The City is improving Moss Park and John Innes Community Recreation Centre (CRC) to better serve all community members.

While we aim to provide fully accessible content, there is no text alternative available for some of the content on this site. If you require alternate formats or need assistance understanding our maps, drawings, or any other content, please contact Dennis To at 437-677-3724 (for John Innes CRC) or Nancy Chater (for the park) at 416-338-5237.

  • Spring 2021: Procurement of architect and landscape architect design services and community engagement consultant
  • Summer to Fall 2022: Community Engagement Phase 1
  • Fall 2022 to Spring 2023: Community Engagement Phase 2
  • Spring to Summer 2023: Community Engagement Phase 3
  • 2025: Hire a construction team for CRC
  • 2026: Construction for CRC starts
  • 2028: Hire a construction team for the park
  • 2029: Construction for CRC complete, park construction starts
  • 2030: Park construction complete

This timeline is subject to change and is separate from the Metrolinx Ontario Line subway line and station construction scheduled to happen during the same time frame.

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Project Advisory Groups

Indigenous Partners

This project engages local Indigenous service providers, members of communities, organizations and treaty holders. Two Row Architect, an Indigenous-owned architecture firm based at Six Nations in Brantford, is a member of the project’s design team and provides an Indigenous design lens and integration of Indigenous placekeeping elements to land and water in the park. The project’s Indigenous process participants are offered honoraria.

Local Advisory Group

This project has a Local Advisory Group (LAG) for focused discussions with local stakeholders including residents, members of nearby businesses, service providers, community groups and organizations operating within the park vicinity. The LAG was formed using a civic lottery, an emerging democratic best practice that is increasingly used across Canada and internationally to establish representative bodies of citizen/resident advisors to governments. The project team met with the LAG throughout the community engagement process to workshop and collect feedback on the design before sharing it with the public.

Project Champions

This project has a network of Project Champions – community leaders with strong relationships in the Moss Park community – and will connect with communities often excluded in formal planning processes. Project Champions are paid for their work and receive training and support from the project team. Like the LAG, Project Champions met with the project team throughout the community engagement process to workshop and share ideas on the design.

Youth Art/Design Mentees

This project has three local youth mentees ages 13 to 24 who worked with the project team to develop an art or design component for the project.

Moss Park and the 70-year-old John Innes CRC are being redesigned to serve the evolving needs of the diverse community. This includes supporting vulnerable and equity-deserving populations in the local area and growing numbers of community residents by offering improved park amenities and recreational facilities.

The new facilities at the John Innes Community Recreation Centre (CRC) and in the park will serve local communities by responding to the experiences and goals of the diverse array of community members who enjoy the park and CRC today. Consultation with the community has informed work to date and the creation of the following Big Moves and Design Principles.

Previous Public Consultations: More Moss Park

The initial re-imagining of Moss Park began in 2015 as a partnership between the City of Toronto, The 519 and a philanthropic partner. As part of this work, extensive community consultations and a feasibility study were completed to design a revitalized Moss Park to better serve the community. However, after extensive analysis, the partnership concluded that the project, as envisioned, was not feasible at that time.

A New Round of Work

In 2019, Toronto City Council adopted the implementation strategy for Parks and Recreation Facilities Master Plan, which included recommendations for an updated plan to replace the John Innes Community Recreation Centre, remodel the Moss Park Arena facade and improve the park.

In addition to new consultation, key takeaways from the More Moss Park consultation process are being carried forward to inform the current City-led project.

The project provides an opportunity for a holistic redesign of the park and community recreation centre, which will lead to better outcomes for the community. The aim of the project is to create welcoming, safe and accessible spaces for all, including the most vulnerable members of the community.

In particular, safety has surfaced as a priority consideration—however, safety means different things to different people. We will be engaging community members on how they define safety and what strategies might support creating a safe and inclusive environment for the diversity of users.

