Closing in on six months since the late-2016 soft opening of the rebuilt Berczy Park, and work is continuing on the final elements of the 3,606 m² public space in Toronto's St. Lawrence neighbourhood. Designed by acclaimed Montreal-based landscape architects Claude Cormier + Associés, the nearly complete park is already becoming a popular neighbourhood fixture, and now boasts—for the time being at least—another attraction, as testing work has begun on its centerpiece fountain.

Fountain turned on and illuminated in Berczy Park, image by Craig White

Unlike any other fountain in the city, Berczy Park's centrepiece features sculptures of 27 dogs and a lone cat, all positioned around a golden bone lifted up above the uppermost tier. The jets of the fountain playfully spray from the dogs' mouths, combining form and function in a whimsical manner. Yesterday evening, photos began to appear on our Forum showing the water flowing in the no-longer-fenced-in fountain, part of the testing phase where crews will calibrate the positioning and the flow of these jets. 

Fountain turned on and illuminated in Berczy Park, image by Craig White

Joining the dogs, the sole cat looks away in a characteristic display of the species' aloofness. A second cat will eventually look on from a distance, to be installed atop a hydro box at the park's southwest corner next to the Front and Scott intersection.

A lone cat sculpture looking away from the fountain, image by Craig White

Word is that the fountain is only turned on temporarily for testing, and may be turned off after testing is complete, and then turned on for good at an official unveiling next month, this yesterday's combination of the fountain being tested for the first time and the unseasonably warm temperature drew people to the reinvigorated public space in droves. The park's grassy hills—which have firmly taken root and are no longer surrounded by fencing—have become another popular congregation spot. At the west end of the park, the eventual installation of an interactive, child-friendly public art installation called “Jacob’s Ladder” will add visual interest to the public space, while adding something fun for the growing population of children in the neighbourhood. 

Evening scene at Berczy Park, image by Craig White

Additional information on the park plan is available via our dataBase file, linked below. Want to share your thoughts? Leave a comment below, or join the conversation in our associated Forum thread—where regular photo updates also keep you up to date with the latest construction progress.