Ontario Construction News staff writer
Hundreds gathered Saturday to celebrate the opening of Biidaasige Park on Toronto’s newest island, Ookwemin Minising, a major milestone in the city’s decades-long waterfront revitalization effort. The island’s first public space is a sprawling 20-hectare park built along the newly naturalized mouth of the Don River.
Featuring picnic areas, trails, cycling paths, Toronto’s first ziplines, playgrounds, water play features, and a range of recreational amenities, including fishing spots, slips for non-motorized boats, and off-leash dog areas, it is the largest new park to open in the city in a generation.
Design and landscape architecture were led by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVVA), a prominent landscape architecture firm. Construction was delivered as part of the Port Lands Flood Protection Project, a massive civil works and park-building initiative funded by the three governments.
Waterfront Toronto oversaw the park’s development as part of its mandate to lead the revitalization of Toronto’s waterfront, integrating infrastructure, public space, sustainability, and urban development.
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Biidaasige Park — meaning “sunlight shining toward us” in Anishinaabemowin — was created as part of the $1.4-billion Port Lands Flood Protection Project, a tri-government investment involving more than $465 million from the federal government, and over $471 million each from the Province of Ontario and City of Toronto.
“The opening of Biidaasige Park and the new Don River is a profound moment of renewal—not just for the land and water, but for the relationships that continue to grow here. We are proud to see Indigenous voices, teachings, and design woven into this landscape” said Ogiima Kwe Chief Claire Sault, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. “This project honours the spirit of Biidaasige, ‘the one who brings the light,’ and reflects a shared commitment to restoring natural spaces while recognizing the deep, living connection Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation has to this territory.”
The completion marks the first phase of public access to Ookwemin Minising, a 98-acre island created by the redirection of the Don River. The project not only protects 174 hectares of vulnerable land from flooding but unlocks one of the largest redevelopment opportunities in North America.
“This is the beginning of a vibrant new community that will bring more housing, green space and opportunities for everyone,” said Mayor Olivia Chow.
An additional $975 million was committed by the three governments earlier this year to accelerate the development of housing and public destinations across Ookwemin Minising and at Quayside, located further west along the waterfront.
Once complete, the new island is expected to include 9,000 housing units for more than 15,000 residents, nearly 3,000 jobs, and 10 more acres of parkland, including the country’s first Lassonde Art Trail, set to open in 2026.
Toronto’s eastern waterfront, including the island and Quayside, is ultimately planned to house more than 100,000 people. Combined, these developments are expected to create 100,000 skilled trades jobs and generate $13.2 billion in economic activity.
“The opening of Biidaasige Park showcases the profound success of two decades of tri-government partnership,” said George Zegarac, President and CEO of Waterfront Toronto. “This park is not just a new way to experience the waterfront, it’s a vital piece of flood protection infrastructure that has unlocked more public access to water and space for new housing on a new island, Ookwemin Minising.”
More details about Biidaasige Park and upcoming programming are available at toronto.ca/BiidaasigePark.