What Will Be included

Replace John Innes Community Recreation Centre

  • A 25-metre, six-lane lap pool
  • A leisure/tot pool
  • Community, multi-use spaces
  • Double gymnasium with a mezzanine running track
  • Fitness studios
  • Dance studio
  • Common and administrative areas, including a large lobby
  • WIFI access throughout
  • Universal washrooms and change rooms
  • A green roof or rooftop community access (to be determined)
  • Service spaces
  • Main entrance remaining on Sherbourne
  • Current plan for some parking spaces between CRC and the arena

Extensive improvements to Moss Park

  • Passive and active recreation amenities including playground, splash pad, community gardens, off-leash dog area, and walking paths, with other features to be determined such as tennis, basketball, etc.
  • Safety such as sight lines, lighting and animation to create more eyes on the park
  • Flexible, multi-use spaces for different activities
  • Consider food security and urban agriculture
  • Indigenous place-keeping elements and approach
  • Input from local Indigenous communities
  • Enhance ecological and social sustainability and resilience of the park
  • Broader connectivity to parks and public realm network

The amenities and features proposed are subject to change as the designs evolve in response to ongoing community consultation.

This phase of the community engagement process started in summer 2022. In this phase, the project team used many of the engagement outcomes from the More Moss Park project as a starting point for this project. The City worked with residents and stakeholders to confirm an overall vision, including Design Principles and Big Moves, which will guide the redesigns of the park and Community Recreation Centre (CRC).

Download the Phase 1 summary.

This section is organized as follows:

  • Design Principles and Big Moves
  • John Innes Community Recreation Centre
  • Community Engagement Meetings and Events

Design Principles

  1. Ensure the design of the CRC and park supports equity, belonging and inclusion
  2. Ensure the CRC and Park are accessible to all
  3. Create a space that makes safety for all users a priority
  4. Design an open, permeable and transparent environment
  5. Maximize, enhance and improve green spaces
  6. Celebrate and share information about the Indigenous history and character of Moss Park
  7. Contribute to food security
  8. Be sustainable and carbon neutral

Big Moves

  1. Maintain a large area of open parkland with frontages onto Queen and Shuter by building the new CRC along Sherbourne, over the existing footprint
  2. Establish a cohesive design language between the CRC and the Arena and a strong relationship between both buildings and the future Moss Park subway station
  3. Optimize opportunities for rooftop access to the new CRC
  4. Incorporate spaces for prayer and ceremony
  5. Ensure washroom access from the outside of the building
  6. Create a new urban gateway at Queen and Sherbourne
  7. Integrate Indigenous place-keeping throughout the park
  8. Establish a renewed urban canopy of trees on Queen to match the Shuter edge
  9. Maintain and enhance key pedestrian pathways and access points into the park
  10. Maintain and enhance existing permeable park edges and protect the existing urban canopy along Shuter
  11. Maintain the strong Sherbourne urban built edge and enhance the relationship between the CRC/Arena/Park and Metrolinx Station with improved visual and physical connectivity and accessibility
  12. Remove the baseball diamond to accommodate a wider range of park uses
  13. Add a fenced, dedicated dogs off-leash area to the park to support the growing number of residents with dogs in the intensifying neighbourhood, and to protect other park amenities and park users from conflicts with dogs

John Innes Community Recreation Centre

Building on the vision and big moves, and in collaboration with the community and staff, the project team developed a preliminary plan for the community recreation centre. The bubble diagrams below show the general massing of the building, programming, amenities and relationship to the park. The building’s design will continue to be refined in collaboration with the local community.

Community Engagement Meetings and Events

August 2022

Pop-Up Events

There were five days of pop-up events at Moss Park, John Innes Community Recreation Centre, and in the local community. Community members and park and CRC facility patrons were engaged in conversations about the project. They were asked what they like about the park and facilities now and what they would like to see in the redesign.

Download the August 2022 pop-up summary.

Combined Local Advisory Group and Project Champion Meeting 2

The project team hosted a virtual meeting in which initial design ideas for the John Innes CRC were shared followed by a discussion in which Advisory Group members and Project Champions provided input.

Download the August 2022 combined summary.

Indigenous Communities Meeting 1

The project team hosted a virtual meeting in which initial design ideas for the Park and the John Innes CRC were shared. Indigenous community members provided feedback and input as well as ideas about Indigenous place-keeping.

Download the August 2022 Indigenous communities meeting summary report.

