Two new parks are being developed in the William Baker/Arbo District near Sheppard Avenue West and Keele Street as part of the Downsview Secondary Plan. The design of the New Park at 1350 Sheppard Ave. W. and Woodlot Park, will be informed by a community engagement process and shaped by the Downsview Community Development Plan.
The New Park at 1350 Sheppard Ave. W. will be 4,452 m2, approximately the size of one baseball diamond and four basketball courts. Woodlot Park will be built in two phases: Stage 1 will be 11,024 m2, roughly the size of three baseball diamonds and three basketball courts, while Stage 2 will follow in a later phase and add an additional 27,216 m2 of park space. Until Stage 2 is constructed, this portion of the site will be a temporary Privately-Owned Publicly Accessible Space (POPS).
These names are placeholders and are not the official park names.
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The timeline is subject to change.
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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 throughout the process to ensure that public concerns and aspirations are consistently understood and considered in developing design options and identifying a preferred design.
In this phase, the City will work with the community to develop design priorities for the new park at 1350 Sheppard Avenue West and Woodlot Park. The feedback will help inform the development of design options in Community Engagement Phase 2.
The anticipated community engagement activities in this phase include:
In this phase, the City and its design consultant will work off the outcomes of Community Engagement Phase 1 to develop two design options for the new park at 1350 Sheppard Ave. W. and one proposed design for Woodlot Park. These designs will be presented to the community for feedback and will be used to develop a preferred design for each park.
The community engagement events anticipated in this phase include:
In this phase, the City will share the preferred designs for the new park at 1350 Sheppard Ave. W. and Woodlot Park on this page and with the subscribers on the project mailing list. The project will then move into the detailed design phase, where the design team will finalize the designs by working through the technical details and plans for the construction contractor.
The anticipated outcome of this phase is a refined preferred design for each park.
The William Baker District Plan aims to create a mixed-use, transit-oriented community that emphasizes the preservation of its existing natural heritage.
The new park at 1350 Sheppard Ave. W. will sit between two residential blocks. The area currently includes existing trees.
Early ideas for the park include:
Woodlot Park is characterized by a mature forest. The site used to contain military housing that has since been removed. A small road network still exists and currently provides a walking and cycling route; these roads will be removed. A narrower path will be added approximately where the former road was to limit impact to the site’s ecology.
The forested areas in Woodlot Park include dense tree coverage and provide important ecological value. Some parts of the forest are broken up by old roads and past development, creating small, isolated patches.
Following advice from ecological specialists, the project will:
The project will include few well-placed entrances and paths to help visitors access the park without harming the forested areas.
Forest-related improvements will be planned during Stage 1 and constructed during Stage 2.
Until stage 2 construction begins, the temporary Privately-Owned Publicly Accessible Space (POPS) will stay in its current condition, including the existing roadway for walking and cycling route.
