Waterfront Toronto Newsletter

Queens Quay Opening: It’s so big, we need hundreds of volunteers

We will officially open the newly-transformed Queens Quay Boulevard on June 19th at the Simcoe WaveDeck.

To celebrate the opening of your new Queens Quay Boulevard, we’re planning a ribbon cutting ceremony unlike any other – and we need your help to make it happen. The festivities kick off Friday, June 19 at 6:00 p.m. and we want to celebrate this momentous occasion with the entire waterfront community. This is our thank you for your dedication, patience and support during the design and construction of the street.

To make this ceremony truly unforgettable, we'll need the help of several hundred volunteers. We don’t want to spoil the surprise but we will say this:

Volunteers should be ready and willing to do things like:

Wave a flag – a big one
Follow a drum line
Work together with your fellow community members

If you’d like to help us with this unique ribbon cutting and be a part of the opening ceremony, please sign up online and we’ll contact you directly to fill you in on the secret.

Don’t forget to share this with your friends, family and neighbours and help us spread the word about our event and open call for volunteers. Join the conversation about the opening of the revitalized Queens Quay Boulevard using the #NewQueensQuay hashtag. This is your event!

See you on the waterfront!

Our festivities will also kick off the start of the Redpath Waterfront Festival and we encourage everyone to stick around to enjoy this weekend-long celebration.

To learn more and sign up visit...

Help us celebrate Toronto’s waterfront with an iconic T-shirt design contest!

You have until May 27, 2015 to submit your t-shirt designs to the Iconic Waterfront T-shirt Design Contest.

Toronto has so many distinctive waterfront places that are worth celebrating: new public realm destinations like Sugar Beach and its iconic pink umbrellas; testaments to Toronto's industrial heritage like the Canada Malting Silos or the Hearn Generating Station; and inspiring natural spaces like the Leslie Street Spit or the Toronto Islands.

So, along with our friends at Spacing, we thought, “Why not hold a contest to celebrate these spaces and engage Toronto in its great waterfront?”

So we’re calling on Torontonians to submit their t-shirt designs to celebrate your best loved waterfront spaces. The contest runs until Wednesday, May 27 and it’s free to enter.

The winning designers will each receive a $750 prize. The winning designs will be featured on t-shirts for sale at the Spacing Store. A portion of the proceeds from sales will go to Park People, an awesome charity that works to facilitate neighbourhood engagement with local parks and public spaces.

What’s your favourite iconic place on Toronto’s waterfront? And what would it look like on a t-shirt proudly sported by Torontonians and tourists alike?

Learn more about the contest on Spacing’s blog and pass it along.

Lake Ontario Park: Pedestrian trail network in the Baselands public consultation

You have until May 26 to share your comments about the Baselands Trail Master Plan.

We’re working with our partners, the City of Toronto and Toronto and Region Conservation Authority on developing a Trails Master Plan for the Baselands at the entrance to Tommy Thompson Park, as well as the Martin Goodman Trail along Unwin Avenue. A number of stakeholders and interested community members joined us at a public meeting on Wednesday, April 28 for a presentation and offered their feedback and suggestions on the development of a trails plan.

Even if you missed the meeting, there’s still time to have your say. The presentation materials and a questionnaire are available online and the comment period runs until May 26.

Our goal is to design a trail system that respects the significant natural environment of the Baselands while providing a variety of nature-based experiences for visitors. Please share your thoughts with us and help shape the future of this project!

Outer Harbour Recreational Node now open!

Under a true, cold Canadian sky, officials from Waterfront Toronto, Toronto and Region Conservation and the City of Toronto braved the blustery weather on Earth Day to cast their fishing lines into the water - officially opening the Outer Harbour Recreational Node.

Located in Lake Ontario Park (adjacent to Tommy Thompson Park), this new gem along the waterfront, the Outer Harbour Recreational Node is an inviting outcropping at the water’s edge providing an accessible space to enjoy recreational fishing, bird watching or to simply sit and enjoy nature. It’s also a great resting spot for those using the nearby Martin Goodman Trial and Tommy Thompson Park Trail system. Read more…

Toronto to host world summit on intelligent communities

Toronto is a great example of how far communities worldwide have all come toward the goal of making every community as prosperous and vibrant as it can be.

Following the successful recognition of Toronto as the world’s Intelligent Community of the Year for 2014, the Intelligent Community Forum will hold its 2015 Summit & Awards program from June 8 through June 12 in Toronto. This is the first time that the Forum will hold its annual event outside its home base in New York City. The Summit is being hosted by the Intelligent Community Forum Canada, the City of Toronto and Waterfront Toronto, with Cisco Canada and IBM Canada serving as Platinum sponsors.