July 2022

Combined Local Advisory Group and Project Champion Meeting 1

Virtual meetings were held during which the project team and Advisory Group members introduced themselves, the project was reintroduced and draft design principles and big moves were confirmed.

Download the July 2022 combined summary.

June 2022

Online Survey

From June 20 to July 3, 2022, an online visioning survey took place to collect feedback to help shape the vision, including the design principles and big moves, for the community recreation centre and the park. The survey received 483 responses.

Open House

On June 20, 2022, community engagement for the project begins with a virtual open house. The community was invited to learn more about upcoming engagement opportunities and the emerging guiding principles and big moves for the community recreation centre and park.

Download the:

April 2022

Local Advisory Group, Network of Project Champions Call for Applications

In April 2022, the project team resumed the community engagement program by launching a call for applications for the Local Advisory Group, Network of Project Champions and Design Mentorship. See the Get Involved section for more information.

This phase of the community engagement started in fall 2022. In this phase, the City is working with the community to develop and present early design ideas for the Community Recreation Centre and for the park improvements. The designs will be refined in collaboration with the community and will be developed into a preferred design for the park and for the Community Recreation Centre in the next phase

Moss Park Design Options

These designs were first presented to the project’s advisory groups and at a local Indigenous communities workshop before being shared with the public at two open houses on March 21, 2023. All designs respond to the design principles for the project and contain the following design criteria:

  • Park program areas are arranged around a large central lawn area
  • Children’s play area located close to the new CRC
  • Three metre wide main pathways connecting Queen Street to Shuter Street
  • One metre-wide secondary pathway connections including east-west connections through the park
  • New playground area with resilient rubber safety surfacing and play equipment for junior and senior ages
  • New splash pad area beside the playground
  • Community garden area with allotment plots, 1.2-metre fencing, water access and storage
  • Indigenous placekeeping approach and elements (City of Toronto’s Reconciliation Action Plan, #15).
  • Off-leash area (OLA) with 1.5-metre high metal fencing, double gate entrances, concrete entrance pad with accessible seating, dog drinking bowl, and seating
  • Existing tennis courts (two courts) to remain with new surfacing and improvements
  • Concrete pads for trash and recycling receptacles at various locations
  • New bottle filler and drinking fountain
  • New seating and seating areas
  • New tree planting
  • New horticultural planting
  • New and increased lighting throughout the park
  • Direct access to washrooms on the west side of the new CRC near the children’s playground
  • Access to the new CRC from the park
  • The installation of a public art component by Indigenous artists, inside the CRC and outdoors

Concept Design 1 – The Grid

Graphic for design option one. Graphic shows a park design characterized by straight pathways creating a grid through the park.

Concept Design Focus

More rectangular in form with direct path connections that reflect a city grid. Park program areas arranged around the large central rectangular lawn area.

Key Features
  • Park entrances located at all four corners of the park
  • Paved pathway that directly connects Shuter Street at Pembroke Street to Queen Street
  • Connection at Shuter Street and Pembroke Street  north to Allan Gardens which is an important park connection in the Garden District (a heritage district that  the park is within)
  • New playground area (approximately 684 m2) including junior and senior play equipment
  • New splash pad (approximately 286 m2) with concrete paving and splash features
  • New fenced off-leash area (OLA) (approximately 1,020 m2) located on the west side of the park next to the Armoury
  • New seating including benches, tables and chairs
  • Community garden area located at the north end and divided into two areas with connecting paths, approximately 400 m2 in total
  • Large central lawn (approximately 5,518 m2)
  • Two tennis courts( approximately 1,120 m2)
  • Two basketball courts, oriented east-west (approximately 2,153 m2)
  • Design includes 111 new tree plantings (18 tree removals are required to build the new John Innes Community Recreation Centre)
  • Restorative landscape approach to trees and planting informed by Indigenous culture and designers

Concept Design 2 – The Creek

Graphic for design option two. Graphic shows a park design characterized by a main pathways bisecting the park from the Northwest to the Southeast following the route of the buried creek.

Concept Design Focus

More curved in form with a primary curved diagonal north-south path that reflects the route of the former Moss Creek which ran through this site. Park program areas are arranged around the large central oval-shaped lawn area.

