$10 M Investment will Kick-Start Construction of Lake Ontario Park

Toronto, April 28, 2005 - Construction of Lake Ontario Park, a 500-acre waterside park to be built in Toronto's Port Lands, is being kick-started with an investment of $10 million, Joseph Volpe, federal Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and the Minister responsible for the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Initiative, announced today.

"Lake Ontario Park is about providing Canadians with the very best in sustainable urban development. And, we are clearly making progress on these citizen-focused initiatives that are at the core of waterfront revitalization," said Volpe. "This park on the shores of Lake Ontario will be one of the city's beacons of natural diversity for all Canadians to enjoy and share with the world."

Located along the Outer Harbour between Cherry Beach and Ashbridges Bay, and includes the Leslie Street Spit, Lake Ontario Park is part of the City of Toronto's Central Waterfront Secondary Plan and is one of the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation's (TWRC) signature projects.

"In the same way that Stanley Park has become synonymous with Vancouver, TWRC's goal is to make Lake Ontario Park a defining destination for Toronto," said Robert Fung, TWRC's Chair. "Lake Ontario Park is our biggest move in creating the clean, green publicly accessible waterfront that we all want."

At 500-acres, the size of the park means that it will be able to accommodate, in a highly sustainable manner, a broad range of recreational activities including boating, walking cycling and field sports. The park will also ensure that sensitive aquatic and terrestrial habitats are protected. By way of comparison, Toronto's High Park is 400 acres.

The projects that make up the $10 million announced today are:

• Implementation of the Tommy Thompson Park Master Plan, $8 million - work will start in the summer of 2005 on initiatives to bring more people to this internationally recognized urban wilderness park, while at the same time protecting and expanding its ecological function. This work includes new pedestrian and cycling trails, viewing platforms and seating, signage, a park interpretive centre, wetland development and wildlife and terrestrial habitat creation.


• Feasibility study for a Parks Canada Discovery Centre, $1 million - Parks Canada is carrying out a feasibility study to look at the potential for a Discovery Centre that could be the major gateway facility for Lake Ontario Park. As part of the overall feasibility study, Parks Canada is exploring opportunities to provide real-time, interactive connections to the national parks and national historic sites of Canada.


• The Discovery Centre would connect residents of Toronto and visitors to the city with Canada's natural and cultural treasures by offering online opportunities to experience the national parks and national historic sites of Canada. In particular, the Centre would provide a 'window on Canada' to the many new Canadians living in the greater Toronto area and offer them a unique way to appreciate and understand the majesty of Canada's landscape and the significance of our history. The study will be completed in fall 2005.


• Lake Ontario Park Concept Design, $1 million - TWRC can now bring together the world's leaders in landscape architecture, ecology and recreation to begin the overall design for the park. The design will make Lake Ontario Park a compelling waterfront destination and will incorporate the features of the Tommy Thompson Park Master Plan work that is already underway. Public consultation will be an essential part of the design process and will begin in June.