Biidaasige Park opens 10 new acres of waterfront public space

Area will guard 174 hectares from extreme flooding

Published Jul 24, 2026  •  2 minute read

On Friday morning, the Toronto waterfront welcomed 10 new acres at Biidaasige Park. Photo by supplied

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On Friday morning, the Toronto waterfront welcomed 10 additional acres at Biidaasige Park.

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This new section, located in the Cherry and Commissioners Sts. area, expands access to the eastern section of the city’s shoreline, reconnecting people to Lake Ontario and a one-kilometre stretch of the Don River.

The added park space is part of the Port Lands Flood Protection (PLFP) project, funded by a $1.4 billion investment from all three levels of government, including more than $465 million by the federal government and more than $471 million each from the province and city.

The expansion signifies another milestone in the project, which the city says will guard 174 hectares (430 acres) from extreme flooding while unlocking space for future mixed-use communities that will include wetlands, river valleys, public spaces, housing, employment opportunities and neighbourhood amenities.

“Toronto’s Port Lands is considered one of the largest underdeveloped stretches of downtown waterfront in North America,” the Toronto Port Lands website said. “Up until now, we have been unable to make this industrial area a thriving part of our city because portions are at risk of flooding and the soil is contaminated.”

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The new park also represents what can occur when there is a shared commitment by partners in creating functional and purposeful public spaces.

Biidaasige Park. Photo by supplied

This transformation is helping establish Toronto as a global leader in waterfront revitalization and resilient urban design.

The expansion adds parkland almost the size of the Rogers Centre building, and five times the size of Toronto’s Sugar Beach, into the already expansive park that opened last summer. The portions of the park opened in 2025 and 2026 total approximately 60 acres, with an additional five acres of parkland still to come, the city says.

Future neighbourhood planned

A new island created through flood protection, Ookwemin Minising, will become a green, livable neighbourhood surrounded by Biidaasige Park.

Over the next quarter century, the city says Ookwemin Minising could become home to approximately 21,000 people and support jobs for approximately 2,900 people. Waterfront Toronto recently released a request for qualifications to secure a building partner for the first 700 homes on the island.

When fully completed, Biidaasige Park will be more than twice the size of Chicago’s Millennium Park, which redefined that city’s identity by transforming a former rail yard and parking lot into a tourist destination that now generates billions in revenue. That 24.5-acre park is home to various sites and attractions.

Millennium Park opened in July 2004. When the park was finally finished four years behind schedule, it was also way over budget. City officials expected the project to cost $150 million US, but the final price tag was about $490 million.

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