Key Features
  • Park entrances located at all four corners of the park
  • Main diagonal paved path connects the new Moss Park subway station at the south-east corner of the park to the signalized crossing in the north-west corner of the park at Shuter Street and George Street
  • New playground area (approximately 520 m2) with resilient rubber safety surface, seating, and 1.2 m. high fence
  • New splash pad (approximately 382 m2) with concrete paving and splash features located next to the playground
  • New fenced off-leash area (OLA) (approximately 1,214 m2) located on the west side of the park next to the Armoury
  • New seating including benches, tables and chairs
  • Community garden area located at the north end in single area, approximately 274 m2
  • Large central lawn (approximately 4,652 m2)
  • Two tennis courts (approximately 965 m2)
  • Two basketball courts, oriented east-west (approximately 1,445 m2)
  • Design includes 154 new tree plantings (18 tree removals are required to build the new John Innes Community Recreation Centre)
  • Restorative landscape approach to trees and planting informed by Indigenous culture and designers

Concept Design 3 – The Meander

Graphic for design option three Graphic shows a park design characterized by organic round pathways throughout the park.

Concept Design Focus

A curvier and flowing form with primary paths taking a more meandering route on two primarily diagonal paths that connect from the north-east corner to the south-west corner, and from the north-west corner to the south-east corner.Park program areas are arranged around a large central oval-shaped lawn area.

Key Features
  • Park entrances located at all four corners of the park
  • Curved paved path connects in a more leisurely route from the new Moss Park subway station to the south-east corner of the park to the signalized crossing in the north-west corner of the park at Shuter Street and George Street
  • Largest new playground area (approximately 874 m2) with resilient rubber safety surface, seating, and 1.2 m. high fence
  • New splash pad (approximately 343 m2) with concrete paving and splash features located next to the playground
  • New fenced  off-leash area (OLA) (approximately 800 m2) located on the west side of the park next to the Armoury
  • New seating including benches, tables and chairs
  • Community garden area located at the north end in single area (approximately 240 m2)
  • Large central lawn (approximately 5,518 m2)
  • Two tennis courts (approximately 965 m2)
  • Two basketball courts, oriented east-west (approximately 1,306 m2)
  • Design includes 182 new tree plantings (18 tree removals are required to build the new John Innes Community Recreation Centre )
  • Restorative landscape approach to trees and planting informed by Indigenous culture and designers

John Innes Community Recreation Centre Emerging Designs

The proposed new John Innes Community Recreation Centre is a four-storey, 75,000-square-foot facility providing a six-lane, 25-metre lap pool, leisure/tot pool, double gymnasium, fitness and weight rooms, multi-purpose community space, a woodshop, social service agency space and a publicly accessible roof terrace.

The new building will replace the current outdated and inaccessible facility and will be sited on roughly the same footprint providing both an address and entry on Sherbourne Street, and reinstating the connection to Moss Park.

Clad in durable panels is meant to evoke natural materials. The design includes a high interior atrium space which provides an indoor path from Sherbourne Street to the park.

The City has also initiated a public art competition, led by an Indigenous curator, for the public art component of the project.

Community Engagement Meetings and Events

April 2023

Online Survey

From March 21 to April 13, 2023, an online survey shared information about three design options for the park and collected feedback on preferences and ideas.

Download the April 2023 survey summary.

Park Pop-Up

On April 15, 2023, the City held a pop-up event at Moss Park to present the three park design options and collect community preferences and feedback.

Download the April 15, 2023 pop-up summary.

March 2023

Virtual Open House

On March 21, 2023, the project team held a virtual open house to share three design options for the park with the community. Two time slots were available for those interested in attending: one from 4 to 5:30 p.m. and one from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Download the:

February 2023

Indigenous Communities Meeting 3

The project team hosted a virtual meeting where three park design options were shared. Indigenous community members (29 in attendance) provided feedback and input on the designs, including feedback on the pathways, public art, plantings, seating and the proposed Sacred Fire space.

Download the February 2023 Indigenous communities meeting summary.

December 2022

Indigenous Communities Meeting 2

The project team hosted a virtual meeting where updated designs for John Innes Community Recreation Centre and details about the Public Art Competition were shared. Indigenous community members provided feedback and input on the designs and consideration related to ways local Indigenous artists, youth, language and place-keeping are prioritized in the two public art projects planned for the Community Recreation Centre.

