The City is collaborating with the local Church-Wellesley Village community to develop a new vision and improvement plan for Barbara Hall Park. The plan will articulate a community-driven vision for how Barbara Hall Park should evolve in the medium term and will set the direction for future park improvements.
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The timeline is subject to change.
Take an online survey to review and provide feedback on three draft design options for the park improvements.
This project has been classified as a Collaborate project based on the International Association of Public Participation Public Participation Spectrum. This means we aim to partner with the public and stakeholders in each aspect of the design process, including the development of design options and the identification of a preferred design.
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This project has a Community Advisory Committee (CAC) made up of representatives of the Church-Wellesley Village Community. The CAC’s mandate is to provide a forum for feedback, guidance and advice to the project team at key decision points during the community engagement process. The CAC will meet approximately one to two times per phase of the project. The CAC is not a decision-making body and does not speak on behalf of the entire community. Members of the CAC include representatives of the following organizations:
Download the CAC Terms of Reference.
This phase of the community engagement process started in January 2023 and included stakeholder interviews to better understand the issues and opportunities associated with the park. Interviewed stakeholder groups included:
Review the draft drivers of change and learn more about this phase.
The draft drivers of change were confirmed in summer 2023. Visit the Community Engagement Phase 1 section to review the finalized drivers of change.
This phase of the community engagement process started in May 2023. In this phase, the City worked with residents and stakeholders to define a renewed overall vision for the park, including a series of guiding principles and big moves which will guide the development of design options in Community Engagement Phase 2.
Download the Community Engagement Phase 1 summary.
This section is organized as follows:
These are the opportunities and challenges driving the need for a change to the park’s design.
Barbara Hall Park has diverse users with varied needs. In many ways, the space is expected to be “everything to everyone”: a space for the everyday, while also being a place for reflection, mourning and celebration, and where people come to access the services of the 519 Community Centre. In the past, the park accommodated all of these uses quite well, but this has not been the case more recently. There is a lack of cohesion between the different park elements, and the park struggles to accommodate the huge number of users who visit during the annual Green Space Festival.
The park is the green heart of the Church-Wellesley Village – a highly prized oasis of green within the community that is also its central gathering place. The raised lawn, garden beds and canopy trees are all highly valued by nearby residents. However, the park lacks an appropriate range of seating, is not properly lit and the pathways are not wide enough to accommodate heavy use. The programmed spaces present maintenance challenges that the community would like improved. The park has a lack of flat surfaces which make it difficult to program.
As the home of two significant LGBTQ2S+ memorials, the Toronto AIDS Memorial and the Trans Memorial, Barbara Hall Park is an important community space for grief, reflection and activism. There is a strong desire to maintain these memorials as places where people can grieve or reflect quietly. However, there is a feeling that these memorials are not properly or clearly identified or maintained and they are sometimes vandalized. In addition, the AIDS Memorial does not resonate strongly with HIV-positive youth, who feel it should also inspire hope and celebrate the lives of those people who are currently living with HIV.
The lack of clear sightlines throughout the park and the presence of dark corners present safety challenges and often attract undesirable activities, like drug use and drug dealing. Particular areas of the park, including the area to the south of the 519 and the northeast corner of the park, lack good lighting and/or programming and can feel particularly unsafe.
A vision statement is a short description of the ideal future park. It inspires everyone toward a common understanding of the project’s overall goals. The vision for Barbara Hall park is:
A revitalized Barbara Hall Park will be a place to gather, celebrate, and heal. It will be an inclusive and welcoming space that is the green focal point of the City’s 2SLGBTQ+ community in the Church-Wellesley Village. As home of the AIDS and Trans Memorials, the park will offer calm and quiet space for reflection and mourning of those lost, while also celebrating the history and resilience of the 2SLGBTQ+ community through heritage interpretation, art and culture. The park design will ensure it is a place where everyone in the surrounding community feels welcome and comfortable while centering needs of the most vulnerable. Barbara Hall Park will be a highly accessible, functional and cohesive space that is easy to program and is animated throughout the year with community-focused programming for people of all ages, ethnicities, abilities, and incomes.
Guiding principles are high-level directions that reflect the community’s most important values and ideas for how the park should look and feel. They help guide how the park should be designed so that the vision statement can be achieved. The guiding principles for Barbara Hall Park are:
Big moves are the main priorities for the design of the park. They are specific directions to the design team that flow from the vision and principles and help to make them a reality. In no particular order, the big moves for Barbara Hall Park are:
Most feedback can be found in the Community Engagement Phase 1 summary.
