As part of the Bathurst Quay Neighbourhood Plan, a multi-phase project to revitalize the Bathurst Quay community, a new approximate 4,000 square metre (1 acre) park is coming to the historic Canada Malting Co. property located at 3 Eireann Quay. The new park, named Bathurst Quay Common, will include seating areas by the water with lush plants and landscaping, a multi-purpose plaza that can accommodate special events and cultural programming, and architectural accent lighting to illuminate the historic Canada Malting silos during the evening.
The construction of this new park is a critical part of a larger plan to transform the under-utilized space into an attractive and animated destination for waterfront residents and guests, and to create a welcoming gateway into the downtown core for visitors to Toronto arriving from the adjacent Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport.
The timeline is subject to change.
The contractors are working on finishing touches ahead of the park’s soft opening at Nuit Blanche on October 4, 2024.
The sun deck is finished with thermal ash, an eco-friendly treated wood. Paving stones in different materials, textures and colours are being laid in patterns that highlight key site features, like the malting silos and Ireland Park. Lighting tests are being done to softly illuminate the silos at night, turning them into glowing landmarks on the waterfront, while ensuring consideration of migratory bird seasons. Over 2,000 native, drought-resistant plants, along with maple and elm trees, have been planted across the park. An irrigation system, shared with a nearby arts center (opening in 2025), has been installed to keep plantings healthy.
After the park’s soft opening in early October 2024, work will continue on the multi-purpose plaza and walkway between the silos. These will open to the public in November 2024.
Construction is progressing well. The shape of the new water’s edge seating along the Western Channel promenade is now visible after the concrete pour and formwork removal.
Next, contractors will install woodwork to give the benches a warm, welcoming feel. In the multi-purpose plaza, preparations are underway to pour concrete for the foundations and platforms that will support seating and performance spaces. Additionally, structural steel beams are being installed for the water’s edge sundeck, which will soon offer seating with harbour views and flexible event space.
Construction continues with the demolition and removal of physical barriers and buried remnants, the installation of new site services like electrical for future light fixtures, and the pouring of structural concrete slabs that will support key park features. In spring, the construction and installation of park features will start to take shape.
On June 21, 2023, both the Deputy Mayor and the Councillor for Spadina-Fort York, alongside project partners and stakeholders, participated in a ground-breaking ceremony to mark the start of construction on Bathurst Quay Common. This ceremony marks the third and final construction phase for the revitalization of the Canada Malting property. Ground-breaking for Phase 1 was in October 2019 and Phase 2 was in November 2021.
This ceremony event also marks the official announcement of this new park’s name: Bathurst Quay Common. The name was chosen after a consultation process with the Ward Councillor and the local Bathurst Quay Neighbourhood Association. The park’s name commemorates the enduring community spirit of the Bathurst Quay neighbourhood, which is one of the oldest and most diverse residential neighbourhoods on Toronto’s central waterfront.
The project team initiated additional community and stakeholder engagement to name the new park. The park’s name is anticipated to be announced at the spring ground-breaking ceremony.
Leading up to the June ground-breaking ceremony, this project was also showcased in numerous community meetings, as well as various talks and tours taking place as part of several conferences hosted in Toronto. These various events include:
The process to hire a construction team is underway. The successful bidder will be announced in spring 2023, with a ground-breaking ceremony anticipated in June.
The project team finalized detailed design drawings for the new park and started work on technical specifications and tender call documentation in anticipation of hiring a construction team in spring 2023.
This project had a robust community engagement process that involved regular meetings with a Waterfront Stakeholder Advisory Committee and a Technical Advisory Committee. The project team held meetings and events with the community, local neighbourhood association, and key stakeholders which resulted in important feedback that informed the park design.
On June 16, 2021, a virtual public meeting took place to present the proposed conceptual park design and collect feedback from the community and stakeholders. Key feedback collected at this meeting included:
The Mayor and Councillor for Spadina-Fort York again joined project partners and stakeholders to break ground on the silo property. These Phase 2 projects included the start of a major rehabilitation of the nearly 100-year-old Canada Malting silos in order to safely integrate these structures into new and expanded public spaces, to begin preparing these structures for new uses, and to also the start of work on The Corleck Building by Canada Ireland Foundation.
The Mayor and Councillor for Spadina-Fort York broke ground on the first phase of construction for the revitalization of this property. The first two (of six total) projects launched in Phase 1 were the rehabilitation of the Western Channel dockwall, including the construction of a new water’s edge promenade; and the reduction of the Island airport’s community footprint by PortsToronto. This initial phase also delivered all of the environmental approvals necessary for the re-use of this formerly industrial site into a new park and public realm space.