Download the December 2022 Indigenous communities meeting summary.

November 2022

Design Options Survey (Community Recreation Centre)

From October 20 to November 17, 2022, the project team conducted a survey to gather insights on the preliminary designs for the John Innes Community Recreation Centre. A total of 410 members of the public responded.

Download the November 2022 survey summary.

October 2022

Virtual Open House

On October 20, 2022, approximately 49 people attended an open house. The open house was specifically focused on the emerging designs and programming for the Community Recreation Centre (an open house for the park improvements will be scheduled in 2023).

Download the:

This phase of the community engagement process started in June 2023. In this phase, the final preferred designs for both Moss Park park improvements and John Innes Community Recreation Centre replacement were presented to the local community for a final round of feedback and revisions.

The preferred designs are confirmed and the project has moved into the detailed design phase, where the design team will finalize the preferred design by working through things like mechanical and plumbing details and developing detailed plans for the construction contractor.

Download the phase 3 summary.

Moss Park Preferred Park Design

Based on community feedback collected earlier this year, the “The Creek” park design concept was selected to refine as a preferred design. This concept includes curved spaces and pathways, with a primary curved diagonal north-south path that reflects the route of the former Moss Creek which ran through this site. Park program areas are arranged around the large central oval-shaped lawn area. The park will have new lighting throughout.
Preferred concept plan for Moss Park. A main path extends from the north-west corner diagonally to the south. Entry points are located at each of the site corners, and at Pembroke Street, with interpretive signage, including an Indigenous Land Acknowledgement. In the center is a large open lawn. Along the north edge of the site the existing trees are proposed to remain, with a new walking path weaving below them. The play area is located west of the new CRC building, featuring both a dry and water play area. An open plaza space, with flexible seating and canopy trees, is located west of the CRC programming space. A large community garden space is located centrally, while tennis courts are proposed to remain in their current location at the west. East of the arena are two basketball courts with seating, and on the other side of the central lawn is located an off-leash area.

  1. Interpretive signage and land acknowledgement
  2. Community gardens
    • garden plots (including accessible plots)
    • storage area
    • fencing
  3. Children’s play area
    • natural play equipment
    • water play area
    • fencing
  4. Play/interactive sculpture
  5. Tennis courts
    • multi-use courts
    • seating
    • fencing
  6. The meeting place
    • flexible café-style seating and tables
    • shade trees
    • space for events
  7. Sacred Fire for dedicated use by Indigenous communities
  8. Off-leash area
    • dog drinking bowl
    • pet-friendly artificial turf
    • topography elements
    • play elements
    • bag dispenser and waste receptacle
    • seating
    • fencing
    • lighting
  9. Central lawn
    • open lawn
    • low berms around the perimeter
    • canopy shade trees
  10. Basketball courts
    • multi-use courts
    • seating
  11. Food forest
  12. Bike racks

Tree Strategy

Tree removal is required for the construction of John Innes Community Recreation Centre (CRC). To preserve trees and park space while also meeting the program requirements for a growing community, the footprint of the CRC was minimized by building up (four stories) rather than building out. Trees that are removed will be replaced with native tree species. When the project is complete, there will be more trees overall and more native trees in the park than before this project started.
Efforts are being made to repurpose the removed trees in the design.

A composite image of three charts. On the left, Past conditions (pre Metrolinx removal) are 158 trees, 28% are native species. In the centre, existing conditions (post Metrolinx removal) are 102 trees, 23% are native species. On the right, the proposed future conditions are 202 trees with 65% native species.
Overview of tree strategy in the preferred design (subject to change).
A site plan of tree removal plans for the Moss Park site. On the south in red, 63 trees were removed by Metrolinx for Ontario Line subway construction. In green on the north end of the park and east side of park, 48 trees remain. In the northeast in blue is the anticipated CRC building footprint, which requires the removal of 25 trees (in blue). 12 trees are to be removed due to poor health or hazardous conditions, marked by an X. Some have already been removed on the south side of the park. In orange, 8 trees are to be removed for the new driveway on the east side of the park. Trees that are removed will be replaced with native tree species.
Overview of tree removal plans (subject to change).

