For thousands of years, the Toronto Islands have been a place for healing and ceremony for the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and other diverse Indigenous communities. Today, it is one of Toronto’s signature parks and acts as an oasis for Torontonians from many walks of life. However, in recent years, the park has faced pressures, including increased demand, aging infrastructure and flooding.
The Toronto Island Park Master Plan is a long-term planning document that addresses these issues by guiding decision-making and improvements to Toronto Island Park over the next 25+ years. It was co-created with Indigenous rights holders, local communities and the public to build a vision, define values, establish guiding principles and make recommendations to ensure the park can be a cherished gathering place for generations to come.
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The Master Plan establishes a series of recommendations to be implemented over the next 25 years. The recommendations, organized under the Master Plan’s six goals and related strategies, provide a comprehensive road map for investment, partnership, engagement and other actions to realize the Plan’s vision.
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A Master Plan is a long-term planning document that acts as a blueprint to guide future decision-making around a park’s improvements, programming and management. It influences decision-making, operations and future park improvements over many years.
Three key components make up the Master Plan:
The Toronto Island Park Master Plan will:
The Toronto Island Mater Plan defines six goals that work together to help address the complexity and many opportunities of Toronto Island Park. Each goal is tied to specific strategies, recommendations and actions that will help to realize the objectives of the plan over time. The six overarching goals of the plan are:
Mnisiing, the Ojibwe name referring to Toronto Island, has long been integral to Indigenous practices, life and ceremony. Through ongoing work with Indigenous communities, spaces for ceremony, teaching and learning traditional practices, and sharing the rich and ongoing stories of this place and all its inhabitants will be identified. Through honouring the deep and uninterrupted legacy of Indigenous peoples within these lands and waters, an Indigenous place will be revealed for all who set foot on the Island.
At 242 hectares (598 acres), the Island is one of the largest parks in Toronto with many diverse features that support a wide variety of park experiences for visitors. Through improvements to the ferry service, introduction of larger vessels, enhancements at all landings and investment in making getting around more accessible and comfortable for all visitors, the park will be more inviting and enjoyable.
The Toronto Islands are an ever-changing place. Formed over centuries, today’s park supports diverse ecologies and works as an important part of several regional and local natural systems. Putting the needs of nature first in decision-making processes will ensure the park remains a place that supports the city and larger region for generations to come.
Toronto Island Park offers a visitor experience unlike any other with spaces that have been shaped by many hands over time. Improving communication, simplifying how things are done, enhancing what already exists and working with partners to introduce different ways to experience the park year-round will help protect the most vulnerable spaces while creating new opportunities to enjoy the park.
Belonging is central to creating a strong sense of community, safety and well-being within a place. Toronto Island Park is a place with deep community connections that will continue to be strengthened and shared to promote inclusion and understanding.
Toronto Island Park, and more specifically Hanlan’s Point, has long been a safe space for the 2SLGBTQ+ community in Toronto and beyond to freely express themselves. Continued support for the community to share and celebrate the history, legacy and significance of this place will promote awareness and safety in this beloved space.
The Toronto Island Master Plan was co-created with Indigenous rights holders, local communities and the public through a gradual process of many engagement opportunities from 2021 to 2024. To learn more about the community engagement process visit Toronto Island Park Master Plan: Community Engagement.