Dr. Lillian McGregor Park is open to the public! Visit the Project Updates section for more information.

A new park is open at 25 Wellesley St. W., near Bay Street and Wellesley Street W. The park features a playground and public art honouring the heritage and homeland of Dr. Lillian McGregor.

  • 2016/2017: Community engagement
  • February 2021: Construction
  • November 2021: Construction complete
  • September 2022: Park opens

The timeline is subject to change.

September 2022

Park Opens

On September 29, 2022, Dr. Lillian McGregor Park opened to the public. The park features include new pathways and seating, a playground and artwork by Kenneth Lavallee recognizing regional Indigenous histories and cultures and honouring themes important to Dr. McGregor, including health, spirituality and language.

A formal park opening event with the McGregor family will take place in spring 2023. Details about the event will be shared on this page.

March 2022

Park opening has been delayed due to unforeseen delays in the conveyance of the parkland from private ownership to City of Toronto parkland.

November 2021

A majority of the park construction will be complete at the end of November. The new park is anticipated to open to the public in March 2022.

February 2021

The construction contract has been awarded and construction is scheduled to start in February. Updates regarding the construction timeline will be shared here.

May 2019

Delivery of the park is taking longer than expected. The park is still on its way; the City is resolving issues involving ownership/property relating to the multiple land parcels being brought together, as well as the park being built over existing parking structures.

September 25, 2017

Public Meeting

The meeting provided an opportunity for public input into the planning and programming of the revised park design.

Download the description of the proposed park design 

April 4, 2016

Public Meeting

The meeting was held to provide an opportunity for public input into the planning and programming of the new park and provide direction on the park design. The local councillor was also in attendance.

This meeting also presented the first opportunity for area residents and park users to provide their comments and input about the project.

Dr. Lillian McGregor Park is a new 6400m2 park named for Dr. Lillian McGregor, of White Fish First Nation. The park features include new pathways and seating, a playground, a dog off-leash area located directly beside the page, and public art recognizing regional Indigenous histories and cultures and honouring themes important to Dr. McGregor, including health, spirituality and language.

About Dr. Lillian McGregor

Dr. Lillian McGregor (1924-2012), of Whitefish River First Nation, was a dedicated nurse and community leader, recognized for her work in promoting indigenous culture and education. She received the City of Toronto Civic Award, the National Aboriginal Achievement Lifetime Award and the Order of Ontario and was the first indigenous woman to be awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Toronto, and was the University’s first Elder In Residence.

About the Artwork

The art is inspired by Dr. McGregor’s family clan sign (the crane) and by the elements of her childhood home on Birch Island (rock outcrops, water, and reeds). The aim was to envision the Park as a small natural refuge in the midst of downtown Toronto, a home away from home. The artwork is weaved throughout the site and fully integrated with the landscape.

  • Crane Sculptures: A family of cranes consisting of 4 separate, bent aluminum sculptures perched on stone foundations. Each crane depicts a different stage of life according to the Medicine Wheel: Childhood, Youth, Adult and Elder.
  • Reed Screens: These laser cut aluminum screens will be painted a teal shade of green to mimic the tall reeds in which cranes make their home. The placement of the ‘Reed’ screens is flexible and expandable to cover any structure within the Park.
  • Feather Canopy: An abstracted feather becomes a canopy over the Wellesley Street entrance, providing shade and protection from the elements. The white feather is made of laser cut powder-coated white aluminum and supported on thick steel tube quills.
  • Medicine Wheel: In the central gathering space, a mosaic medicine wheel is inlaid into the pavement, at the convergence of the main paths.

About the Artist

Kenneth Lavallee is from a small town outside of Winnipeg called St. Laurent and is of Metis descent. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Manitoba.