John Innes Community Recreation Centre Floor Plans

Ground Floor

Plan detailing the ground floor. The Aquatic Hall is to the north. A centrally located “L” shaped lobby connects the Aquatic Hall to the north and main Sherbourne Street entry on the east. Reception is located adjacent the main entry. Multipurpose rooms and admin spaces line the south side of the lobby, which extends up to 4 storeys in height above. On the east side, an activity room has views onto Sherbourne Street. Public washrooms are between the east activity room and the wood shop and exterior washrooms have been provided on the west face of the building to the north of the park entry.

  • An aquatic hall with:
    • A six-lane, 25 metre lane lap pool
    • Leisure pool
    • Benches along all four sides of the pool
    • Accessible drinking fountain and bottle filler
    • Viewing area separated by a viewing bar with storage cubbies
    • Change rooms and washrooms. The change rooms are accessible and gender-neutral. When required, one side of the change room space can be gendered to support specific programming. Changing only occurs inside private stalls and showering only occurs with bathing suits on
  • A viewing area into the pool from the main lobby. All views into/out of the pool space will be controlled with switchable glazing (which turns opaque), for programming that requires privacy
  • Multipurpose rooms
  • Wood shop
  • Lobby and reception area
  • Public washrooms (non-gendered)
  • Outdoor access public washrooms

Second Floor

Plan detailing the second floor. A series of activity rooms with views into the Aquatic Hall below line the north side floor and are accessed by corridor to the south, which is open to the lobby below and provides a long counter for casual seating. The atrium has a breakout lounge on either side to the west and dance room on the east which both provide access to a public outdoor terrace to the south and west. Elevators are at the east side adjacent the dance room or by a feature stair at the west end of the lobby. Public washrooms are located on the west end of the block of activity rooms, close to the breakout lounge area.
The second floor includes:

  • Public corridor and break out spaces
  • Public washrooms (non-gendered)
  • Public roof terrace
  • Leadership and activity rooms with:
    • Kitchenette
    • Storage
    • Views into the Aquatic Hall and Public Corridor
    • Wireless presentation system, audio/visual capacity
  • Dance Room

Third Floor

Plan detailing the third floor. The north portion has a fitness room on the east, a weight room on the west, and a gymnasium space in the center. These fitness spaces are accessed by a corridor which wraps around a block of centrally located youth rooms. Public washrooms are located on the west side of this block of rooms, and a universal washroom is located just south of the weight room on the north west side. The corridor to the south of the youth rooms provides glazed views into the atrium below and connects to feature stairs. An activity room at the south east side is adjacent to the atrium space. Elevator access to this level is on the east side adjacent the south east activity room.
The third floor includes:

  • Public corridor and break out spaces
  • Public washrooms (non-gendered)
  • Youth room with:
    • Kitchenette
    • Storage
    • Seating areas
    • Opens onto break out lounge
  • Youth breakout lounge
  • Youth media room with:
    • Games and media centre
    • Lounge furniture
    • Access to youth study/computer
  • Youth computer/study room with:
    • Long counter and chairs for studying
    • Long counter with computers
    • Access to youth media room
  • Weight room
  • Gymnasium with:
    • one full basketball court, and two cross courts
    • three badminton/pickleball courts
    • One volleyball court
    • Motorized gym divider
    • Views to the park/Shuter Street
    • Access to the weight and fitness rooms
  • Activity room

Fourth Floor

Plan detailing the fourth floor. A walking track with expanded areas for stretching wraps around the building perimeter and provides glazed views into the weight room, gymnasium, atrium, and activity rooms below as well as out to the park and surrounding streets. There is a universal washroom on the east side north of the elevators. Access to a feature stair to the lower levels is located on the south east side in proximity to the elevators.

  • Walking track with:
    • Views into the weight room, gymnasium, atrium, and activity rooms below as well as out to the park and surrounding streets
    • Areas for stretching
    • Areas for fitness equipment
  • A washroom

Community Engagement Meetings and Events

July 2023

In-Person Pop-Up Events

On July 29 and August 1, 2023, pop-ups allowed members of the public to review the preferred designs for the park and community recreation centre.

