Villiers Island

The Villiers Island precinct (formerly referred to as Cousins Quay) will be a stunning new waterfront community that embraces its distinct industrial functions and the spectacular new parks, public spaces and ecological richness that will result from the naturalization of the mouth of the Don River. Surrounded by water on all sides, the Villiers Island precinct will introduce a vitality to the area that honours the distinctive culture associated with waterfront districts and vibrant working ports.
 

Density Study

In 2022, Toronto City Council directed us, along with the City of Toronto and Create TO to revisit the precinct plan that was approved in 2017. The goal was to increase the number of homes that can be built on ‘Villiers Island,’ while respecting the overall vision for this new community. The project team of City of Toronto, CreateTO and Waterfront Toronto conducted a Density Study to determine the appropriate amount of new density, as well as building heights and locations, for the Island.

On June 19, 2023, the City of Toronto, CreateTO and Waterfront Toronto hosted a public meeting as part of this process. We shared how the planning context for the waterfront has changed since the precinct plan was approved in 2017 and some different approaches to increasing density on ‘Villiers Island’. Feedback from these meeting, as well as past consultations, informed the proposed updates to the plan. Watch this recording or read the summary report to learn more about this public meeting.  

In March and May 2024, the City of Toronto, CreateTO and Waterfront Toronto held public meetings to report back on the results of the Density Study. Watch a recording of the March presentation here. 

In this meeting, team members from the City of Toronto, CreateTO and Waterfront Toronto presented the next steps for ‘Villiers Island’, including future opportunities for public input. This presentation was followed by a Q+A .

In June 2024, Toronto City Council approved amendments to the 2017 Villiers Island Precinct Plan that will allow for more housing on the island, including affordable housing. This is the start of a process that will lead to the type of community we’ve heard people want on their waterfront: urban and dense, resilient to the growing impacts of climate change, complemented by parks, greenspace and attractions designed to be active year-round.

Along with amendments to the Precinct Plan, zoning bylaws have been amended to enable the development of a mixed-use neighbourhood in this former industrial zone. These amendments include flexibility that will allow for some changes once the streets and public realm are designed.

That design work is starting later in 2024. The process will create an opportunity for the ideas we’ve heard to be explored.

For more information about the planning and future development of the Port Lands and the Don Mouth Naturalization project, visit PortLandsTO.ca.