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Parks are not “nice to have,” they are critical social, health, and environmental infrastructure for Toronto. City parks are lifelines in extreme heat waves. Social connectors in an age of increasing polarization. Keepers of biodiversity despite ever fragmenting urban landscapes. 

To meet the biggest challenges we face in Toronto—climate change, biodiversity loss, social polarization, rising inequality—we need whole new ways to plan, design, manage, program, and govern parks. This shift requires doing things differently. It requires ensuring proper funding, sharing decision-making power, addressing inequities head-on, and prioritizing action on truth and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. 

As Toronto faces the upcoming mayoral by-election in June, we urge candidates for Mayor to accelerate the transition to a more equitable, resilient future for city parks by working with us on the ideas presented in this platform.  

Money Matters

Credit: Jeff Tessier – Amateur Athletic Association, Hamilton.

All of the ideas in this platform require us to invest more time and money into city parks. In our 2022 survey of residents of Canadian cities, 87% said they support more investment in parks.

Responsible for 60% of Canada’s infrastructure, municipalities like Toronto receive only 10 cents on every tax dollar. 

And, the provincial government’s drastic changes to park levies and planning rules under Bill 23 will further diminish park budgets and reduce the amount of parkland created to support new growth. 

All three levels of government, each of which have responsibilities for our natural environment and human health, need to come to the table. This is easier said than done. The multiple benefits of parks—health, environmental, social, economic—actually make it harder to invest at the scale we need to. Why? Because the benefits of investing in parks are distributed across many different ministries and government departments, each of which are accountable for their own budgets and plans. That is why we need to support governments to pursue an ambitious, whole-of-government approach to investment in Toronto parks.

Investing more in city parks is not an imposition or an obligation. It is an opportunity to transform Toronto for the better. 

  

Invest in the co-benefits of parks for climate resilience and adaptation, nature connection, and biodiversity

What we know:  Ontario Place must remain a Public Waterfront Park

Big dome near water
Credit: Ontario Place, Toronto, Clémence Marcastel, August 2021

  • Ontario Place is a beautiful, free, open and accessible waterfront park that is used by more than a million people every year. With Toronto already facing challenges meeting the essential green space needs of its growing population, it is vital to keep Ontario Place a public park.  
  • And yet this amazing public asset is now at risk with the provincial government’s plan to relocate the Ontario Science Centre and push forward the development of a massive, unaffordable, 85,000 square metre private spa supported by well over half a billion dollars in taxpayer money including a 2,000 car underground garage. 
  • This redevelopment proposal will lead to the destruction of 850 trees and natural habitats, which runs counter to municipal and federal climate goals and commitment to halt biodiversity loss.  

Policy Directions:

  • Toronto must pressure the provincial government to reverse its plans and use every policy tool at its disposal to stop the spa development and keep Ontario Place a public park. Public interest, not commercial interest, must drive a new vision for Ontario Place. 

Further reading:

What we Know: Parks Mitigate Climate Impacts and are key to Toronto Climate Adaptation

People walking in ravines
Credit: Marleeville Collective and Lee’s Indigenous Boutique event (InTO the Ravines grantees), Bonnyview Ravine, Toronto.

People living in Toronto will need to adapt to hotter, wetter and more unpredictable climates. Climate change is here and is already impacting our city. With the right investment, parks can serve as climate infrastructure and provide people with critical places of refuge in hot, dense cities where a major health crisis is unfolding. 

  • Toronto’s summers are only expected to get hotter, which will lead to more heat-related deaths. This will disproportionately impact lower income, racialized communities that have fewer and lower quality green spaces.
  • The time when parks could be a few trees and grassy fields is past. We must update how we plan and design parks to better equip them to help us mitigate and adapt to climate change. Toronto has some great examples to draw from like Corktown Common, which is designed to manage flooding. But these parks are the exception, not the rule.

