The West Don Lands area is a brownfield site in the flood plain of the Don River. Before any revitalization and development can occur the area requires remediation and flood mitigation.

In 2007 the Ontario Realty Corporation which has since merged with Infrastructure Ontario began work on behalf of Waterfront Toronto to contsruct the area’s massive flood protection landform (FPL). When complete in 2012, the FPL will protect not only the West Don Lands but a 99 hectare (245 acre) area, including Toronto’s financial district, from flooding.

The massive landform is being constructed from clean soil taken from construction sites within the Greater Toronto Area. Approximately

400,000 cubic metres of fill is being used to construct the low-lying landform, which is equivalent to about 40,000 dump truck loads.

Upon completion, the landform will provide the necessary flood protection for the new West Don Lands community, permitting the removal of the flood-plain designation, allowing the land to be rezoned for residential development.

In addition to the landform, flood protection is also being provided by widening the channel of the Don River so that it can accommodate a larger flow of water. Toronto and Region Conservation carried out this work as part of the Lower Don River West Remedial Flood Protection Project.

The unique topography provided by the landform is being utilized to build Don River Park, a signature part of the new West Don Lands community.