Leslie Lookout Park Opens: A New Urban Beach in the Port Lands

Leslie Lookout Park, the first major public space in the regenerated Port Lands, officially opened to the public on September 14th.

The park, funded and developed by CreateTO and designed by CCxA, is located on the Martin Goodman Trail near the entrance to Tommy Thompson Park at 12 Leslie Street. The park is a new and unique multi-use community destination in the Port Lands that includes forested dunes and an artificial beach connecting the public to the water’s edge with views of the entire length of Toronto’s Ship Channel, and a 13.5-metre lookout tower with a west-facing view of the downtown core and a stunning 360-degree view of the Port Lands. This new destination offers opportunities for year-round programming including pop-up events, concerts and public art.

CreateTO celebrated the opening with Mayor Olivia Chow, Councillor Paula Fletcher, representatives from the City of Toronto and our project partners, and many members of the public.

On behalf of the City of Toronto, CreateTO led and funded the development of the park, which repurposed an underused industrial parcel of City-owned land, bringing the site back into public use. CreateTO worked in association with various City departments, including key supports from Parks, Forestry and Recreation, City Planning Divisions, the Indigenous Affairs Office, and with overall support from the Waterfront Secretariat.
 
In early 2021, CCxA (formerly known as Claude Cormier + Associés) was awarded the contract to design and construct the park through a design competition. The firm is known to have designed some of the most memorable public spaces in Toronto, including Sugar Beach, Berczy Park and Love Park. CCxA designed the park, with support from sub-contractors including Arup, gh3, Dougan & Associates and Kayanase. UCC led the construction, Cannington did the dockwall work and Stephenson Engineering was the engineer. The park is one of the last projects led by Claude Cormier of CCxA who passed away September 15 of last year.

The park recycles an industrial landscape into a new recreational hub while honouring Indigenous place-making. In addition to public consultations for the park design that took place in 2021, two Indigenous Community Sharing Meetings were also held for recommendations to reflect the integration of Indigenous cultural content, which includes the lookout tower with an opening to the sky and the four cardinal directions. The park features a Miyawaki-inspired mini forest, a first for a Toronto park, comprising approximately 5,000 plants representing 45 species including 2,470 trees, 2,473 arborescent shrubs and 1,260 forbs and grasses. To honour the significance of the site and the involvement of Indigenous communities in shaping the park design, the opening ceremony took place in a circle and included a ceremonial fire.

Park construction commenced in December 2022. In March 2023, a mural depicting the Great Anishinaabe Migration, created by Indigenous artist and architectural designer Dani Kastelein-Longlade of Brook McIlroy, was installed on the construction hoarding surrounding the site. The artwork depicted on this mural interpreted the path of travel through the seven sites of the chi-bi-moo-day-win’, the Great Anishinaabe Migration and was part of Brook McIlroy’s Indigenous placemaking strategy for the park.

The park is designed with numerous sustainability features, making it a model for eco-friendly urban spaces. It operates independently from the municipal sewer system and utilizes permeable asphalt and beach areas to effectively manage stormwater runoff. This unique approach marks a significant milestone for parks in Toronto, setting a new standard for sustainable urban design and environmental stewardship.

The lookout tower, designed by gh3, is 13.5 metres high and approximately 5 kilometres from the CN Tower. The urban beach includes silica stone sand imported from Ohio, with seven Easter Cottonwoods and Black Willows, a boardwalk leading to the water’s edge, picnic tables and 25 Muskoka-style chairs.

Here are some photos from the park opening.