At the same time, people are seeking out nature more for its mental and physical health benefits. People want more places to experience nature close to home: 71% of survey respondents said they value visiting naturalized spaces within a 10-minute walk of home, such as a native plant garden or small meadow. In fact, 87% of respondents said they were in favour of more native plant species within parks—the second most requested amenity after public washrooms. Toronto’s Ravine Strategy offers a strong road-map for ensuring these vital, biodiverse natural habitats are safeguarded for the future and enjoyed by residents, but funding has remained limited. 

Policy Directions: 

Invest in the co-benefits of naturalized spaces as climate resilience infrastructure, urban biodiversity habitat and vital nature connections in Toronto. 

  • Accelerate funding for the Ravine Strategy with a focus on:
    • Critical restoration projects to ensure biodiversity and natural habitats are safeguarded.
    • Increasing accessibility and wayfinding through new and improved access points, signage, maps, and education about how to explore the ravines safely while respecting sensitive habitats.
    • Investment in ravine programming to help communities connect to nature in the ravines safely, which could include funding for community leaders to devise local initiatives.
  • Create more naturalized spaces close to where people live, such as native plant gardens and mini-meadows, to increase nature connection, climate resilience, and urban biodiversity. Include:
    • Funding for stewardship and educational opportunities in collaboration with Indigenous peoples and organizations who hold knowledge about these plants and how they fit into a larger kinship network of species. 
    • Prioritization for investments in equity-deserving neighbourhoods that have lower levels of green space and tree canopy.
  • Adopt publicly available climate resilience standards as part of every municipal Request for Proposals for new or redesigned Toronto parks. Standards should include:
    • Standards for rainwater capture and reuse (e.g., bioswales, permeable pavers).
    • Percentage of naturalized space, tree canopy coverage, and native plants.
    • On-site educational opportunities (e.g., signage, programming).

Further reading:

Fund core amenities and prioritize equity-deserving communities 

What we Know: Parks in Toronto’s Equity-Deserving Communities are Under Resourced

People sharing a meal in a park
Credit: Thorncliffe Park Autism Support Network, RV Burgess Park, Toronto, 2022.

There is a clear and growing disparity in who has access to quality green spaces in Toronto. As COVID laid bare, equity-deserving communities face complex, interrelated health crises. Toronto must recognize how race, income and the built environment conspire to make parks a pressing environmental justice issue in our city.

  • Park planning has long tracked development growth to guide investment. This has led to a growing disparity between who has access to quality green spaces and who does not because it ignores other important factors like income levels and climate change impacts. 
  • While Toronto started to move forward with an equity framework in the 2019 Parkland Strategy, concrete actions still remain limited. Recent research shows that neighbourhoods with higher proportions of racialized and lower income residents don’t have the same access to quality green spaces as whiter, wealthier neighbourhoods in Toronto. 

Park Policy Directions:

  • Equity frameworks must be embedded into park plans, and resources must be focused on equity-deserving communities where there has been historic underinvestment in parks. The following data should be used and made transparent to direct new park investments:
    • Income
    • Race and ethnicity (e.g., proportion of racialized residents)
    • Climate justice (e.g,. tree canopy coverage, urban heat islands)
    • Public health (e.g., chronic disease prevalence, mental health indicators)
    • Housing type/tenure (e.g., apartments, single-family houses)
    • Historical investment and disinvestment patterns 
  • In Toronto, the 2019 Parkland Strategy includes new measures such as income, but in order to create transparency and accountability, Toronto should follow Vancouver’s lead in not only collecting richer data, but making the information readily accessible to communities to help guide investment.

What we Know: Lack of Basic Amenities in Toronto Parks Restricts Use 

Usable parks are the bar for entry. Toronto’s parks maintenance and operating budget has not kept pace with use and demand. There’s an urgent need to increase park operating budgets to ensure basic amenities like bathrooms and water are standard in every single Toronto park.

Broken bench
Credit: High Park, Toronto, Clémence Marcastel
  • In Toronto, park washrooms are frequently closed in the winter and locked early in the summer. This failure restricts park use and contributes to accessibility barriers. Toronto has just 6.4 washrooms per 100,000, less than half the national average of 13.1. Of the 178 washrooms available, only 45 are open in the winter. 
  • Drinking fountains are dormant until late June even though our changing climate means we experience warmer weather earlier. Anger around this reached a boiling point this summer.

