Recreation at Biidaasige Park

Shade is limited at the park while trees grow. Please remember to dress accordingly and wear sunscreen.

Biidaasige Park has unique amenities to explore for all ages.

There are two dogs off-leash areas, and each has:

  • seating
  • K-9 rated artificial turf
  • accessible pathways and gates
  • water fountains
  • waste bins

One off-leash area is 800 square metres and is west of Cableway Canyon (Adventure Playground). Get to the off-leash area directly from Commissioners Street or the main path of Biidaasige Park.

One off-leash area is 1,200 square metres and is located east of Fire Hall 30 Community Recreation Centre. Get to the off-leash area directly from Commissioners Street or the east side of the Fire Hall 30 Community Recreation Centre Plaza.

    Other Areas in the Park

    Off-leash dogs are not allowed in the park. This is to protect the sensitive ecological integrity of the Floodplains and the planted areas of the Uplands. Learn more about Responsible Dog Ownership.

    Fishing

    There are a dozen places to fish in the renaturalized Don River and its wetland habitats. These fishing locations have signs.

    Fishing in Biidaasige Park requires a valid Outdoors Card and a fishing license tag.

    Paddling

    As of 2025, there is a paddle boat launch location at River Bending Landing, a cobblestone landing next to the BBQs and the River View Picnic Terrace.

    Paddle boats include:

    • canoes
    • kayaks
    • stand-up paddleboards

    In the future, there will be multiple locations across Biidaasige Park’s Floodplain where visitors can access the water.

    Paddle Boat Safety

    Lifesaving equipment is installed across the Floodplain to ensure visitors, emergency services personnel and park staff can help in case of a water-based emergency.

    Large freighters are often docked at the cement operation, Lafarge, on the south side of Polson Slip at the entrance to the new river mouth. This is a restricted area. Paddlers should stay close to the north shore and avoid entering the slip if freighters are moving in or out.

    Construction

    Due to ongoing construction and maintenance, the Keating Channel and the Don River north of the Keating Channel are closed to paddlers. Floats mark the closure point.

    Canoe Cove is also closed due to the construction of the west area of the park. Canoe Cove will open in 2026.

    Old Fire Hall 30 Community Recreation Centre will open in late 2025.

    The Old Fire Hall is a small community building staffed and programmed by the City of Toronto. Formerly an operating fire station known as Fire Hall 30, the historic building was preserved and moved to its present location to serve the park.

    All sections of the park are connected by trail or bridge.

    Atlas Crane

    Atlas Crane will be completed in 2026.

    Located west of the Cherry Street South Bridge, the Atlas Crane is one of the last remaining heavy-duty cranes of its time. Installed in 1961, it was used for loading and unloading cargo to Marine Terminal 35, including old Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) streetcars. It was decommissioned as part of the Port Lands Flood Protection initiative.

    The Atlas Crane is a designated heritage structure. It has cladding around its base and is painted with anti-climbing paint to discourage visitors from climbing it.

    The Atlas Crane will be lit at night to be a wayfinding element and to highlight its industrial design.

    Indigenous Plantings

    In collaboration with Indigenous communities, plants were chosen to reflect the native ecology of the ecosystem and to represent plants that have medicinal and cultural significance for Indigenous communities. Species include:

    • Sacred Tobacco
    • White Sagebrush
    • Staghorn Sumac
    • Black Cherry
    • Sweet Grass
    • St. John’s Wort
    • and more

    These plants are highlighted in interpretive signage.

    Marker Trees

    Marker trees are carefully grown with a right-angle bend to point the way to trails, crossing points on streams and otherwise highlight areas of significance.

    Marker trees will be grown over the years in partnership with Nikibii Dawadina Giigwag (NDG) and the Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design at the University of Toronto.

    Self-Guided Tours

    Interpretive signage will be available in fall 2025.

    Interpretive signage highlights the Port Lands’ history, the park’s construction, its unique physical, cultural and environmental features, and its Indigenous significance.

    Viewpoints

    Outlooks and viewing points have been installed throughout the park and offer views of the:

    Water’s Edge Promenade

    Water’s Edge Promenade will be available in 2026.

    At the western edge of Biidaasige Park, where Ookwemin Minising ends, a waterside promenade has been constructed on the former site of Marine Terminal 35. This promenade has a view of the Inner Harbour, the Toronto Islands and the Toronto skyline, and is part of the Biidaasige Park trail and path system.

    No swimming or diving off the dock wall is allowed for health and safety reasons.

    Fitness equipment is available west of Cableway Canyon.

    The new play areas at Biidaasige Park offer some of Toronto’s most exciting places for play and creativity.

    Snowy Owl Theatre

    The snowy owl has a stage built into its belly where kids can perform for fun or play with sound features, like a drum or bells. There is a talk tube that lets kids talk to one another from one area of the stage to another.

    The seating around the Snowy Owl is made to look like a nest.
    Snowy Owl play structure.

    Badlands Scramble

    Inspired by Ontario’s Cheltenham Badlands, Badlands Scramble is 1600 square metres and has three wavy levels with flat sections of stone pavement.

    It includes a water feature that invites kids to work together to pump water down its winding slopes.

    Badland Scramble play area, which is a wavy surface.

    Dodem Animal Sculptures

    Dodems are animals that represent a clan or family line in the Anishinaabe, Ongwehonwe and Huron cultures. Each animal is associated with clan characteristics and important community teachings. These carved play features incorporate Indigenous stories and culture.

    You’ll find a bear, beaver, eagle, turtle, otter, wolf and musky fish.

    Eagle animal dodem.

    Cableway Canyon

    Cableway Canyon has 20-metre and 40-metre cableways.

    Other Play Features

    • Swings on Swing Hill
    • Mock beaver dam play area