After years of high-density development, Toronto's Fort York and CityPlace communities will soon have a long-promised community facility, as construction presses on for the Canoe Landing Centre. Located on the easter edge of the park of the same name, the new building will bring paired Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) elementary schools, plus a community recreation centre and a childcare facility upon opening later this year.

Looking southwest to Canoe Landing Centre, image by Forum contributor drum118

Designed by ZAS Architects, the pair of connected two-and-three-storey buildings are currently nearing structural completion, revealing the full extent of the project's uniquely folded shape. This aesthetic is most pronounced at the north end of the site along the Bremner Boulevard frontage, where the metal skeleton of a faceted pedestrian canopy is now evident.

Looking southeast to Canoe Landing Centre, image by Forum contributor drum118

Insulation and sheathing now cover large sections of the exterior in advance of cladding installation. The panels have begun to frame rectangular openings for punched windows on the second and third floors. Elsewhere on site, framing is still being installed to support insulation and sheathing, with the first signs of exterior cladding expected to materialize in the coming weeks.

Looking northwest to Canoe Landing Centre, image by Forum contributor drum118

Meanwhile, as work on enclosing the buildings begins, an elevated steel structure is taking shape between the two buildings, marking the future location of an enclosed pedestrian bridge. Pre-construction renderings show that the bridge will feature similar finishes as the complex’s south building, to be clad in glazing with white framing and vertical red accents.

Pedestrian bridge at Canoe Landing Centre, image by Forum contributor drum118

With the building's structure now more or less complete, work can soon start on an accessible multi-planar, green, and active roof, designed by The Planning Partnership. 

Canoe Landing Centre, image courtesy of City of Toronto

Construction is targeted to wrap up in the summer, prior to the schools' planned Fall 2019 opening. Upon opening, the TCDSB's Bishop Macdonell Catholic Elementary School and the TDSB's Jean Lumb Public School will each serve 550 children from kindergarten through grade eight.

Additional information and images can be found in our database file for the project, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment in the field provided at the bottom of this page.