Ivan Forrest Gardens Streetscape Improvements

About the Project

The aim of this project is to revitalize the park’s frontage along Queen Street East. Improvements will primarily include upgrades to the park entrances, pathways, seating areas and planting beds in the streetscape on the southern edge of the park.

The full scope of improvements will be determined through the consultation and design development process in response to budget and site constraints, as well as functional requirements for both the park and right-of-way.

Project Updates

February 17, 2021

A virtual open house was held to share the preferred concept design and invite residents to ask questions about the project.

Download the open house presentation.

Preferred Concept Design

The preferred concept design was developed by combining strongly supported features from each of the previously presented concept design options. Key features include:

• Designed to meet Toronto’s Accessibility Design Guidelines
• Preserving all existing trees
• A secondary east-west pathway with a curvilinear alignment
• Small plaza/seating area to make the park more inviting and to provide a space for small events, while still trying to limit the disruption to the site and providing as much open green space as possible
• Specialty pavers as the surface treatment for the secondary pathway and small plaza/seating area
• New electrical power source near the small plaza
• Native and pollinator-friendly shrub planting to frame the 2 park entrances and the small plaza
• New bottle filler/drinking fountain/pet bowl combination at the west park entrance
• New lights similar in style to others elsewhere in the park
• Backed and backless benches in the small plaza/seating area
• Chaises, backed benches and seating with tables to provide more options in seating types and the opportunity to be seated away from the small plaza for more tranquillity and privacy
• Bollards and P-gates as barriers to vehicular entry into the park while still providing access to Parks Staff for maintenance purposes
• Removal of the newspaper boxes and railing in the Right-Of-Way by the streetcar stop shelter and moving of the existing garbage/recycling bins to that location
• Relocation of the existing garbage/recycling bins closer to the streetcar stop shelter and addition of a new set of bins at the east park entrance

October 23, 2020, to November 6, 2020

An online survey was launched to gather additional feedback on the concept design options.

A preferred concept design is currently being developed.

October 21, 2020

A Virtual Public Meeting was held to present Concept Design options for the streetscape improvements and gather feedback from the public.

Download the:

• Public Meeting Presentation
• Meeting and Online Survey Summary Report

Common features of both concepts:

• Designed to meet Toronto’s Accessibility Design Guidelines
• Preserving all existing trees
• Maintaining a secondary east-west pathway
• Seating/gathering areas with new seating that provides a variety of view options
• Improvements to increase the presence of park entrances
• Planting to frame park entrances and seating/gathering areas (i.e. small flowering deciduous trees, flowering shrubs, flowering perennials, ornamental grasses)
• New lighting
• Condensing site furniture at the bus stop
• Drinking fountain upgrades
• New electrical power source for events

Concept 1

Concept Design Focus:

• Maintaining green space
• Improvements related to more passive use of space

Key Features:

• Seating area along the secondary pathway
• Paving: Concrete
• Seating: Cluster seating with tables, backed and backless benchtops on concrete seatwall, stand-alone bench
• Lighting: a similar style of light standard to the existing pathway lights elsewhere in the park
• New bottle filler/drinking fountain in the current location

Concept 2

Concept Design Focus:

• Creating a space with potential for small organized events
• Incorporating paving and furnishings that complement the streetscapes of nearby parks/parkettes

Key Features:

• Widened secondary pathway
• Plaza connecting secondary pathway to the street sidewalk
• Paving: specialty permeable pavers
• Seating: backed and backless benches
• Lighting: more of the modern style of light standard to differentiate streetscape from the park
• New bottle filler/drinking fountain location within the proposed plaza area
• Bollards and P-gates at entrances to help prevent vehicles from entering the park

July 30, 2020, to August 18, 2020

An online survey was launched to collect feedback about the community’s vision and hopes for the project. In total, the survey received 306 responses.

Download the Ivan Forrest Visioning Survey Report.

Get Involved

Virtual Open House

• February 17, 2021
• 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
• Register for or join the open house

Join us for the Ivan Forrest Gardens Streetscape Improvements Open House. Over the past few months, the City of Toronto has been working with the local community and stakeholders to develop a new design for the frontage along Queen Street at Ivan Forrest Gardens. Join us to see the preferred concept design and learn more about the project. Log in 10 minutes early to make sure the connection is working.