Heritage Toronto

Moccasins engraving at the entrance to Trillium Park, based on the drawings of Indigenous artist, Phil Coté, Toronto, 2018. Image: Ontario Infrastructure

Toronto Island ferry passengers, 1908. Courtesy of the City of Toronto Archives.

Four women running a race, Toronto Island, possibly 1907. Courtesy of the City of Toronto Archives.

Sunnyside Amusement Park, 1924. Courtesy of the City of Toronto Archives.

Trillium Park: Cottage Country at the Water’s Edge

Into the Wild

Following the closure of Ontario Place in 2012, several plans were proposed to redevelop and revitalize the space. The first phase of redevelopment included transforming what had been a parking lot into an urban forest and green space, known today as Trillium Park. Opened in 2017, planning for Trillium Park involved three years of discussions and workshops with community members, including members of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.

The Moccasin Identifier carved into two large stones at the park’s entrance was designed in consultation with the Mississaugas of the Credit and serves as a reminder that Toronto sits on the traditional territories of Indigenous peoples. Throughout the park, young trees have been planted and bent at the trunk, shaped in a similar way to that done by First Nations people to mark paths through the forest. Here, planners made a substantial effort to have park visitors feel they are stepping into a wilderness. Over 1,200 trees were planted, including many older trees, as well as roughly 28,000 shrubs. By reshaping the site into a place that honours the natural world, the designers of Trillium park have added to the more recent history of green space reclaiming Toronto’s shoreline.

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Hough’s Glade

One area of the park has been named Hough’s Glade in honour of Michael Hough (1929-2013). He was once one of Toronto’s leading landscape architects, and his work included designing the grounds of Ontario Place. Hough founded the Landscape Architecture program at the University of Toronto and spent his career promoting the idea that nature was the key to the city’s future development. He was a vocal supporter of local environmental issues, taking action in the 1990s to help those working to save the Don River from decades of heavy pollution. Former Toronto Mayor David Crombie said of Hough, “He loves cities, he loves nature… and he’ll tell you, every day if you ask him, that the regeneration of one is the salvation of the other.” Hough was a life-long champion of Toronto’s green space.

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Waterfront Fun!

The opening of Ontario Place near this site follows a history of waterfront amusement in Toronto. Over the years, this has included the Canadian National Exhibition grounds beginning in 1879, Hanland’s Point on the Toronto Islands, and Sunnyside Amusement Park. The Sunnyside area in Toronto’s west end had long been a popular spot for relaxing by the lake. By the late 1800s, it was a popular spot for swimming and boating.

The Sunnyside area reached the height of its popularity in the 1920s. In 1922, the Toronto Harbour Commission opened the Sunnyside Beach and Amusement Area. People of all ages and backgrounds enjoyed this beachside theme park, which featured several midway rides, including a speedy roller coaster called “The Flyer.” A visitor to the park might enjoy doing the Charleston at the dance pavilion, bathing in the 300-foot-long pool, dining at the lakeside restaurant, or even floating around on a pleasure boat. Additionally, a new boardwalk, 8,000 feet long and 24 feet wide, was opened in 1920. Here, people could enjoy a pleasant walk while showing off their finest outfits. The walkway was so large it was able to serve as the site of Toronto’s yearly Easter Parade for decades.

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The Spirit of Ontario Place

The 2017 opening of the 7.5-acre Trillium Park allowed people to enjoy the Ontario Place area once again. The announcement of plans for this park in 2014 provided hope among much uncertainty about the site’s future. This redeveloped portion of Ontario Place has returned the area to a destination for relaxation, learning, and celebrating Ontario.

Within Trillium Park is the 1.3-kilometer William G. Davis Trail, named for the Premier of Ontario at the time Ontario Place opened in 1971. To protect the site from potential flooding, 1,700 tons of Muskoka granite and 52,000 cubic metres of soil helped to raise the footprint of the park by 1.5 metres. In many ways, the park has a similar spirit to the former Ontario Place, including its celebration of the province. The park honours Ontario’s natural landscape and its peoples’ relationship with nature.

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Trillium Park: Cottage Country at the Water’s Edge

Into the Wild

Hough’s Glade

Waterfront Fun!

The Spirit of Ontario Place

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