In September 2008, Waterfront Toronto officially opened the Cherry Beach Sports Fields. The two regulation-sized elite soccer and lacrosse fields help meet the high demand for playing fields in Toronto and are in keeping with Waterfront Toronto’s mandate to expand recreational opportunities on the waterfront. The state-of-the-art fields can accommodate a wide range of recreational activity including field hockey, football and ultimate frisbee in addition to soccer and lacrosse.

Waterfront Toronto worked in partnership with the City of Toronto and the Toronto Port Lands Company (formerly TEDCO) to build these two state-of-the-art, highly durable regulation sized fields to help serve new and existing residents of Toronto and the GTA while reclaiming underutilized land.

The artificial playing surfaces offer premium level playing facilities, are available for intensive use through an extended playing season and have a life-expectancy of 20-25 years. The artificial surfaces are uniquely effective in addressing soils remediation through capping while providing surfaces requiring low maintenance.

The project included the construction of two new artificial turf fields and the necessary amenities to support them. It also incorporated a new planting program introducing a diverse and sustainable plant community of native species with an enhancement of the existing natural grove areas. Overland drainage was featured through planted swales and a wetland zone was integrated within the overall planting and soils remediation program.

In addition to the new sports fields, the project also includes a new children’s playground.

• 554 trees were removed and in their place several thousand whips, shrubs and trees were planted
   
• A total of 30,000 cubic metres of contaminated soil was removed from the site and replaced by 100,000 cubic metres of clean soil
   
• The fields have the latest in sports fields’ lighting – including safe lighting designed to not disrupt migratory birds flying overhead (this is because there is no light cast off or light spillage into sky or anywhere else – the lights only illuminate fields) and the lighting also extends play hours
   
• The latest in synthetic artificial turf was used – including turf that contains recycled rubber – this has an added benefit of allowing more bounce on playing surface

To reserve playing time, please visit the City of Toronto’s website.