Toronto Is Getting A Brand New Tree-Covered Valley By The Waterfront (PHOTOS)
Toronto’s Don River is getting a naturalized makeover. According to a report by Urban Toronto, a new $1.2 billion initiative spearheaded by Waterfront Toronto will see the mouth of the Don River revitalized and a new tree-covered valley created in an attempt to restore the river’s natural course and ecology. The new Don River valley will be among the most significant ecology projects in Toronto's history.
A long-term plan entitled The Port Lands Protection Project aims to transform the industrial brownfield land into a stunning green community for residential, office, and recreational uses. The renovation of the river’s mouth will also improve water flow while reducing pollution, thus creating new wildlife habitats and park space.
According to Waterfront Toronto, the project will result in over a 1,000 metres of new river channel as well as 13 hectares of new coastal wetland, with a 2-hectare wetland patch land being created near the Don Roadway. A 5-hectare terrestrial habitat with additional greenspaces and 14 hectares of aquatic will also be created.
Here is a glimpse of what will look like once it is completed:
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The project first launched back in 2017. A new drone video of the project's latest progress shows the first section of a new Don River Valley being created. An update on the status of the construction was released on May 8th, according to Urban Toronto.
The project will also see the creation of new shoreline located at the mouth of the Keating Channel, which will eventually replace the northernmost industrial docks in the Port Lands.
The massive construction project is expected to grow and progress over the next five years, so it’ll be a while before the area begins to really transform into what Waterfront Toronto has illustrated in their renderings. But, when it's complete, it'll surely be recognized as one of the city's most beautiful nature escapes.