While the Central Waterfront is currently the most heavily used area along downtown Toronto’s waterfront, it has historically lacked a sense of cohesion or identity. It’s difficult to distinguish between public and private space, access to the water’s edge is disjointed, and Toronto’s main waterfront boulevard Queens Quay lacks the grand civic character it deserves.

Waterfront Toronto is working to change that. As part of our overall mandate to revitalize the waterfront, we are transforming the central waterfront area — from Bathurst St. to Lower Jarvis St. — to finally allow it to live up to its remarkable potential. Working with a comprehensive plan by West 8 + DTAH, the winners of a 2006 Central Waterfront Innovative Design Competition, Waterfront Toronto is implementing a remarkable vision for the area that will link major waterfront destinations, create new public spaces and give the city the grand waterfront boulevard it deserves.

In addition to the new, uniquely Canadian wavedecks we’ve already built, we are revitalizing the Central Waterfront by:

• Reconfiguring Queens Quay to create a signature waterfront boulevard with a generous, tree-lined public promenade for pedestrians and cyclists;
• Building a continuous water’s edge promenade and boardwalk connected by dramatic timber footbridges;
• Encouraging lively marine activity with the installation of a series of finger piers; and
• Connecting the entire waterfront using a consistent palette of trees, furnishings and materials such as granite paving surfaces, cedar and ipe wood decking and benches, brushed stainless steel railings and timber and aluminum light poles.

Ultimately, the goal is to create a powerful, world-class identity for the central waterfront that celebrates the Canadian lakefront experience and provides the public with access to the water’s edge.

On May 12, Waterfront Toronto held the first in a series of community update meetings designed to provide an overview of projects currently underway in the area. The meeting included brief presentations about the Central Waterfront Master Plan, Queens Quay Schematic Design, York Quay Revitalization and the Portland Slip Water’s Edge project. Waterfront Toronto also described upcoming opportunities for public engagement. Review the presentations and minutes.

Boundaries: From Bathurst Street to Lower Jarvis Street, south of Lake Shore Boulevard to Lake Ontario

Size:

• 2.5 km stretch along most well-developed part of downtown Toronto’s waterfront
   
• Water’s edge promenade: 1.8 km connected by five timber footbridges
   
• Martin Goodman Trail: 2.2 km off-street Martin Goodman Trail bike and pedestrian trail next to Queens Quay Boulevard
   

Design Team: West 8 + DTAH