The City is co-creating the Toronto Island Park Master Plan with Indigenous rights holders, local communities and the general public! That means we’re collating thoughts, ideas and feedback in gradual stages and in a variety of ways to ensure your voices and ideas are reflected in the final Master Plan.
There are three phases in the engagement process, running from 2021 to 2022. We are in the third and final phase, called “confirming a path forward,” which runs until year-end 2022. In this phase, we are focusing on refining the Draft Master Plan. Summaries of the public engagements and what we have heard so far will be shared on Toronto Island Park Master Plan: In Progress.
While we aim to provide fully accessible content, there is no text alternative available for some of the content on this site. If you require alternate formats or need assistance understanding our maps, drawings, or any other content, please contact the project engagement team at 647-427–5331 or islandparkmasterplan@toronto.ca.
As part of Phase 3 of the Toronto Island Park Master Plan, we are excited to host an Open House! Over the last year and a half, we’ve heard thousands of ideas, from thousands of Torontonians from all walks of life about what they would like to see in the future of the park. Visit the Open House to learn more about the Draft Master Plan, speak with the project team, and tell us what you think.
The project team will do an event opening at 6 p.m. We encourage you to RSVP to receive event details and updates (not required for attendance).
Download information panels:
Join us in person on the Island to learn about and discuss ideas in the Master Plan! Across seven locations, project team members will be sharing information and will be available to share updates on key ideas in the Master Plan. Each location will focus on different topics and ideas related to different areas of the Island, including Indigenous placekeeping, Island transportation, Environmentally Sensitive Areas, wayfinding and others.
| Location | Topic |
|---|---|
| Jack Layton Ferry Terminal | Master Plan Overview and Wayfinding |
| Centre Island Dock | Four-Season Activation and Wayfinding |
| Centre Island Bridge (South-west side) | Cultural Heritage Interpretation and Indigenous Placekeeping |
| Ward’s Island | Island Transportation and Wayfinding |
| Snake Island (Along Lakeshore) | Indigenous Placekeeping and Internal Waterways |
| Hanlan’s Point (Near Mermaid Café and Mooring Wall) | Island Transportation and Cultural Heritage Interpretation |
| Gibraltar Point | Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) Recent Works |
Engagement is an important and valuable part of the Master Plan development. It makes up two of five key inputs that are influencing the Master Plan:
There are three phases in the engagement process. Each phase includes synchronous activities that engage multiple people at the same time (e.g. public meetings and workshops) and asynchronous activities that engage people individually in their own time (e.g. surveys and discussion guides).
From November 2020 to January 2021, the City completed several pre-engagement interviews and focus groups to get a preliminary understanding of the issues and opportunities that exist on Toronto Island. This feedback was used to guide the first phase of engagement.
The first round of engagement will focus on what the future of the park could be. This phase will result in a new Vision as well as a set of Values and Guiding Principles.
The second round of engagement will confirm the Vision, Values, and Guiding Principles and move onto developing Big Ideas and Concept Plans for Toronto Island Park.
The final phase, targeted for early 2022, will focus on putting the finishing touches on the draft Master Plan.
A celebration and launch, scheduled for summer 2022, will mark the completion of the Master Plan.
The engagement program is designed to reach both targeted audiences (through Advisory and Placekeeping Groups) and broad audiences (all island users, including and especially those communities for whom Toronto Island Park has special significance, including LGBTQ2S+ communities, Black communities, newcomers, youth, seniors, and people with disabilities).
The City is also committed to meaningful, Indigenous-led engagement. We are working closely with rights-bearing First Nations & Métis communities, Indigenous organizations, Urban Indigenous serving agencies, and grassroots First Nations, Métis and Inuit community members. The process includes both Indigenous placekeeping (discussions focused on how this Master Plan can help Toronto Island Park feel like an Indigenous place) and Indigenous engagement (discussions with Indigenous audiences – particularly First Nations, Métis, urban Indigenous organizations, 2-Spirit peoples, and Indigenous women and youth – about the broader Master Plan).
Guidance by elders is important to this work. Elders and traditional knowledge holders help us access valuable Indigenous traditional knowledge, providing teachings and guidance that help us to keep an Indigenous worldview front-of-mind.
The Indigenous Placekeeping and Advisory Groups include:
The Advisory and Placekeeping Groups include communities with interests or mandates that are directly connected to the Toronto Island Park Master Plan and who can provide insight to guide the development of the Master Plan. These groups include:
Sign up for regular project updates related to the Toronto Island Park Master Plan, or to unsubscribe from our mailing list.