The Intelligent Community Forum’s annual Summit is an international gathering of several hundred mayors, chief administrative officers, chief information officers and economic development officers from cities, states and regions around the world including many of the 131 Intelligent Communities designated by the Intelligent Community Forum. In addition, educators, and the private sector actively participate representing the other parts of what is called the “global innovation triangle”. Urban planners, policy makers and economic development officials will gather to examine the impact of technology on communities and economies. To learn more about the Summit, or to register, please visit...

In brief

And the winner is… KPMB, West 8 and Greenberg Consultants
Last month, we announced that Harbour Landing – the proposal from KPMB Architects, West 8 and Greenberg Consultants Inc. – had been selected as the winning entry in the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal and Harbour Square Park Innovative Design Competition. Watch the announcement of the winning design…

Take a look at this photographic mural at the corner of Bay and Queens Quay
A detail from Sarah Anne Johnson’s giant photographic mural, titled Best Beach, was installed earlier this month on the west wall of the Westin Harbour Castle Conference Centre. Best Beach transforms a mundane urban block into a fantastic vision whose reality seems remote but whose potential is very real. Covering a full city block, the digital print on vinyl measures approximately 143x36 feet and weighs a whopping 600 lbs...

How socially responsible and sustainable is Waterfront Toronto?
In 2013, Waterfront Toronto launched its first Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability Report (CSRSR), to track our performance toward our goal of creating a revitalized waterfront that sets a national and global model for sustainability. As we reach major milestones this June, with the completion of Queens Quay West Revitalization and the upcoming 2015 Toronto Pan/Para Pan Am Games, we’re preparing a comprehensive update to the report. We want your feedback on what should be in the new report…

Save the date: Queens Quay public site walk

Join Waterfront Toronto on Saturday, May 30, for a site walk along Queens Quay - Toronto’s main waterfront street. During the walk, participants will have a chance to see firsthand how the new revitalized street has changed. The street’s configuration will be significantly different when it reopens in June – we want everyone to learn how to use the new Queens Quay Boulevard safely, so this walk will include details about how to navigate new elements. The walk will be led by Waterfront Toronto’s Vice-President of Planning and Design, Christopher Glaisek, and West 8 + DTAH landscape architect, Jelle Therry. Members of the project team will be available to answer your questions.

This is a rain or shine event and RSVPs are not required, but it will help us keep you posted as more event details become available. Sign up here.

Gangways Open on Toronto’s waterfront

The Waterfront BIA’s ‘Gangways Open on Toronto’s Waterfront’ is back again as part of the 16th annual Doors Open Toronto presented by Great Gulf. On Saturday, May 23 and Sunday, May 24 from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. you can enjoy canoe and paddleboat rides. Kids can hop aboard a 40 foot inflatable bouncy pirate ship, and have your picture taken with pirates as they invade the waterfront. The weekend-long event will also offer free dockside ship tours by a wide variety of vessels along the water’s edge. Get the full event schedule and more information at waterfrontbia.com

Pirates invade the waterfront as part of last year's 2014 Waterfront BIA's "Gangways Open" (Image courtesy of The Waterfront BIA and image credits Light Monkey Photography).

Artists Hadley+Maxwell at Osgoode Hall for Doors Open

During Doors Open on Sunday, May 24, visit the library at Osgoode Hall to watch Berlin-based artists Hadley+Maxwell work on their Garden of Future Follies sculptural installation project. Commissioned by Waterfront Toronto, this Pan Am Legacy project will be installed in the West Don Lands in 2016. This work will bring the past to life by rearranging fragments of monuments, sculptures and architecture from all over the City of Toronto. The artists take features from the built environment that are often ignored and bring them to street level where they can be celebrated and enjoyed. Artist talks at 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. Learn more about the artists.

Hadley+Maxwell’s sculptural work combines bronze casts of various public sculptures, monuments and architectural features to create lively new sculptural work (Rendering courtesy of the artists).

Spring Bird Festival at Tommy Thompson Park

Head down to Tommy Thompson Park on Saturday, May 9, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for the Spring Bird Festival. Tommy Thompson Park is Toronto's largest greenspace and provides critical stopover habitat for migrating birds. There have been 316 native species recorded to date at the park! Learn about the amazing phenomenon of migration and the importance of bird conservation at this annual event.

