Biidaasige Park at the Port Lands
Just east of downtown Toronto, MVVA has spent almost two decades leading the planning and execution of one of the largest public works projects in Canadian history. Its name—the Port Lands Flood Protection and Enabling Infrastructure Project—only hints at the scope of this historic, $1.4 billion undertaking.
For thousands of years the Don River flowed into Lake Ontario through one of the largest freshwater marshes in the Great Lakes region. The marsh was rich in flora and fauna and an important meeting place for indigenous peoples. But beginning in the 19th century, this vital ecosystem and traditional First Nations territory was altered beyond recognition by industrial activity. Large sections were drained and filled to create the Port Lands, an enclave that included docks and warehouses along with facilities for petroleum storage, concrete production, and animal rendering. To accommodate these new uses, the mouth of the river itself was forced into a 60-foot-wide channel, which became so polluted that the Don was eventually declared “dead.” Then in 1954, Hurricane Hazel left much of Toronto underwater, making flood control measures essential. Starting with a public forum in 1989, the federal, provincial, and city governments began making plans to renaturalize the mouth of the Don. In 2007, Waterfront Toronto, representing the three levels of government, invited four firms to compete for the commission. MVVA’s winning proposal called for retaining the existing channel while creating a new river valley capable of carrying large volumes of stormwater out to Lake Ontario.
Around the renaturalized river, some 330 acres of newly recovered land, including a large new island called Ookwemin Minising, has become a mix of public parkland collectively called Biidaasige Park, restored habitat, and mixed-use development designed in accordance with leading-edge sustainability and smart growth principles.
Since 2007, MVVA has proven the wisdom of having a landscape architecture firm lead both the design and execution of a large, complex, and environmentally sensitive engineering project. Some 35 MVVA employees have worked with dozens of consultants in fields as varied as hydrology, ecology, geology, soil remediation, lighting, and industrial and indigenous heritage conservation. The design sets a global precedent for the transformation of flood-prone, post-industrial wastelands into resilient, ecologically rich, and socially inclusive urban districts.
Benefitting from the beauty of the restored riparian environment, the project will also permit expansion of the public realm. Gaps in bike trails will be mended, expanding opportunities for nonmotorized travel between existing parks and neighborhoods. New parklands will allow Torontonians to immerse themselves in the urban waterfront.
Regulatory Flood Event Water Surface Elevations
Regulatory Flood Event Water Velocities
Image Courtesy of Waterfront Toronto
New landforms, water channels, soils, and plants will create generous wetlands that flank the sinuous waterway, allowing native ecological communities to return to the site. A forested edge cools and buffers the water from urban runoff while providing quality wildlife habitat.
Image Courtesy of Waterfront Toronto
Soil Reuse Mapping
Along with flood protection, PLFP is also a massive soil remediation project. Former industrial soils are categorized for safe reuse and retention on site or for off-site treatment, maximizing construction efficiency along with environmental health.
Image Courtesy of Waterfront Toronto
