March 2014

Help name a waterfront street

Master plan for the Bayside Toronto development.

Ready to put your stamp on the waterfront? We’re looking for a name for a major new street next to the lake in East Bayfront. And since it’s your waterfront, we want your help.

The street we’re naming is “Main Street” for the new Bayside Toronto neighbourhood. It connects to Queens Quay Boulevard and runs along the water’s edge. Imagine it in the future with people strolling along sidewalks and in and out of shops and restaurants after a day by the lake.

You have until March 27 to submit your street name ideas – here’s how:

• Tweet your name using the hashtag #waterfrontstreet.
• Go to Waterfront Toronto’s Facebook page.
• Submit your name online.

Global smart cities experts convene on Toronto’s waterfront

A panel discussion as part of the New Blue Edge speaker series, featuring Ryerson University’s Sheldon Levy, Waterfront Toronto’s John Campbell, Intelligent Community Forum’s Robert Bell and moderated by CBC Radio’s Nora Young.

On March 7, Waterfront Toronto invited global smart city experts to Corus Quay on the waterfront to share the latest perspectives on new trends in technology, innovation and collaboration.

John Campbell, President and CEO of Waterfront Toronto, was joined by the Honourable Glenn Murray, Minister of Transportation and Minister of Infrastructure; Sheldon Levy, President of Ryerson University; Robert Bell, co-founder of the Intelligent Community Forum (New York, USA) and Rashik Parmar, President of IBM Academy of Technology (London, UK). Speakers tackled subjects from the policies and infrastructure required to support innovation, to the leadership required from the public and private sector to put them in place.

This was the first event in a new on-going series that will focus on advanced technology and new tools that drive innovation and economic competitiveness for Toronto in the global marketplace. Read the full recap of the event.

 

Port Lands community workshop recap

A rendering of the Don River Mouth - view west towards downtown Toronto.

Waterfront Toronto and the City of Toronto continue to work together to develop a comprehensive long-term plan to guide the revitalization of the Port Lands. Public participation continues to be an important component of the process and will help shape the future of the area.

A workshop was held on March 5 at the Ralph Thornton Centre as a further opportunity for the public and interested stakeholders to ask questions and provide feedback on the different options for land use, transportation and municipal services for the Port Lands that were presented at a community consultation meeting held on February 13. Approximately 80 people participated in the workshop, providing the team with additional ideas, feedback and input.

You can still participate. Your ideas, comments and feedback about the initiatives will be accepted until March 19, 2014. Click here for meeting materials, the discussion questions and additional information about the Port Lands and the various studies underway.
 

Update on the Gardiner Expressway East Environmental Assessment

Along with the City of Toronto, Waterfront Toronto has been participating in the Gardiner Expressway East Environmental Assessment (EA). In the last month, the EA project team has released the results of the technical analysis of the four options being considered for the future of the eastern part of the expressway: Replace, Improve, Maintain and Remove. The analysis showed that the Remove option – tearing down the Gardiner from Jarvis St. to Logan Ave. and replacing it with an expanded and improved Lake Shore Boulevard – best meets the goals of the EA.

With these results made public through a press conference and a public meeting, Waterfront Toronto’s Board of Directors passed a resolution that supports the Remove option, as it “best supports and enhances the revitalization of the Toronto waterfront,” and also directed Waterfront Toronto staff to “contribute to a fact-based public debate on the issue.”

In response, Waterfront Toronto staff has aimed to explain and clarify the findings of the EA through a series of feature posts on our website and an infographic that deals with issues such as the nature of travel delays, cost, and how traffic and drivers respond when road capacity is reduced. Waterfront Toronto will continue to create and share content aimed at informing and engaging those who are interested in the future of the Gardiner East.

On March 4, members of the City’s Public Works and Infrastructure Committee voted to send the issue back to City Staff and Waterfront Toronto to do more work on addressing the traffic delays associated with the Remove option and to examine an additional option that would remove part of the Gardiner East while keeping the expressway function between the Gardiner East and Don Valley Parkway. The City and Waterfront Toronto have until February of 2015 to complete this additional work.
 

Infographic on “How Toronto gets to work in 2031".

 

In brief

Construction update: Queens Quay Revitalization

Schedule update
The Revitalization of Queens Quay is still on track for completion in July 2015 despite some delays to underground municipal work resulting from complex site conditions and frigid weather. We have posted a high-level Queens Quay construction schedule on our website that outlines progress to date and expected completion dates for the major remaining tasks. These tasks include: the completion of underground services; the TTC corridor and Spadina Loop rebuild; the new road construction; northside granite sidewalks and the southside promenade and Martin Goodman Trail. We will update the schedule each month.


Installing granite under a tent near the Rees Street parking lot.

Construction highlights
In March, crews will complete the installation of the new sanitary sewer line for Queens Quay. The new sanitary line which stretches from Bay Street to Rees Street replaces aging sanitary sewer infrastructure in the area. Crews are also working on a new storm sewer line between the Rees WaveDeck and HTO Park.

Work is also now underway on the rebuild of the TTC corridor on Queens Quay. Crews are preparing for the first stretch of the rebuild which will occur between Lower Simcoe Street and the Rees Parkette. Granite promenade and sidewalk work is also continuing under tents with ground heaters.

