Queen's Park North is a historic and culturally significant public green space in Toronto, located north of the Ontario Parliament Building. In late 2024, the City was approached by the Weston family with an offer to donate $50 million to improve the park, plus additional funding for long-term maintenance and programming. In response, City staff have been instructed by Council to undertake community and First Nations, Inuit and Metis engagement, along with design exploration, that will build on work completed in the park in 2019. The engagement conversations will inform opportunities related to park design, park amenities, Indigenous placekeeping, park programming, maintenance and governance. This public feedback will be collected and included as part of City staff’s report back to City Council in late 2025, which will include a recommended path forward.
On December 16, 2025, Toronto City Council will decide whether to accept a $50 million donation to improve the park. As part of this decision, they will review a project update that includes the terms of the donation agreement.
If Council approves the agreement, the City can move forward with the park improvements and design. If not, the project may be delayed or reconsidered.
The timeline is subject to change.
Join the community workshop to learn about and share feedback on the emerging design ideas and governance approaches for the park revitalization. The ideas being presented have been informed by the feedback received during Community Engagement Phase 1.
Registration for this in-person workshop is encouraged but not required.
Stop by a community pop-up to share your thoughts on the emerging design ideas and governance approaches for the park revitalization. Find us under the blue tent.
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This project has been classified as an Involve project based on the International Association of Public Participation Spectrum. This means we aim to work directly with the public, rightsholders and other stakeholders throughout the process to ensure that issues, concerns and aspirations are consistently understood and drive project outcomes as much as possible.
Not everything everyone wants will be able to be accommodated in Queen’s Park North, but where things cannot be accommodated, the City commits to explaining why not.
Our goal is that the information shared through the engagement process, combined with the feedback received, will support learning for all involved – the City, the donor and all participants in the engagement process.
Together, we are committed to finding the common ground to make something special happen here.
The engagement process will:
The community engagement process will follow the typical Park and Recreation Facility Design and Development Process, which ensures a transparent, iterative and collaborative approach to designing public spaces.
Through the community engagement process, community members will help shape key elements that guide the final design.
A high-level statement that captures the City, community and donor’s shared aspirations for the park – what it should become and how it should feel in the future. It is a big-picture statement that is meant to inspire everyone toward a common understanding of the project’s overall goals and objectives.
A set of high-level directions that reflect the City, community and donor’s most important values and ideas for how the park should look and feel. They help to clarify the vision statement and guide how the park should be designed by describing the desired outcomes around how the space looks, functions and serves the community.
Big ideas or core directions for the design — such as adding a key feature, improving safety, or enhancing accessibility — that translate the vision and principles into specific physical interventions. These will be developed by the design team using feedback from the public as a key input. In some cases, there may be several different design options associated with each big move.
A single design direction, shaped by community input through the first two phases of engagement, will be presented for feedback. Participants will have the opportunity to comment on the layout, features, programming elements and overall feel before the design is finalized.
This approach ensures that community voices are central to each phase, with clear and meaningful opportunities to shape the vision, principles and physical design of the park.
This phase of the community engagement process took place from March to June 2025 and included stakeholder conversations and interviews to better understand the issues and opportunities associated with the park. Interviewed stakeholders included:
In this phase, the City worked with the community to build a shared understanding of the current state of the park. This included identifying what is working well, what needs improvement and the key challenges and opportunities driving the need for change. The City also worked with the community to refine the draft vision statement and draft guiding principles that will guide the design process and reflect the values of the community, the donor and also align with City policies.
The draft vision statement was developed by the City, in collaboration with the Weston family. It is meant as a starting point for conversation and may evolve through the course of engagement:
Queen’s Park North is an extraordinary place for people and nature throughout the seasons, that respects the existing beauty of Queen’s Park North and showcases excellence in design, ecological stewardship, programming and partnerships.
The draft guiding principles were also developed by the City, in collaboration with the Weston family. They were intended to serve as a starting point for conversation and will evolve through the course of engagement:
The Discussion Guide offers a comprehensive look at the revitalization process – from the draft vision and design principles to a project timeline and engagement questions. All the key info is also on this web page, but this document pulls it together in one place.
On October 2, the neighbouring institutions working group met. This group was established to share perspectives on design and programming. The group includes representatives from the Gardiner Museum, Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Royal Conservatory of Music, Royal Ontario Museum, University of St. Michael’s College, University of Trinity College, University of Toronto, and Victoria University. Other institutions may be included as determined through discussions with the current participants.
The City engaged key interest groups through focus group sessions to gather topic-specific feedback on the draft vision and guiding principles. Each focus group was tailored to specific communities, including students, the 2SLGBTQ+ community, heritage, parks, trees and nature.
Download the:
From July 15 to August 31, an online survey collected feedback on what the community loves about Queen’s Park North, what could be improved and what opportunities should be explored. The input is helping to evolve the vision and guiding principles for the park and inform the development of design options.
Pop-up events took place on July 19, July 23 and July 30 at the King Edward statue in Queen’s Park North to share information about the project, feedback and ideas.
On July 28, an in-person public working session was held at the Metro Central YMCA. Community members were invited to learn more about the origin of the project, the donation and direction from City Council as well as to review and provide feedback on the draft vision and guiding principles for Queen’s Park North. The session also offered an opportunity to learn and share insights into how the City and project team are thinking about the park’s revitalization and to hear about upcoming opportunities for community engagement.