Park Policy Directions:

Spending on park operating budgets must start to keep pace with demand. It is basic: amenities like bathrooms and water must be the standard in every single Toronto park, with a priority focus on equity-deserving and high-use parks. Investments in basic amenities that promote park use must include: 

  • All-season washroom access with longer open hours.
  • Working water fountains & bottle fill-up stations. 
  • Daily maintenance including garbage removal and basic repairs.
  • Rain-shelter and shade structures to support all-weather use. 

Further reading:

Updated Park Governance is Key to Inclusive Parks   

There is an urgent need for new models of Toronto Park governance rooted in shared decision-making power. We need a new way of managing city parks that are more inclusive, and community-focused, and respect the land rights of Indigenous peoples and the knowledge of communities. 

What we Know: Unhoused Toronto Constituents Deserve Humane Treatment in Parks

Tagged bench
Credit: Bench with centre bars to prevent lying down in Winchester Park Toronto
  • We found that nearly two-thirds of city residents who noticed a park encampment did not feel it negatively impacted their personal use of parks.
  • There is no easy answer to park encampments, but we know there are alternatives to the violent encampment clearances we saw in Toronto in the summer of 2021. In 2021, City Council rejected a motion to co-create a strategy with encampment residents—this was a mistake.

Policy Directions:

  • Toronto must fulfill its human rights obligations to people sheltering in parks as outlined in the UN National Protocol for Encampments in Canada—and as Toronto organizations called for in a joint statement. The city needs to act on the Ombudsman’s recommendations.
  • Toronto must develop an encampment strategy in collaboration with unhoused residents and community partners. The strategy can guide decision-making on park issues affecting unhoused communities, identifying core values such as harm reduction, reconciliation, and leadership of people with lived experience. 

What we Know: Truth and Reconciliation Must be Advanced in Toronto Parks

5 people standing with a log "Turtle protectors"
Credit: High Park Turtle Protectors, High Park, Toronto.
  • Toronto has taken positive steps with the adoption of a “place-keeping” strategy and engagement with Indigenous peoples in the Toronto Island Park Master Plan. There are also some excellent recommendations for supporting reconciliation in parks in Toronto’s recently passed Reconciliation Action Plan. But concrete resources and action plans must be created to move forward with deeper collaboration and shared stewardship, applying practices already being implemented in Canadian municipalities

Policy Directions:

  • Begin to work immediately with communities to implement and fully fund the recommendations for parks in the Reconciliation Action Plan
  • Expand commitments to working with treaty & territorial partners, urban Indigenous communities and organizations to explore co-management and collaborative governance opportunities in Toronto, including funding for this work.
  • Establish co-management and collaborative governance initiatives with treaty & territorial partners, urban Indigenous communities and organizations in Toronto, which include:
    • Shared decision-making in park management (e.g., permitting)
    • Maintenance practices and stewardship (e.g., plant care)
    • Park (re)naming, programming, and cultural use
    • Park planning and design practices

What we Know: Power Sharing Impacts Communities

A man planting a plant
Credit: TD Park People Grants, Friends of Corktown Common, Corktown, Toronto.

Over the past several years, communities have been actively working to decentralize power in institutional spaces. It is time for Toronto to give communities more decision-making power on the park issues that affect them most, particularly in equity-deserving communities.  

  • A dismal 22% of residents of Canadian cities said they felt they had a voice in influencing decision-making about their local park. 
  • New strategies are needed to ensure people feel able to get involved, including overhauling confusing and costly permits for community programming.
  • The work of Toronto’s park consultation staff on a more meaningful engagement strategy is certainly a step in the right direction, but it’s just the beginning.

