Located just east of Lower Sherbourne Street, the 1.5 hectare park spans more than two city blocks, from Lake Ontario in the south to Lake Shore Boulevard in the north, on both sides of Queens Quay.

Sherbourne Common was designed by renowned landscape architects Phillips Farevaag Smallenberg to bring a feeling of "life at the lake" to the area. The park features a wide open greenspace, a skating rink that doubles as a splash pad in the summer, a striking zinc-clad Pavilion, and a stunning water channel with three dramatic art sculptures. Sherbourne Common will become a well-used destination for city residents and visitors all year-round.

Sherbourne Common is the first park in Canada to integrate an ultraviolet (UV) facility for neighbourhood-wide stormwater treatment into its design. The UV facility for East Bayfront’s stormwater management system is located in the basement of the park’s Pavilion. Collected stormwater is treated in the UV facility and released from three dramatic art features into a 240-metre long water channel – or urban river – and back out to Lake Ontario.

Sherbourne Common features a number of sustainability best practices. Examples of sustainability features incorporated into the park’s design include easy access to public transportation, storage for bicycles and other alternative means of transportation, reduction of light pollution, water efficient landscaping as well as renewable energy sources for the park’s Pavilion. The Pavilion will also be pursuing LEED Gold certification for the building which is in line with Waterfront Toronto’s mandatory Green Building Requirements.

A signature part of the park’s design is a stunning 240 metre long water channel featuring three dramatic art sculptures that rise almost nine metres from the ground called “Light Showers” by artist Jill Anholt. The sculptures were made using large fibreglass molds that were reinforced with an epoxy-covered rebar and filled with agila concrete. After the concrete cured, the sculptures were carefully removed from the molds, craned on the site and installed on concrete floorings.

Waterfront Toronto’s striking Pavillion in Sherbourne Common received an Award of Merit from the 2009 Canadian Architect Awards of Excellence. Learn more about the award.

During the winter, the park includes a 920 square metre skating rink featuring stunning views of Lake Ontario and Toronto’s downtown skyline.

The skating rink was designed as an outdoor neighbourhood facility. A seating wall surrounds the eastern and western edge of the rink and rubber mats have been installed to make it easier to lace up. As the community develops, there will be amenities surrounding the skating rink.

The City of Toronto's Parks and Recreation Department is responsible for the operating the skating rink during the skating season. More information about City of Toronto skating rinks is available online.

The park has been designed to be fully accessible for people with disabilities. There are no steps in the park and all of the water channel crossings are flush to the ground. In addition, the drinking fountain located along the main path in the north portion is designed specifically for wheelchair access. The washroom facilities located in the park's Pavilion are also wheelchair accessible.