Download the:
On July 23, the neighbouring institutions working group met. This group was established to share perspectives on design and programming. The group includes representatives from the Gardiner Museum, Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Royal Conservatory of Music , Royal Ontario Museum, University of St. Michael’s College, University of Trinity College, University of Toronto, and Victoria University. Other institutions may be included as determined through discussions with the current participants.
Download the July 23, 2025, neighbouring institutions working group summary.
In this phase, the City will present a design plan informed by Community Engagement Phase 1 and collect feedback to help refine it. The big moves, final vision and guiding principles for the park improvements, along with ideas for park programming and governance, will also be shared for input.
The community engagement activities anticipated in this phase include:
The anticipated outcomes of this phase include a final vision statement, guiding principles and big moves and design options related to each of them.
An extraordinary place for people and nature throughout the seasons, that respects the existing trees and heritage of Queen’s Park North, fosters a welcoming environment, and showcases excellence in design, ecological stewardship, education, animation and collaborative governance.
Care will be taken before, during and after construction to ensure the significant urban tree canopy continues to define the character of the park for generations to come. Enhanced tree maintenance practices, more ecologically appropriate understory planting and education and interpretative materials will ensure the trees will continue to thrive and be celebrated.
New and improved park amenities, such as washrooms and seating, will provide a more welcoming and engaging park experience. Appropriately scaled animation and activity will be focused on a revitalized heart at the centre of the park to avoid impacting existing root zones of mature, healthy trees. A well-supported governance model with appropriate funding and expertise will provide a high standard of operations and maintenance.
Indigenous cultural values will be reflected and celebrated within a revitalized Queen’s Park North. These values, history and storytelling will be embedded in the physical landscape of the park as well as the stewardship strategy, guided by the concepts of Sprit: fostering a sense of hope by renewing and rebalancing a reciprocal relationship with land and ecosystem, Heart: A sense of belonging though spaces where people feel represented and connected, Mind: interweaving the stories of the park with Indigenous histories, and Body: connecting these concepts in to a cohesive park design; a space for all, for generations to come
A planting approach informed by restoration ecology will focus on natural systems and symbiotic relationships, focused on supporting the existing tree canopy and highlighting local species and ecosystems. Queen’s Park North’s position as a signature urban green space will provide a stage to showcase urban ecology practices, including through public education and engagement activities.
Queen’s Park North will continue to be a principal public space in the city, a place for gathering and democratic expression and for respite and reflection. The design and animation of the park will ensure a safe and welcoming experience for all ages, abilities and interests.
The City will collaborate with the nearby cultural, educational and governmental institutions such as the Royal Ontario Museum, Royal Conservatory of Music, Gardiner Museum, and the University of Toronto (UofT) to provide programming opportunities for small-scale activities, classes and performances.
In this phase, the City will present a preferred design direction that reflects what we have heard. This is an opportunity to share detailed updates on the proposed plan and to refine aspects such as specific design features, programming and governance to ensure the future Queen’s Park North reflects a shared vision and is ready to move into design development.
The community engagement activities anticipated in this phase include:
The anticipated outcome of this phase will be a preferred park design.
Queen’s Park North is one of Canada’s oldest public parks and remains one of the largest green spaces in downtown Toronto. The land is owned by the University of Toronto and leased to the City of Toronto under a 999-year agreement. Depending on the nature of any changes to the park proposed as part of the revitalization, the landowner’s approval may be required under the terms of the lease.
In 2019, landscaping, lawn and pathway improvements were made to the park. Community input during the 2015-2019 revitalization highlighted priorities such as winter activation, tree protection, cultural programming, horticultural displays, water features and washrooms. The proposed revitalization aligns with the City’s commitment to expanding and adapting the park system to serve a growing population. Plans focus on enhancing the natural landscape, protecting the mature tree canopy, and introducing new features, experiences, and programming inspired by the surrounding educational, cultural, and civic institutions.
As part of the early engagement and site analysis, the project team conducted a preliminary inventory to better understand the current conditions and context of Queen’s Park North. Through this process, four key priorities were identified. Download detailed information sheets for each priority:
The Weston family strongly believes in the important role that parks and gardens play in shaping stronger, more vibrant communities. They have a long-standing history of supporting city-building initiatives and innovative, sustainable park projects, such as the Evergreen Brick Works, Grange Park, UHN Tunnels Revitalization, The Meadoway and Breakwater Park.
The family has a special connection to Queen’s Park North, as the late Hon. Hilary M. Weston, CM, CVO, OOnt served as Lieutenant Governor of Ontario from 1997 to 2002. Over the decades, the family has also supported cultural and educational institutions near Queen’s Park North, including the University of Toronto, the Royal Ontario Museum, the Gardiner Museum, the Royal Conservatory of Music, as well as neighbouring healthcare centres like Mount Sinai and UHN.
The Weston family and City share a common ambition – for Queen’s Park North to serve as an exceptional, welcoming and sustainable place for all people, in all seasons.
The project is also supported by nearby institutions including the University of Toronto, The Gardiner Museum, The Royal Conservatory of Music, The Royal Ontario Museum.
A donation is a voluntary gift – either cash or in-kind – made without expectation of commercial benefit.
To ensure fairness and transparency:
The Donations to the City for Community Benefit Policy provides City staff with a guiding framework for considering donations:
Parks and Recreation regularly works to refine and deliver projects funded through donations.
In response to this donation, City Council directed staff to undertake public consultation on potential park improvements and to negotiate a donation agreement
Read about the Donations to the City of Toronto for Community Benefits Policy.