Policy Directions:

  • Co-create neighbourhood-level park plans with Toronto residents and community organizations that:
    • Identify opportunities for park improvements, acquisitions, and programming within a defined local area.
    • Examine both the quantity and quality (e.g., amenities, cultural relevance) of public space and opportunities for how parks can contribute to social cohesion.
    • Include all publicly accessible open spaces (e.g. parks, streets, laneways, schoolyards, hydro corridors, etc.).
    • Prioritize “quick start” projects to implement first or trial during the development of the plan so action is not held up.
  • Break down barriers for community programming and offer more targeted support, including:
    • Remove park permit fees for equity-deserving communities as well as all Indigenous programming and cultural ceremonies.
    • Designate a staff contact for engagement with community park groups to facilitate programming opportunities.
    • Reduce barriers to community-based economic development in parks (e.g., local markets, fresh food stands, culturally responsive food kiosks/cafes) through grants, reduced permits, or free/reduced leases.
  • Deepen engagement opportunities and longer-term community involvement:
    • Incorporate discussions of social life and cultural practices into park consultations.
    • Employ local residents to co-lead engagement processes.
    • Fund a community programming plan for after the ribbon is cut.

Each year, we support twenty Champions, working in pairs, with training and support to help them host their own events in Toronto’s ravines.

Meet the 2025 Champions, and hear why they love and care about the ravines.

Miriam Hawkins

“I love to leave the city behind when I enter the fresh air and cool embrace of the Humber River ravine around Lambton Woods, a sanctuary for birds, toads, insects and other wildlife with its rare natural forest cover and wetlands, and the ever-changing marvel of the river’s  sparkling waters flowing from a vast, ancient, yet urbanized landscape toward our own water source at Lake Ontario. You might even see huge salmon or trout leaping nearby weirs, or a shy snowy egret fishing secret eddies. Much inspires my photo and painting attempts, and my restored resolve to share this precious delight with others, along  with the need to address outdated storm water runoff and sewage pollution management and the serious threat of highway 413 paving over the heart of the river’s western headwaters.”

Mike Mattos

“My favorite ravine is the east side of the Humber River north of Eglinton.  The area has naturally regenerated for 70 years and is a testament to the restorative powers of the land.”

“Ravines are the earth’s quiet sanctuary, where the rush of the world slows down, and the soul finds its rhythm in the stillness. In their embrace, the land heals, and so do we.”

Christen Kong
Felix Kwong
Aragsan Jibreal

“Amid the city’s restless hum, the Don River East Trail unfolds like a quiet sanctuary—where towering trees soften the skyline, the river whispers its timeless song, and nature reclaims its space, undisturbed yet ever-changing.”

Naomi Drayton

“The Betty Sutherland Trail runs for 1.83 kilometers from Leslie Street and Sheppard Avenue to Duncan Mills Road and Don Mills Road. The park is named after a long-time city councilor who was active in supporting Toronto’s recreational areas and trails.”

“Within close proximity of residents throughout our great city, there’s a hidden gem—our amazing ravine system. Ravines are nature’s hidden masterpieces, carved by time and adorned with life.”

Joshua Hood

“What I love about my local ravine is accessibility and its expansiveness.  I can enter and exit at so many points along the trails, which means I can travel from my home north of the city right down to Lake Ontario with only minor diversions (sometimes I have to cross a main street but the trail access is within close proximity).  It’s quite amazing that, in Toronto, you can travel in all directions for many kilometres through the ravine system.”

Marion Comper
Darlene Varaleau

“What I love about Bickford Park is meeting my neighbours for exercises; talking to people as I work in the pollinator garden; picnicking; and watching the lunar eclipse with everyone. I also love showing everyone the best indigenous murals in Toronto in the Bickford underpass”

Marylin Spearin

“I am very impressed by the variety of experiences available  in the Garrison  ravine. The busy vigour of Christie Pits (swimming, softball, barbecue pits, and the like) contrasted with the serenity of Bickford Park with greenery, benches, and indigenous art.”

“I love the calmness and natural beauty of my local ravine.  I enjoyed walking in the park. It gives me peace of mind.”