A variety of activities will be offered for people of all ages and all birding abilities.

Luminato is coming to the waterfront

A celebration in creativity, the Luminato Festival for ten days (June 19 to June 28), transforms theatres, parks and public spaces across the city and creates a home for artists to come play, share and create. There are two great events taking place on the waterfront this year: 7 Monologues – a festival within the Festival at Harbourfront Centre on June 20 and 21; and Unsound Toronto in the Port Lands on June 19 and 20.

For more information on these and the full listing of Luminato Festival events visit luminatofestival.com

Construction update: Queens Quay Revitalization

Crews continue to make progress across the 1.7 km Queens Quay revitalization site in time for the June opening of the street. Impressive progress on the remaining granite work has been made, with granite now complete on the north side of Queens Quay from just west of Bay Street to the Peter Slip Bridge. Crews are preparing to lay the remaining granite from the Peter Slip Bridge to Spadina. On the south side of Queens Quay, granite work has been completed from Bay Street to the Peter Slip Bridge. Granite has also been installed in remaining areas at the Rees WaveDeck, HTO Park, Spadina Quay Wetland and Yo Yo Ma Lane.

The Bay Street intersection reopened on May 2, with the only remaining work a final coat of asphalt. The east leg of Robertson Crescent is now complete. Work is underway to complete the York, Queens Quay Terminal and Lower Simcoe intersections, as well as the EMS and 401 Queens Quay driveways.

Warmer temperatures allowed landscape crews to start planting the remaining trees along the Queens Quay. Bike rings, signature benches, wooden streetlight poles and trash bins are also being installed.

Martin Goodman Trail West
The path between Dan Leckie and Yo Yo Ma Lane is being paved and painted in early May. As of May 11, a four-week eastbound lane closure from Bathurst St to Dan Leckie Way will come into effect. Advance signage will be placed on Lake Shore Boulevard and Stadium Rd. alerting drivers and cyclists of the temporary closure. Vehicular access to the marina and parking garage west of Dan Leckie Way will be maintained at all times from Lake Shore Boulevard via Dan Leckie Way. Details on this work will be included in our weekly Queens Quay construction notice. Sign-up for notices here.

UEE

Queens Quay webcams
Keep an eye on construction progress 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.

Sign up for weekly notices
You can sign up for the Queens Quay construction notice on the Queens Quay construction webpage.

Rendering of the new Martin Goodman Trail extension.

Construction update: East Bayfront

Construction progresses on Bayside in East Bayfront.

Bayside Toronto
The infrastructure that will support the new Bayside Toronto community is almost complete. Crews have installed the majority of pump and electrical equipment for the stormwater management system, including work in the Sherbourne Common pavilion. Bayside Municipal Services were installed along new local street Merchants Wharf in early spring, including a temporary water connection on Queens Quay. Sidewalks and streets in this area have been completed except in the area affected by the installation of the stormwater management structure. These will be completed by late May.

Work has also resumed on the section of the Water's Edge Promenade next to the new stormwater management shaft. Tree soil cells and topsoil were recently installed. By mid-May, crews will have finished installing the granite mosaic pavement, new trees, street furniture and street lighting.

Temporary Fencing at Sherbourne Common: The temporary fencing that was around the channel south of the Pavilion has been removed and the affected areas of Sherbourne Common now restored.

Queens Quay East: Interim Improvements
Work on the reconstruction of the lid for the combined sewer outfall at Jarvis Street was completed last month. Crews are now working on the new intersection for Bayside and the Martin Goodman Trail transition at Jarvis Street.

East Bayfront Essential External Servicing Infrastructure
The work on the new Sanitary Pumping Station, located at the foot of Cherry Street at Lake Shore Boulevard East, continues to progress well with the concrete forming now being well advanced. The base slabs for both the wet well and valve chambers as well as the bottom wall section of the wet well have all been poured. Installation of reinforcing steel and forming of the upper section of the wet well and the valve chamber walls are nearing completion. After the walls are poured, the roof slab will be added with the required access hatches, after which the mechanical and electrical work will commence.

Construction of the sanitary trunk sewer from Bonnycastle Street and Queens Quay to the new sewage pumping station is also progressing well. All seven of the temporary concrete construction shafts that were required to launch and receive the Micro Tunnel Boring Machine are complete and sewer installation is over 30% complete.

Construction of the sanitary forcemain from the sanitary pumping station, north on Cherry Street to just north of the Lakeshore East rail corridor has been deferred until after the completion of the Pan Parapan Am Games.

