The idea for the Asian Garden at Cynthia Lai Park was first identified in 1993 between the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto (CCC) and the former City of Scarborough. The City of Toronto has reaffirmed support in 2022, 2025, and 2026 through three Council directives, see Background below.
The proposed Asian Garden will be the first Asian garden within Toronto and is intended as an accessible garden space conveniently located close to the cultural hub of the Scarborough Community Complex which includes Burrows Hall Community Centre, Toronto Public Library, and the CCC.
The garden is intended to advance the vision of a multi-cultural inclusive learning space for connection and celebration. The space within the park that will be allocated to the garden is the north portion directly south of the CCC and west of the Burrows Hall Community Centre and Toronto Public Library, see red highlighted area in the park map below.
The project is going to be completed in three phases. The first phase of construction is scheduled to start in Fall 2026 and is anticipated to be complete by Summer 2027.
Those interested are invited to attend the construction information meeting scheduled for Thursday October 8, 2026 hosted at Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto at 5183 Sheppard Ave. East.
The meeting will be an opportunity for residents to learn more, specifically about the current phase and impacts to the park during this first phase of construction.
The City is entering into agreements for construction, donation, and fundraising with the Chinese Cultural Centre and construction is estimated to start this Fall. As part of construction, 31 trees in the north part of Cynthia Lai Park are expected to be removed and 31 trees are expected to be replanted as the Asian Garden is implemented.
Engagement for this project took place September 11, 2025 at the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto at 5183 Sheppard Ave. East. This was advertised through a mailed notice of the engagement event that went out to 1200 households in proximity. The meeting was attended by 120 community members. Additionally, an on-line survey took input from 200 respondents. Feedback was broadly supportive with comments focused on design, operations, funding, and programming.
This project has City Council direction through the following agenda items:
More information is available through the associated staff reports and on the project page at the Chinese Culture Centre of Greater Toronto’s website here: https://cccgt.org/asiangarden/.
Per Council direction, the CCC is solely responsible for managing, operating and maintaining the Asian Garden following its construction for a 20-year term, with an option to extend for an additional two 10-year terms. The CCC will assume full responsibility for maintenance, programming and state-of-good-repair activities, with no impact on existing City staffing or budgets aside from resourcing necessary to establish and manage the agreements.
A Management Agreement will provide the framework for the CCC to operate and maintain the Asian Garden while ensuring it remains City-owned parkland, open to the public and free of charge. The agreement will grant the CCC authority to operate programs and events and generate revenue through program fees and use of space permits to support maintenance costs and preserve the Garden’s culturally significant elements.
The Asian Garden creates a space for cultural education, recreation and community gathering while remaining a publicly accessible park. It provides partnership opportunities for joint programming between the CCC, Burrows Hall Community Centre and the Toronto Public Library, expanding cultural and recreational offerings for the community. The Asian Garden and its programming will highlight the importance of environmental stewardship and sustainability for future generations.
The Asian Garden, as public space, will be owned by the City and remain open to the public free of charge. Operating hours, opportunities for exclusive bookings and fee-based programs will be confirmed as part of the Management Agreement.
The CCC is a non-profit cultural organization dedicated to promoting Chinese culture and fostering intercultural understanding. The CCC proposes to design and fully fund the construction of an Asian Garden as a new cultural and community landmark celebrating Chinese heritage and multicultural exchange.
If you have any questions, please reach out to:
If you would like to donate to this project, please reach out to the CCC at steven.fishman@cccgt.org or call 416-292-9293 ext. 244.