Belayneh Ayalew
Robert Moiti
Vera Kabo Tse

“My Ravine allows quiet reflection of space and time collapsed into a moment where you can see the birds in the tree ,while the squirrel runs by and the wind rustles the leaves and branches reminding us of our place as part of nature.”

Teresa Pinto

“What I love about my local ravine is just the fact that It’s quiet and peaceful. I can just sit by the water and meditate with the sound of trickling water and birds chirping. It’s a place to hide from the scorching sun in the summer, crunch the leaves in the fall, look for the flower buds in the spring and just stay put in the winter.”

“Something I love about Birkdale Ravine is how it feels like a hidden gem tucked right in the middle of the city. It’s peaceful, full of life, and has this calming energy that makes it the perfect spot to reconnect with nature, slow down, and reflect. It’s also a place that brings people together, whether you’re out for a walk, snapping photos, or just enjoying the sound of the creek.”

Hazema Wilson

“Birkdale Ravine is a beautiful place that evokes a sense of serenity for me. As an avid biker and stroller, it has always been my favorite go-to spot. This location is one of the perfect places to experience awe and relaxation. With its scenic trails, it’s ideal for reflecting on thoughts or sharing a moment with a loved one. I particularly enjoy the cozy atmosphere and beautiful scenery, surrounded by numerous trees and an elegant bridge!”

Edessa Andrada
Christopher Peterson

“I love how quiet and serene the ravine feels. When I walk through, there is always something new that comes to my attention”

Danielle Ng

“I love being able to feel my mind and body quiet and connect to the earth when I am in my local ravine.”

Learn more about the InTO the Ravines and InTO the Ravines Champions programs, and read about the City of Toronto’s Ravine Strategy.

Finding volunteers doesn’t have to feel like an uphill battle. With a little intention and care, your group can create a welcoming volunteer experience that keeps people coming back.

Doug Bennet from Friends of Sorauren Park has spent years supporting and growing the park group’s base of active volunteers. Here are some of his top tips to create an engaged, connected, and joyful volunteer team.

Make volunteer recruitment an ongoing priority

Early on in their work together, Doug and the Friends of Sorauren Park realized that volunteer outreach kept falling to the bottom of their agenda. To change that, they began dedicating entire meetings to honing their recruitment and volunteer engagement strategies.

This intentional focus helped them to build and maintain a strong and diverse core team that’s now large enough to pull off big park events without tiring out their members.

Here are some prompting questions to help kick off your volunteer recruitment strategy meeting:

Who are we looking to reach?
Who are our ideal volunteers? What skills, interests, or lived experiences would be valuable? Are there people in our neighbourhood or network who might love to help but haven’t been asked? Are there barriers that might be preventing people from getting involved (childcare, accessibility, communication style)? If so, how could we reduce these barriers? What’s the time commitment we require, and how can we also include people with busier schedules?

How will we find them?
Where do potential volunteers spend their time (either online or in-person)? How can we show up there? What stories, images, or messages might catch someone’s attention and inspire them to get involved?

How will we make volunteering feel welcoming and worthwhile? How will we make it clear what volunteers can expect and how they can help? What would help people feel confident and connected right away? How will we ask volunteers for feedback and ideas to improve their experience?

Make it easy for people to join your team

Now that you know who you’re looking for, and what they’ll be doing, you’re ready to plan your outreach activities.  

Think about the places your neighbours already spend time (such as community bulletin boards, local social media groups, farmers’ markets, libraries, or park events) and share a friendly, specific invitation to join your group. Use photos and stories that show what volunteering looks like, so people can picture themselves getting involved. Includes clear next steps like signing up for a newsletter or attending an upcoming event. The goal is to create lots of easy entry points for people to connect with your group.

You may want to test out a couple of approaches depending on your community, your capacity, and the technology you have available. For example, Friends of Sorauren Park first created a message board for volunteers, but found that they weren’t getting much traction.  They swapped the message board for a simple sign-up form and noticed an increase in volunteer interest.

Create a welcoming first impression

First impressions go a long way. A warm in-person introduction, a simple orientation email, or an invite to a casual planning meeting can all help set the tone for why someone would want to volunteer with you. Giving people a sense of what to expect also makes it easier for them to step in and feel like part of the team.