From April 17 to May 1, an online survey collected feedback from 580 respondents on the draft vision statement, guiding principles and big moves for the park.
The project team hosted an in-person community workshop on November 16 and an online community workshop on November 23 to discuss how the AIDS Memorial should be handled in the park redesign and to explore the community’s needs and expectations more deeply.
Download the AIDS Memorial Community Workshops summary.
From October 8 to October 24, staff from The 519 conducted an intercept survey with 40 community members in the park who were experiencing poverty, homelessness, severe housing precarity and/or other forms of marginalization. An intercept survey is a short, in-person survey conducted in public spaces by approaching people on-site.
On October 12, the project team met with the CAC to share the draft vision, guiding principles and big moves for review and feedback.
During the summer of 2023, the City continued to engage with a number of stakeholders through private meetings and small focus group sessions, in order to advance the draft vision, guiding principles and big moves. These included conversations with:
On May 15, the project team held a community workshop at the 519 Community Centre to develop a new vision for Barbara Hall Park. In addition to the local Councillor and project team, more than 40 community members participated in the workshop.
Download the May 15, 2023 workshop summary.
On May 9, the project team met with the CAC for the first time and were given an opportunity to meet one another, share why the park is important to them, and learn about the process.
From April 21 to May 7, an online thought exchange activity collected 341 thoughts and 7,926 ratings from 281 participants on the vision for the park improvements.
Review a summary of the May 2023 thought exchange activity results, including the top thoughts and themes.
In this phase of the community engagement process, the City and its design consultant will work off the outcomes of Phase 1 to develop two to three design options (called concept options) for the park improvements. These will be presented to the community for feedback, with the input collected used to develop a preferred design for the park.
The anticipated community engagement activities in this phase include:
The anticipated outcome of this phase is the selection of a preferred design option.
This design has a prominent red ribbon paving element that acts as a key gateway feature at the northwest corner of the park from Church Street. The ribbon weaves through the park and connects to the AIDS Memorial, where it forms a red circular ribbon that defines and anchors the space. The existing triangular stage by the AIDS Memorial, which references the pink triangle used to identify 2SLGBTQ+ during the Holocaust, is retained, with its steps and angled stone edges integrated into the new ribbon design to reinforce its visual connection and presence within the park.
A second ribbon uses the Trans flag colours of blue, pink and white and connects the southwest corner of the park to the Trans Memorial, highlighting both memorials’ visual and spatial connection within the park. Keeping the pink triangle, a part of the original design of the AIDS Memorial, is an intentional design decision supported by the HIV and AIDS and Trans communities. Initially, the pink triangle was a badge of shame used during the Holocaust primarily to target gay men and trans women. It has been reappropriated by some members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community as a symbol of self-identity.
The design adds new lighting frames along the main path from Church Street, and new seating areas beside and washroom building, café and The 519. It also includes a large open lawn on the north side of the park for community use, events and 519 programming. The existing heritage brick wall frames the park’s north edge and is maintained.
The fenced playground and splash pad are east of The 519, buffered by plantings. The off-leash area is at the southeast corner with a slightly adjusted shape for better circulation but the same size at 893 m2. A new small off-leash area for small dogs is added on the southwest side.
This design creates a large open lawn and plaza, with a washroom and café that invites people into the park from Church Street. The plaza leads to a rectangular green space with catenary lighting overhead, creating a welcoming atmosphere for gatherings and events. The layout is formal, emphasizing symmetry and strong axes. The existing heritage brick wall defines the park’s north edge and is preserved.
The AIDS Memorial area is enhanced with a triangular plaza that reinforces the original pink-triangle motif, complements the existing stage and offers space for quiet reflection or small programming. In front of the Trans Memorial, a pink triangle with Trans-flag-coloured paving (blue, pink and white) creates a direct pathway to the Trans Memorial, establishing a visual connection between the two memorials while celebrating visibility, inclusion and connection. Keeping the pink triangle, a part of the original AIDS Memorial design, is an intentional design decision supported by the HIV and AIDS and Trans communities. Historically, the pink triangle was a badge of shame used during the Holocaust primarily to target gay men and trans women. It has since been re-appropriated by members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community as a symbol of self-identity and resilience.
The off-leash area is kept the same size (893 m2) but is reshaped for better access and circulation, while the playground is slightly expanded and framed with structured planting to align with the park’s new formal layout.
