Photo Credit: Kevin Douglas/@hvy_kvy
Next Era of Ontario Place
Province Unveils New Urban Green Space to Celebrate Ontario’s 150th Anniversary
For the first time in more than 40 years, Ontario residents and visitors can enjoy a spectacular part of Toronto’s waterfront at Ontario Place’s newly opened park and trail.
Premier Kathleen Wynne and Eleanor McMahon, Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Sport, were at Ontario Place today to unveil the new Trillium Park and William G. Davis Trail, and officially open them to the public. The opening is the first milestone in the province’s plan to transform the iconic landmark into a vibrant, year-round destination for people of all ages.
As progress on Ontario Place continues, the site will be at the centre of the action as the province celebrates Ontario’s 150th anniversary, a year-long celebration that aims to honour Ontario’s past, showcase the present and inspire future generations.
To create the new Trillium Park, a seven-and-a-half-acre parking lot was converted into green space using ideas from people across Ontario. The new site features an open-air pavilion inspired by evergreen forests and Ontario Place’s unique design, as well as open spaces to host art fairs, film festivals, yoga classes, school groups and food vendors.
The William G. Davis Trail, named for Ontario’s Premier at the time of Ontario Place’s opening in 1971, is a 1.3 kilometre-long trail that connects the new park to the Trans Canada Trail.
Other highlights of the park include:
- The Ravine with Moccasin Identifier: Developed in collaboration with the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation, a moccasin etching in this gateway to the park provides a visual reminder to celebrate and honour the history and culture of Indigenous peoples
- The Bluff: Stacked boulders and rocks from a Muskoka quarry are located along the trail, symbolizing the prehistoric Lake Iroquois shoreline.
Transforming Ontario Place is part of our plan to create jobs, grow our economy and help people in their everyday lives.
Quick Facts
- Key design elements of the new park and trail reflect the Indigenous heritage of the site, which is located on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation.
- A continuous route of more than 2,000 kilometres in Ontario, the Trans Canada Trail includes the Martin Goodman Trail and the Pan Am Path.
- In celebration of Ontario’s 150th anniversary, Ontario Place is hosting a themed event every long weekend this summer.
- Every year, Ontario’s festivals and events attract tourists, support tens of thousands of jobs and generate millions of dollars in revenue.
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