To make sure everyone feels properly welcomed, consider starting a Volunteer Ambassadors Program. Doug’s group has seen the value of experienced volunteers stepping up to welcome and mentor new folks. Ambassadors can help answer questions, share their knowledge, and create a positive first experience for newcomers.

Encourage connection and community

Over time, Doug noticed that volunteers who felt socially connected to the group were more likely to stay involved. Creating opportunities for people to get to know each other helps turn volunteering into something more meaningful than just a task. This could look like hosting a potluck, organizing a group photo at an event, or setting up a casual chat thread where people can share ideas and stay in touch.

Support new leaders

As your group grows, some volunteers will naturally want to take on bigger roles. It helps to plan for this and encourage their development by creating opportunities to build their skills and confidence over time. Workshops, training sessions, or even informal mentoring can help volunteers feel valued and supported.

Doug saw this in action at Friends of Sorauren Park. When he stepped down as Chair, long-time volunteer Joël Campbell was ready to step into the role. Joël had already led the group’s Adopt-A-Park-Tree program for several years, which gave him experience and built trust with the group. Because of this, the transition into leadership felt smooth and natural for Joël and for the whole team.
It’s great practice to continually consider who might take over when current leaders step away from the group, and then make sure they have the tools to do so with confidence.

Show Your Appreciation

You really can’t thank volunteers enough. Doug and the Friends of Sorauren Park make a point of highlighting volunteers in their communications, and they’ve also partnered with a local sponsor to host volunteer appreciation events.

Depending on the size of your group recognition might look different. If you’re not able to coordinate an event, consider posting photos on social media, sharing quotes from volunteers in a newsletter, or creating a simple infographic to show the impact of their work.

Recognition helps volunteers feel seen and reminds everyone that their time and efforts matter.

Thanks to Doug at Friends of Sorauren Park for the great insights that come from years of successful work with volunteers! 

A conversation with Michelle Dobbie, Manager Park and Natural Heritage Planning, City of Richmond Hill

This case study is part of the 2023 Canadian City Parks Report, showcasing Inspiring projects, people, and policies from across Canada that offer tangible solutions to the most pressing challenges facing city parks.

Summary

  • Ontario’s Bill 23 changed the amount of parkland and cash-in-lieu that municipalities receive, triggering concern about achieving municipal parkland goals.
  • An inter-municipal working group helped digest the legislation, share information, and devise advocacy strategies.
  • While the legislation remained mostly unchanged, the group was able to push back on certain elements and create long-term knowledge-sharing relationships.

Can you explain what Bill 23 is and the way it changes park development in Ontario?

It’s provincial legislation that amends the Planning Act, which governs how parkland is conveyed to municipalities, and the Development Charges Act, which governs how growth-related parkland and park facilities are funded. The bill has reduced the amount of parkland that municipalities will see conveyed, as well as the amount of funding to develop park amenities. It will also impact what types of parkland are acceptable in the future, subject to future regulations, including encumbered land and POPS (privately owned public space).

What do you think the rationale was on the provincial government’s side for making these changes?

I think the province was hearing a lot of consternation from the development industry on different fees that are charged to build housing. There was a lot of advocacy from the housing industry showing how much these fees added to the cost of new housing. And also how certain municipalities were not spending their parkland reserves. I think that those two things together, combined with the provincial government’s desire to provide more housing quickly, is what led to those changes.

A person walking on a bridge in the middle of vegetation
West Humber River, Greenbelt River Valley Connector Program

What are some of the short and long-term consequences of the changes?

On the short term side, a lot of municipalities are looking at their capital plan and trying to figure out whether they can still afford those things. In the long-term, I would say that communities built post-Bill 23 will have less parkland than pre-Bill 23 communities, so there is likely to be a bit of an inequity over time.

Why was it important to convene with other municipalities to discuss the implications of this bill? What did you hope would result?

