Descriptive Transcript: Toronto’s New Island: Ookwemin Minising

This is a descriptive transcript for: Video: Toronto's New Island: Ookwemin Minising

[DESCRIPTION: A flyover of a curved river, lined with vegetation. The river is labelled as the Don River]  

[AUDIO: Narrator with background music] 

It may look like it’s always been here – but this winding river didn’t exist only a few years ago. Now, it’s the heart of a future community, Ookwemin Minising, where the Don River meets Lake Ontario. 

Surrounded by the biggest park to open in a generation, and wetlands to protect the surrounding area from flooding, Ookwemin Minising is a place like no other. 

[DESCRIPTION: A green overlay appears to cover the land on the left side of the river. It is labelled Ookwemin Minising. The flyover crosses a bridge, labeled as the Cherry Street South bridge.]  

[AUDIO:] 

As we travel west of Cherry Street we begin to see the western edge of the new park on Ookwemin Minising, called Biidaasige Park 

This section of the new park will open in 2026, along with the much-anticipated Lassonde Art Trail, a free immersive outdoor experience that will weave people through the river valley up to the promontory that overlooks downtown Toronto.    

[DESCRIPTION: A rocky cove on the left is labelled as Canoe Cove. A green overlay appears to cover most of the land and is labelled ‘Opening in 2026’. A construction site, with a large retaining wall in the centre, labeled as a ‘promontory/overlook’, surrounded by ground of varying elevations.] 

[AUDIO:] 

This is Biidaasige Park North, the final section of park to be built. Not part of the Port Lands Flood Protection project, design for this section of the park is starting in 2025. Complementing the immersive nature and play you’ll find in the rest of the park, this area has the potential to be an active destination, where people visit to experience the extraordinary. The full park network will be a destination for over 1 million people annually. 

[DESCRIPTION: An empty area of flattened soil. The water’s edge is lined with boulders. A green overlay appears over the flat area to identify Biidaasige Park north.] 

[AUDIO:] 

The Keating Channel is the northern edge of this new island. The long-term vision for this stretch is an urban river walk lined with shops. 

[DESCRIPTION: The flyover turns over the Keating Channel, which is labelled, and looks like an urban canal with a highway on one side and a construction site on the other.  After following the Keating Channel to its end, the flyover swings north to show a bridge under construction, labelled the Lake Shore Bridge.] 

[AUDIO:] 

Lots of work is happening on the Lake Shore Bridge this summer, and we are on track to finish the new bridge by the end of this year. 

Turning south, we’re flying along the eastern boundary of the island. Here’s the Don Greenway, an extra outlet for floodwaters during major storms, and an ecological jewel, providing new habitats – and some great opportunities for bird watching. 

[DESCRIPTION: The flyover turns south to follow the newly built river. It flys over a bridge. Separate from the main river channel, a green overlay appears over a wetland in the top right corner, labelled the Don Greenway.] 

[AUDIO:] 

This section of Biidaasige Park is set to open in summer 2025. That’s right, this summer, you can stroll the calming wetland trails, connect with family and neighbours in the picnic and BBQ area, or get active in the adventurous park – did we mention there’s a zipline? The river will also be open to the public. 

[DESCRIPTION: The flyover turns west. A green overlay appears over most of the visible land and the river, labelled ‘Opening Summer 2025’. The overlay disappears and the flyover continues over the river and wetlands.]  

[AUDIO:] 

We imagine Toronto's new island as Canada's most desirable new neighbourhood. Design starts this spring on the fundamentals needed to support that future community: the public spaces, streets, stormwater and sanitary pipes, and utility ducts that support the building of new homes.  

[DESCRIPTION: The flyover pauses and a white overlay appears over the area north of the river, which is currently full of warehouses and parking lots. It is labelled ‘New Housing Here.’ Then it continues to fly west.] 

[AUDIO:] 

Ultimately, we are working towards building a city within a city on the Eastern Waterfront, with new parks, homes, and destinations.  

By getting to work on accelerating new homes and creating skilled-trades jobs, we’re unlocking a healthy future on the waterfront that will be easily accessible by active transportation and the future Waterfront East LRT. 

[DESCRIPTION: The flyover pans up to show the City of Toronto Skyline, and then fades into a rendering from a similar angle, showing the new island built up with the CN Tower in the background.]