On the north side of Queens Quay, crews have completed the new granite layby in front of 218 Queens Quay and are installing new granite sidewalks in that area. On the south side, the granite promenade is nearly complete in front of the Queens Quay Terminal building and granite work in front of PawsWay and along the Simcoe WaveDeck is expected to be complete by mid April.
 

A closer look at construction
Take a look at some recent construction photos to learn more about the extensive work underway on Queens Quay.

Queens Quay webcams
Keep an eye on construction from your computer or mobile device using our Queens Quay Webcams.

Need more information?
Thank you for your patience during construction. If you have questions send an email to info@waterfrontoronto.ca or call 416-214-9990.

For urgent construction issues
Please contact Queens Quay Construction Liaison Officer, Robert Pasut at RPasut@easternconstruction.com or call 416-505-3073. 




Learn more about Queens Quay construction and sign up for weekly notices.
 

Construction update: Bayside Toronto

Work continues on key infrastructure to support the new Bayside Toronto development in East Bayfront. The reinforcement of 185 metres of dockwall at the southern edge of the 5.3 hectare (13 acre) development is nearing completion. Crews expect to begin landscaping work for the water’s edge promenade in this area when dockwall reinforcement work is complete in early April. Crews have also been working on the installation of an oil and grit separator for the area’s stormwater management system. The oil and grit separator, which is approximately three metres in diameter, is designed to remove sediment, screen debris and separate oil from stormwater runoff.


Installing an oil and grit separator at the Bayside Toronto development.

Soil recycling at Bayside
Given the decades of infilling and industrial activity next to the lake, most of the soil excavated on the waterfront must be restored before new parks and communities can be built. At the Bayside Toronto site, 77% of the more than 16,000 tonnes of soil excavated to date have been sent to the Green Soils soil recycling facility. Soil recycling is a process that allows soils to be treated on-site so that it can be reused instead of sent to a landfill. This also means less noise, congestion, and fuel consumption as there are fewer trucks on the road.

 

Construction update: Pan/Parapan Am Athletes’ Village

As part of the Pan/Parapan Am Athletes’ Village/Canary District project, Dundee Kilmer is reconstructing the intersection at King Street East and Sumach Street. The reconstruction will occur in two phases, beginning immediately.

Phase 1: Phase 1 work includes the installation of manholes, catchbasins and below-grade pipes required to upgrade the underground stormwater infrastructure. Work has begun and will be ongoing throughout the month of March.
Traffic impact: The intersection will remain open during this work. Traffic control measures will be implemented to manage the work zones. East and west traffic will be maintained on King Street, as well as north and south traffic on Sumach Street. 

Phase 2: The reconstruction of the intersection will take place in phase 2. Phase 2 work includes all removal work required for the reconstruction of the intersection, including the removal of the existing concrete sidewalk, asphalt pavement, and the existing TTC tracks and concrete bases. This work is to prepare for the installation of a new concrete road base, new TTC/street lighting poles and bases, new TTC drain system, new TTC track system and new traffic lights at the intersection. Sidewalk repairs, asphalt paving, the installation of new crosswalks and line painting will also be completed in this phase. This phase will begin in the late March and take approximately six to eight weeks to complete.
Traffic impact: A partial closure of the intersection is required to complete this phase of work. Westbound traffic will be maintained on the north side of King Street throughout the duration of construction. Access to all businesses adjacent to the intersection will be maintained. Eastbound traffic on King Street will be rerouted during this phase of construction. Access to Sumach Street will also be impacted during this phase. Sumach Street northbound from Eastern Avenue will be open to local traffic only and Sumach Street South of King Street will be closed to all traffic during this phase.

DundeeKilmer continues to work with residents and businesses in the area to minimize disruptions during construction, including meeting with affected parties to advise of impacts in advance of scheduled work. A notice, including a diagram of the intersection describing the Phase 2 schedule in more detail, will be distributed via mail drop to residents and businesses in the area and posted on the Corktown Residents and Business Association website.

Join us on March 19 to see the refined design for the Urban Park and Waterfront Trail at Ontario Place

You're invited to the third public meeting where you’ll see how your ideas and input have helped shape the refined design for the new park and trail at Ontario Place. This is your final opportunity to provide input to the project team on the design before the final design is unveiled this summer.

Closed captioning and American Sign Language interpreters will support the meeting. If you have other accessibility requirements, please call 416-212-2161 or email ontarioplacerevitalization@ontario.ca.

Click here for project information and previous meeting materials.

Artist rendering of the view of the east from The Romantic Garden.

Can’t attend in person? Join the live webcast or the conversation on Twitter! Use hashtag #OntarioPlace or follow live at @ExploreON.

 

Spring into March at Harbourfront Centre

Passionate about performance? Discover poetry in motion at Fujiwara Dance Inventions’ EUNOIA March 19-22 as part of World Stage. Based on Christian Bök’s poem of the same name, this world premiere transforms poetic structure into dance and movement.

If it’s more dance you desire, check out NextSteps. Every weekend in March, you can catch a groundbreaking performance from local and international dance companies. Enjoy everything from break-dancing to traditional Indian dance and simple, powerful choreography.

Watch a video of World Stage's Artistic Director, Tina Rasmusseun on EUNOIA's groundbreaking performance.

For more details visit www.harbourfrontcentre.com