A new park is officially open along Toronto’s waterfront, and the city is launching a weekend of family-friendly festivities to celebrate it.
On Friday, the city unveiled the new Biidaasige Park in the redeveloped Port Lands area, near Cherry St. Covering 40 hectares of land, it’s one of the largest parks to open in Toronto.
Its name, pronounced “bee-daw-si-geh,” is an Anishinaabemowin word that means “sunlight shining toward us,” referencing the relationship between land, water and sky, and Indigenous water protectors who guided the restoration of the land.
The park features plenty of green spaces, outdoor fitness equipment, playgrounds, off-leash dog areas, fishing and paddling spots, and a community recreation centre.
In 2001, the city formed the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation in hopes of a chance to host the 2008 Summer Olympics. The new group was tasked with rehabilitating the area, and decided to create a new river course and parklands through the Port Lands in a Port Lands Flood Protection (PLFP) project.
The park’s construction began in 2017 as part of a $1.35-billion project that aimed to protect the Port Lands neighbourhood from regional storms or massive flooding. The project also included a kilometre-long extension of the Don River.
Although the park is now open to the public, only phase one of the project has been completed. Construction is still underway, set to bring 14,000 new housing units as part of a $975-million investment from all levels of government. Phase two of the park is set to be completed by 2026.
PARK’S GRAND OPENING WEEKEND
To celebrate the park’s launch, the city is hosting a Biidaasige Park weekend-long grand opening event, filled with free family entertainment.
The festivities include interactive performances, an arts and crafts station, and various food trucks and stalls.
Throughout the entire weekend, a 24-hour Sacred Fire will stay lit with stories from Indigenous Fire Keepers.
For those looking to learn more about the new park, the Toronto Region Conservation Authority will be offering park tours from their engagement tents.
Park-goers can also head to the East Lawn for Play Mobile activities and to the West Lawn for an arts and crafts station with Shadowland Theatre and East End Arts.
Looking for a delicious bite? There will be various food trucks and stalls at the park, including the Cherry Street Bar-B-Que, Happy Pops Gourmet Popsicles, and Caffeine Cruiser.
There will also be tons of live performances throughout the weekend. On Saturday, attendees can experience traditional songs and dances with Daniel Secord from the Mississauga Nation (Nishinaabek) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Queer upbeat band Trash Panda Brass will also pay homage to quintessential queer hits at 2, 3 and 4 p.m. And Moskitto Bar will perform original beats from Ukrainian, Balkan, Iraqi Middle-Eastern and French Celtic music at 2:30, 3:30 and 4:30 p.m.
On Sunday, park-goers can enjoy some fun colouring from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., take part at an all-ages special storytime with books, songs, and laughs by Fay and Fluffy at 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m., or dance to the drums of the Afro-Brazilian Samba tradition at 2:30, 3:30 and 4:30 p.m.
For a full list of activities at the park this weekend, visit this link.
HOW TO GET THERE
All weekend long, a shuttle bus will be running between Toronto City Hall and Biidaasige Park every 30 minutes from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
But note that although shuttle buses are frequent, spots are first-come-first-serve and not wheelchair accessible.
TTC Wheel-trans is an option for those with accessibility needs, as they can pick up commuters at a chosen spot and drop them off right at the park. Wheel-trans have to be booked online.
The park offers accessible paths, with paved and multi-use trails covering its entire length along Commissioners St. and accessible portable washrooms available.
There are other options to get to the park, including walking or biking through Martin Goodman Trail and the Lower Don Trail.
Commuters taking the TTC can take the 114 Queen’s Quay East bus route, which stops on Cherry and Commissioners Streets by the park. The 72D Pape bus also runs directly to the park during weekends and holidays from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. from Saturday until September 1, and stops at Saulter and Commissioners Streets on weekdays.
Drivers should note there’s limited parking at the park with a 120-spot, temporary lot at 11 Munition St. There are also some on-street parking spots on Old Cherry, Villiers and Munition streets at certain times throughout the day.
