
The area was deeply contaminated after decades of late 1800’s to early 1900’s industrialization, poisoning the soil and water. The project worked alongside a number of industries, including soil scientists, irrigation designers, environmental engineers, and marine hydrology, creating a space safe for residents to enjoy, and for wildlife to call home. Construction of the park began in 2017, after years of debate and discussion regarding flood protection.
“In 2008, we looked at how we can floodproof the east end of the city. And in 2026, we have this dream turned into a new reality,” said Paula Fletcher, councilor of Ward 14 Toronto-Danforth and chair of the Infrastructure and Environment Committee.
“When we started with flood protection, who knew that we would create a brand-new island in the city of Toronto?” she added. “It is absolutely fantastic to be standing here and looking out in this beautiful public space, at the inner harbour. We’ve not been able to do that before.”
“We are the caretakers and keepers of the history of this waterfront. We are the caretakers and the keepers of this new island. We are the caretakers and keepers of this revitalized river. We are the caretakers and the keepers of the dream of a revitalized waterfront in the city of Toronto.”
Biidaasige Park is located at 51 Commissioners St. For more information, please visit https://www.toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/parks-recreation/places-spaces/beaches-gardens-attractions/biidaasige-park/