Note: The first phase of the Cherry Street Stormwater Facility is to be tendered in the next month with construction commencing this summer.

Construction update: West Don Lands

An aerial view of the Village. See that massive white tent? That's the dining hall!

Pan Am Athletes’ Village/Canary District
With the Village officially handed over to TO2015, the site is once again buzzing with activity as the finishing touches are applied to this home-away-from-home for the nearly 10,000 athletes and officials staying here throughout the Games. While the infrastructure is all complete, a variety of other preparations are underway to put the finishing touches on this home-away-from-home for the nearly 10,000 athletes and officials staying here over both the Pan and Parapan Am Games.

So what’s all of the activity? Outfitting the rooms with beds and furnishings, constructing a temporary dining tent, medical clinic, welcome centre and a media centre, and installing and testing a security fence around the perimeter of the Village.

TO2015 and its partners held public information sessions for businesses and residents of the West Don Lands area on May 6 and offered general Games information, as well as details on transportation, security and venue impacts, as well as tips, tools and information to help people get around during the Games.

Some of the key information included:

Cherry Street closures: Cherry Street will be closed in stages to provide a safe work space during the construction of temporary buildings within the Village, transporting goods into the Village and for the purpose of installing and testing security fencing. At Games time, Cherry will be the main route for buses carrying athletes, coaches and officials as they travel to and from competitions and training in dozens of venues throughout Toronto, Markham, Oshawa, Whitby, Ajax etc.

April 2: Cherry Street between Mill and Front Streets closed.
June 1: an additional section from Front Street to Eastern Avenue will close.
June 15: Cherry Street will be closed from Lakeshore Boulevard to Eastern Avenue.

TO2015 is sensitive to the impacts that area residents and businesses will feel as a result of the Games. They are working with a variety of partners and stakeholders to manage the flow of local traffic and public transportation.

Corktown Common closure: TO2015 appreciates the value of this public space to all those who use it. They aim to keep the park open as long as possible, however, the installation and testing of the security fence around the perimetre of the Village will require the park to close to the public beginning June 1. As soon as the Games wrap up and the last athletes leave the Village on August 18th, they will work to re-open the park with a target date of August 30.

After the Games are over, the Village will remain closed until the end of September while the temporary beds and furnishings are removed, and the facilities and the security fence are deconstructed. The Village will then be handed back over to the developers to begin transitioning the facilities to their legacy state, including the market and affordable housing buildings, the YMCA recreation centre and the George Brown College student residence. The conversion is expected to be complete in spring 2016.

Visit Ontario.ca/games2015 to find out about temporary traffic changes and how to plan ahead.

Additional Information can also be found here and if you have any questions or accessibility requirements please contact businessinfo@toronto2015.org or residentinfo@toronto2015.org.

Woonerfs
The final construction phase for the Woonerf on the east side of River Street is well underway with the remaining pavers now being installed. Once this step is complete, any deficiencies will be addressed and the finishing touches will be applied including soft landscaping, boulevard trees, and the installation of bike rings, benches and traffic signage. Completion is expected this summer.

Toronto Community Housing
Nearly all of the units at Toronto Community Housing’s three-building, 243-unit development located at 589 King Street East in the West Don Lands have been assigned to tenants, with nearly 75% having taken occupancy of their units. HealthShield Pharmacy has now opened and the associated medical clinic should be opening shortly. The only remaining work is the streetscaping on King Street, which is scheduled to resume later this spring with completion anticipated by the end of June.

River City
River City, the four-phase LEED Gold community by Urban Capital located at the corner of King Street East and Lower River Street continues to progress. The exterior of RC2 continues to take shape with glazing and panels being installed daily. Residents are already living on all floors up to the 6th and occupancies are continuing from the 7th floor upwards. Urban Capital anticipates that the interior amenity spaces will be available in the very near term. Site fencing has been removed as the roadway around Phase 2 is now in use as an assumed roadway. Landscaping will begin on the north side of 51 Trolley (Phase 1) in the coming months.

King-Queen bridge construction update from Infrastructure Ontario
Infrastructure Ontario is getting closer to reopening the King/Queen bridge. Engineers are conducting structural testing to ensure it is ready for public use and the TTC has begun work to reinstate the streetcar overhead power line infrastructure. Once the bridge has been signed off by engineers, the TTC will perform streetcar test runs. Once testing has been completed and all parties have signed off on public safety issues, the bridge will be reopened for public use.