This design features a bold red ribbon pathway that connects Church Street to Cawthra Square. The ribbon loops through the triangular stage at the AIDS Memorial, symbolizing the traditional HIV and AIDS awareness ribbon. Keeping the pink triangle, a part of the original design of the AIDS Memorial, is an intentional design decision supported by those we spoke to in the HIV and AIDS as well as Trans communities. Initially, the pink triangle was a badge of shame used during the Holocaust primarily to target gay men and trans women. It has been reappropriated by some members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community as a symbol of self-identity. The existing stage is retained, with its steps and angled stone edges integrated into the new ribbon design to strengthen its visual connection.
A central stage enhances the AIDS Memorial, making it the focal point of the park. The AIDS and Trans Memorials sit at the park’s centre, framed by a promenade that acts as a strong east–west spine and a large flexible open space to the north. A red ribbon paving feature weaves from The 519 north edge through the AIDS Memorial toward Cawthra Square, acting as subtle wayfinding. Trans Pride colours appear near the Trans Memorial and integrate with the larger ribbon motif. The design includes Trans flag coloured paving (blue, pink and white), with trees, and seating to create welcoming spaces for people to meet, relax, and enjoy the park, and offers a space for a new washroom and café. The existing heritage brick wall defines the park’s north edge and is maintained.
The off-leash area is the same size (893 m2), but is reshaped for better access, with a small additional off-leash area on the southwest side.
The playground remains similar in size but has smoother edges, a wider path and new planting to make it feel greener and more inviting.
On October 22, the project team held an open house at the Buddies in Bad Times Theatre to gather community feedback on three draft design options for the park improvements. Approximately 106 community members attended the event.
A summary of the open house will be shared on this page.
On September 23, the project team met with the CAC to review and gather feedback on three draft design options for the park improvements.
A summary of the meeting will be shared on this page.
On September 20, six community members attended an in-person workshop to provide feedback on three draft design options for the park improvements, with a focus on the Trans Memorial. Workshop participants also explored how the redesigned park could honour and celebrate the history of trans people and create a welcoming, comfortable and affirming place for trans communities.
A summary of the workshop will be shared on this page.
On September 20, 27 community members attended an in-person workshop to provide feedback on three draft design options for the park improvements, with a focus on the AIDS Memorial. Workshop participants also explored how the redesigned park could honour the AIDS Memorial as a place of mourning and remembrance, while making space for elements that celebrate people living with HIV and AIDS.
A summary of the workshop will be shared on this page.
From August 19 to September 8, an online survey collected feedback from 326 community members to help shape improvements to the off-leash area in the park.
The results of the survey will be posted to this page.
On May 8, over 35 community members attended an online workshop to consider potential enhancements to the AIDS Memorial and its immediate surroundings. Workshop participants also explored ways the new park design will tell the park’s story and its significance to HIV, AIDS and 2SLGBTQ+ communities.
A summary of the workshop will be shared on this page.
On April 9, the project team met with the CAC to begin developing design options for Barbara Hall Park and to explore how to tell the story of the park and its significance to 2SLGBTQ+ communities in the new park design.
A summary of the meeting will be shared on this page.
From March 14 to March 28, an online thought exchange activity gathered ideas for how to honour and celebrate the unique heritage of Barbara Hall Park and its importance to 2SLGBT+ communities in the new park design. The thought exchange received a total of 254 thoughts and 7,387 thought ratings from 258 participants.
The project team will use this feedback to develop heritage interpretation themes and elements that will be incorporated into the new park design, which will be shared with the community for further input and refinement.
View the March 2025 thought exchange interactive report for a full summary of the feedback on heritage interpretation.
Participants were asked to share stories, symbols, events or people to feature in the new park design. The community rating for each idea is shown in parentheses.
Participants suggested featuring events or stories such as:
Participants suggested featuring symbols such as:
Participants suggested featuring people such as:
Participants suggested that heritage elements could take the form of:
Overall, the five highest-rated ideas were:
Comments or suggestions that did not specifically focus on how to honour and celebrate the unique heritage of the park and its importance to 2SLGBTQ+ communities in the new park design are not included in this summary.
In this phase of the community engagement process, the City will share the preferred design with the community. Once the preferred design is confirmed, it will be used to guide future park improvements.
The community engagement activities anticipated in this phase include:
The anticipated outcome of this phase is the refined preferred design.
Barbara Hall Park currently includes the following amenities:
The 519 Community Centre is also located within the park. They host events in the park throughout the year, including their signature Green Space Festival, held during Pride Week.
The park is not currently working well, with maintenance, safety and other issues that impact its enjoyable use by the community. The City has begun a process to develop a renewed vision for the park that addresses these concerns. This process, which will be rooted in collaborative community engagement, will lead to the development of a preferred plan to revitalize the park, including cost estimates that will be used to secure future budget for construction.