Ookwemin Minising
Ookwemin Minising (formerly referred to as the Villiers Island precinct and 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, Ookwemin Minising will introduce a vitality to the area that honours the distinctive culture associated with waterfront districts and vibrant working ports.
Quick Facts
Ookwemin Minising: Place of the black cherry trees
Pronunciation: Oh-kway-min Min-nih-sing
Language: Anishinaabemowin
Meaning and Significance:
- Local Elders recalled that the healing marshland and sandy soil in this area was known to have black cherry trees. Trees historic to the waterfront and throughout most of Southern Ontario were cut down during area settlement and industrialization. There are black cherry trees included in the planting plans for the restoration of the mouth of the river and there are historic references to cherry trees in the area reflected in the Cherry Beach and Cherry Street names still in use in the area today.
- This name reflects how Indigenous languages are written on the land and helps recognize place through Indigenous culture and ecology. The name also aligns with other historical Ojibwe place names on Lake Ontario, including Adobigook (Etobicoke), meaning the place of the alder trees.
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 the 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 the 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 the 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.