Download the July 2023 pop-up summary.

June 2023

In-Person Public Meeting

On June 29, 2023, the project team held two in-person public meetings at John Innes CRC. At each meeting, the preferred designs for the park and CRC were presented to community members, who were able to provide their feedback and suggestions through round-table discussions with project team members.

Download the:

Local Advisory Group and Project Champion Meeting

On June 13, 2023, the project team hosted the final in-person meeting to present and collect feedback on the proposed final building and landscape design for the Moss Park park improvements and John Innes CRC replacement. Nine Local Advisory Group and Project Champions attended the meeting.

Download the June 13, 2023 in-person meeting summary.

Online Survey

From June 27 to July 17, 2023, an online survey shared information about the preferred park and building designs and collected feedback from the community. The survey received 433 submissions from at least 601 respondents of various ages and backgrounds.

Download the June/July 2023 survey summary.

The trees along the south side of the park, next to Queen Street, were removed by Metrolinx in order to construct the below and above ground portions of the Moss Park subway station for the Ontario Line. The City did advocate for the preservation of the trees, however due to the “open cut” method being considered to construct the below ground portion, the trees could not be retained. The City recognizes the significant loss of the tree canopy. The City has negotiated a specific agreement for Metrolinx to pay for new trees that the City will replant in the park upon completion of the subway construction. The park improvement plan that is being led and delivered by the City will be designed to enhance the urban canopy in the park. The City’s park improvement plan will also include larger trees at planting to help mitigate the loss of tree canopy along Queen Street. The City Project Team is also working to use the wood from the trees in the new Community Recreation Centre, the park and by the woodshop at John Innes Community Recreation Centre. More information will be shared as it becomes available.

Tree Ceremony

A Tree Ceremony was held on December 19, 2022. The decision to hold a Tree Ceremony emerged directly from conversation with the local Indigenous community through the engagement program for the project.

Nehiyawak Elder, Grandma Pauline led a ceremony to celebrate and honour the lives of Moss Park trees. Elder Grandma Pauline Shirt is greatly recognized for her commitment to the Toronto Indigenous community and for her dedication as a teacher and lecturer since the late sixties. She is a member of the Three Fires Society and the Buffalo Dance Society. She founded Wandering Spirit School and is a dedicated volunteer supporting the houseless people in the Moss Park area.

Metrolinx is constructing the Ontario Line, a subway line that will run from the Ontario Science Centre in the northeast to Exhibition Place in the southwest and will include a subway stop at Moss Park.

The construction schedule of the new Ontario Line station is planned for the period from 2023-2030. The subway construction by Metrolinx will require a portion of the park for its construction staging. The southern half of the park will be closed to the public during this period. Ontario Line construction will overlap in time with the construction of the John Innes Community Recreation Centre, however the two construction sites will be separate. The John Innes Community Recreation Centre replacement construction is planned from 2026 to 2028. The City’s park improvements construction will be phased with the goal of being completed as Metrolinx completes the subway and leaves the site. The construction for the whole park is planned from 2028 to 2030. All schedules are subject to change.

For more information, visit Metrolinx Ontario Line Moss Park Station or contact Metrolinx.

An aerial map showing the project area. There will be no park access during construction for the new four-storey John Innes Community Recreation Centre, which will occur from 2024 to 2027. There will be no park access during the Ontario Line construction, which will occur from 2023 to 2030. The future Metrolinx station will be located parallel to Queen Street East, near Sherbourne Street and the existing Moss Park Arena. The existing trees along Shuter Street and Sherbourne Street will remain and the trees along Queen Street East will be removed.

The City’s Percent for Public Art Program has designated two public art projects for the Moss Park park Improvements and John Innes Community Recreation Centre Replacement Project. An Indigenous Consultant has been hired by the City to lead the artist selection process. As part of the process, six Indigenous artists will be invited to submit proposals for the two public art projects. A five-person Indigenous jury (of community members and arts professionals) will then make the final selection for one indoor artwork and one outdoor artwork. The entire artwork selection process will include 15 paid opportunities for Indigenous artists, advisors, and community members.