Toronto Toronto Island Park Master Plan | ?m | ?s | City of Toronto

As a side note to this thread.........Apparently Porter returns to service October 7th.

Clearly as someone disinclined to this airport, I take no pleasure in that, LOL; but I bring the info!
 
lenaitch said:
I think things like apartments, hotels, a shopping centre and typical street legal motorized vehicles would be the death knell of anything that wants to be an urban refuge, retreat or escape.
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There is no way the current homes and buildings could be used as the Canadian version of "The Prisoner".


 
Northern Light said:
I'm not sure I see landscaping and natural going together.

Natural means native plants, densely grouped in forests/wetlands/meadows and then largely left to do their thing.

Landscape suggest order and the yellow flower goes there.

There's nothing wrong w/landscaping per se. I just don't want my natural spaces to have that manner of appearance.

If you mean that you want elegant paths or the like, I don't mind some of that, although I would personally prefer a hiking trail.
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I might be grasping at straws here, but is there anything strictly "natural" about the layout of the park? Or do we just perceive the design of the Toronto Islands to be "natural", because we've designed the park to be in-line with what we've decided a natural environment looks like in Toronto. If we went back a few hundred years, I somehow doubt we'd see large empty fields of short, manicured grass on these islands.

In any case, I know the landscaping at the new Trillium Park specifically re-introduced native species to the park. I think a similar endeavour for the Toronto Islands would be wise. However I agree with your overall sentiment that the islands should not be made to look overly artificial. A balance can be struck between beautifying the islands, and having them look over-manicured.
 
I kind of agree. Canada and Ontario has a lot of essentially untouched wilderness space. I don't think the islands need to play that role. It can be more naturalized but its primary role should be to act as green space. Being more sensitive to local ecosystems makes sense, but I see no hard in it being managed and landscaped to suit its role.
 
^”Natural” is a continuum. The challenge is to find a comfortable point on that range.

If you look at how say Humber Bay Park has progressed, in a couple of decades it has gone from barren landfill to very dense growth, Personally, I’m feeling it may be reaching a point where it has gone “too” natural....the dense vegetation now forces people to crowd onto the pathways, and it can feel unsafe. On the plus side, it is developing a tree canopy and the original landfill (largely construction and roadway waste) is developing a soil cover, and some areas eg the butterfly gardens are valuable as biodiverse areas.

But that doesn’t mean that I would want Humber Bay returned to a “lawn” that gets mowed every couple of weeks. I would say the Islands should aspire to something like High Park, where there is a natural low-maintenance ground cover but not dense ground level bushes. Use ground cover to create windbreaks but do not reduce sightlines. And, like Humber Bay, retain some areas where there are deliberate “lawn“ space for people to put their blankets and play frisbee on.

The irony is, the Islands are where Toronto first got recognized internationally for its “Please Walk on the Grass” signs - which in their day were radical compared to the traditional “keep off” mentality of many large parks in that era. “Natural” may be a concept that varies over time.

- Paul
 
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There's money in the Capital Budget to conclude this plan; there is also a modest sum of money to begin delivering it.

This year's capital budget shows:

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$500k for actual construction this year

$1,000,000 next year.

But that's it.

That will almost certainly change once the plan is out with a substantive wish list.

Of course, other projects will likely see delays to make fiscal room.
 
^ I wonder if some things just won't get done (less vegetation control, grass cutting, etc) on the operating side, for fiscal reasons.

- Paul
 
News Release

March 17, 2021

City of Toronto launches public engagement process for the Toronto Island Park Master Plan

Today, the City of Toronto launched the start of the public engagement process that will inform the Master Plan and shape the future of this significant waterfront destination.

The details were announced at a virtual ceremony attended by Councillor Joe Cressy (Spadina-Fort York), Councillor Mike Layton (University-Rosedale), Councillor Cathie Jamieson of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and Janie Romoff, General Manager of Parks, Forestry and Recreation.

The virtual launch ceremony included an invocation and blessing by a Mississauga Elder, remarks from Indigenous leaders and the City of Toronto, an overview of the Toronto Island Park Master Plan, and a celebration of the Island Stories campaign. Information was shared about the project and how to get involved in the three-phase public engagement process that will run until 2022.

The group of islands sheltering the Toronto harbour has been known by several names. For the Michi Saagiig (Mississaugas), it was simply known as Mnisiing, meaning ”on the islands”. Later they were collectively known as Aiionwatha or Hiawatha’s Island. Today, they are known as Toronto Island Park.

The Toronto Island Park Master Plan will be a long-term planning framework that will guide decision-making and future investment in the park. Over the next year and a half, the City will work closely with Indigenous rights holders, urban Indigenous communities, Island residents, waterfront communities and businesses and park visitors to develop a plan that will secure Toronto Island Park as a cherished gathering place for generations to come. In addition to informing future physical improvements, the Master Plan will help to ensure that Toronto Island Park better serves the public. This includes improvements to the visitor experience, promoting equitable access, prioritizing placekeeping and celebrating and protecting the Island's natural and cultural heritage.

Three phases of public engagement are planned. The first phase, called “Towards a Vision“, begins now and extends through to the end of April 2021. This phase explores a vision for the future of Toronto Island Park. In consideration of COVID-19 Public Health guidelines and restrictions, no in-person activities will be offered, however the public is invited to share their thoughts, ideas and feedback online at https://www.toronto.ca/city-governm...oronto-island-park-master-plan-have-your-say/. Two additional phases of public engagement will follow, with the Master Plan anticipated to be complete in summer 2022.

More information about the Toronto Island Park Master Plan is available at https://www.toronto.ca/city-governm...s-strategies/toronto-island-park-master-plan/.
 
junctionist said:
The Islands should be treated as a "crown jewel" of the parks system, given that they're a destination for people from around the region. Better ornamental lighting and pavements would help make the park space feel special, as well as more programming.
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Yes, in places.

But there should also be more natural space, sans lighting or paving.

There's a need for picnic areas and such, but there's a lot of superfluous mowed lawn right now.

It should be entirely possible to energize a formal space from the Ferry Docks and through much of Centre Island, while naturalizing a good chunk of the rest.
 
Direct link to the interactive map where you can use social pinpoint to highlight your concerns and ideas.

toronto.mysocialpinpoint.ca

Social Pinpoint - Toronto Island Park Master Plan

A Place to engage your Community
toronto.mysocialpinpoint.ca toronto.mysocialpinpoint.ca

You can also attach photos to use as examples of things you'd like to see.
 
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