It was mostly about knowledge-sharing and helping each other understand how we were anticipating advocating. Whether different municipalities were looking to advocate themselves or whether they were looking to advocate by way of other groups, like professional parks associations. There are now 12 participating municipalities represented by managers or senior park planners. People read things differently, so it was good to see how other people were understanding it and what they had heard from their sources.

People walking on  a bridge in the middle of vegetation
Headwater hike, Greenbelt, Park People

What kind of strategies did you use to get your message across?

We were focusing on council briefing notes and advocating messages through the Association of Municipalities in Ontario, Ontario Landscape Association, and the Ontario Professional Planners Institute who seemed to have a bit more of the ear of the government. There wasn’t much of a push to do a public campaign because the deadlines were just so quick.

What was the impact of this advocacy work?

They didn’t make changes to the reduced amount of parkland that municipalities will see conveyed or provided as cash-in-lieu, but they did claw back on developers providing encumbered land or POPS. That is now subject to future regulation, which hopefully will come with criteria such as land within walking distance of the site. And the proposal that developers would be able to suggest lands that are off site to be conveyed–that’s subject to future regulation as well. Those were some pretty good changes.

We also continue to hold monthly virtual forums when participants have questions or issues. Additionally, we email each other with issues that arise where we can learn from each other.

What advice do you have for other municipal practitioners in Canada who may find themselves needing to advocate against provincial changes?

I think what makes progress is when a number of different groups with credibility on a specific matter are on the same message. So figure out the groups that are aligned with your position and then emphasize the same key messages and concerns. If you can get a sense of which groups are being listened to by the provincial government, then you have a chance of your message being heard a little bit louder than if you go it alone. Sometimes you’ll be successful and sometimes you won’t. But every small gain on the things we’re dealing with–the places where people play–is a gain that is useful.

Recommendations

  • Building strong intermunicipal working groups can help align actions in specific advocacy moments, but can also create a long-term forum to share knowledge and strategies on other park issues.
  • If time allows, a public campaign can help spread awareness of provincial changes by demystifying often opaque legislative changes, situating them as real world impacts in people’s lives, and encouraging residents and community associations to voice their concern with their representatives.
  • Building a cross-sectoral coalition of groups, including municipalities and professional organizations as well as aligned community groups and non-profits, can be a more powerful way to get the ear of government than advocating municipality by municipality.

Collaborating for Social Connection and Vibrant Parks

Join us and hundreds of park changemakers—NGOs, community groups, municipal staff, and advocates from across the Greater Toronto Area and beyond—for a day of knowledge sharing, connection, and inspiration. 

This network-wide event gathers those dedicated to creating vibrant, accessible, and climate-resilient parks and public spaces.

Join the conversation on the future of city parks in Toronto, explore potential collaborations, and gain fresh perspectives from diverse voices in the community.

Ticket Pricing

  • Government & Park Professionals: $25
  • NGOs: $15
  • Community members: $5

Agenda

12:00 PM

Check-in

Join us from 12:00 pm at Daniels Spectrum. In between talks, take part in engaging activities, meet like-minded people, and discover new initiatives at our community stations.

1:00 PM

Welcome & Keynote

With Ange Loft, Interdisciplinary Artist, who will reflect on Indigenous connections, partners, and aspirations that deepen Indigenous presence in parks.

3:00 PM

Panel Discussion

Park leaders will share insights and inspiring stories on how community-driven initiatives and local collaborations are transforming parks into vibrant spaces that foster social connection.

With:

  • Ana Cuciureanu from Splash on Earth & City of Toronto
  • Julia Hitchcock from Apothecary’s Garden and Teaching Gardens at Churchill Park
  • Shakhlo Sharipova from Thorncliffe Park Autism Support Network

This panel will be moderated by Eunice Wong, Lead Researcher at Monumental.

4:00 PM

Time to Mingle

Enjoy finger food while exchanging ideas, sharing inspiring projects, and envisioning the future of our urban parks.

Register now

Secure your spot on Eventbrite

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Daniels Spectrum

Daniels Spectrum is located on the unceded Ancestral shared lands of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and the Mississaugas of the Credit Nations.

Daniels Spectrum is a community cultural hub in Toronto’s Regent Park neighbourhood. It is home to many outstanding arts-based and community-focused organizations, and contains several event, performance and exhibition spaces that host tens of thousands of visitors and hundreds of arts and cultural events each year.

We encourage you to visit the Daniels Spectrum Hallway Galleries (free and open to the public) before or after the summit to explore the ongoing art exhibitions, which showcase the work of talented artists from Regent Park and beyond.

FAQ & Practical Information

Building access: 

Daniels Spectrum is fully accessible by Ontario standards. Barrier-free access to the building via the Dundas Street entrance.

Amenities and Support: 

  • All washrooms and drinking fountains are accessible 
  • Signage throughout the building are in braille 
  • Support person and service dogs are welcome 
  • Hearing assist devices are available upon request

Email Cynthia Hashie to let us know how we can support your attendance at chashie@parkpeople.ca

This event will be facilitated in English.

Daniels Spectrum is located at 585 Dundas St E, Toronto, ON M5A 2B7. The main entrance is on Regent Park Blvd, barrier-free entrance is on Dundas Street.

Parking

Paid public parking at Daniels Spectrum is available in a lot located underneath the building  (approx. 100 spaces). The vehicle entrance is located at the rear of the building, accessed via Sackville Street on the western side of the building. Parking is $10.00 for 8 hours. We encourage you to come via public transit if possible.

Public transportation:

  • Streetcar: The 505 Dundas and 506 Carlton streetcars stop at Dundas St. E. & Sackville St., a short walk from the venue.
  • Bus: Route 65 Parliament stops at Dundas St. E. & Parliament St., a 5-minute walk away.
  • Subway: From Castle Frank Station (Line 2) or Queen Station (Line 1), take the 65 Parliament bus south to Dundas St. E.

Cycling: A Bike Share station is located a 12-minute walk away.

If transportation assistance is needed, please let us know, and we can arrange coverage upon request.

Music will be playing in the background during the event. It will be at low/moderate volume. 

Interaction level will be high. Participants are encouraged to initiate conversations and engage in discussion with others. However, this is optional.

We’ll be serving a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, and finger foods—including gluten-free and vegan options—during the networking session following the talks. Water stations will be on-site, so we encourage you to bring a reusable bottle to help reduce waste.

The Toronto Park Summit is rain or shine as the event is indoors. 

Naturalizing the mouth of Toronto’s Don River

This case study is part of the 2023 Canadian City Parks Report, showcasing Inspiring projects, people, and policies from across Canada that offer tangible solutions to the most pressing challenges facing city parks.

Summary

  • Many Canadian cities have networks of streams that were buried or channelized as part of urban development processes that viewed nature as an obstacle to be tamed.
  • Recent “daylighting” projects to restore buried streams are taking place to restore biodiversity, watershed health, and manage flooding due to climate change.
  • Toronto’s Don Mouth Naturalization project is the largest such project in the country, using techniques that will work with water flows rather than against them.

The Don River, which runs north-south through Toronto and ends at Lake Ontario, has a long and complicated history. As The Globe and Mail points out, the river has provided transportation and food for Indigenous Peoples, been a boon to beekeepers, used as an industrial and human waste dump, was once perfumed for a royal visit, caught on fire twice, and finally was partially filled in and straightened in the early late 19th and early 20th centuries.

In the words of Jennifer Bonnell, York University professor and author of Reclaiming the Don: the Don is the “most-messed-with-river” in Canada.

Toronto isn’t alone in mistreating its waterways. Many Canadian cities went on a similar crusade of burying, channelizing or filling in streams, rivers, and marshes to make way for urban development. Nature was often viewed as a thing to be tamed, rather than a force to be understood and respected.

Our survey found that 17% of cities have projects, planned or completed, to “daylight” buried rivers by restoring them to the surface, such as Vancouver’s Tatlow and Volunteer Park Stream Restoration project. Other projects approach daylighting through public art, as in the case of Toronto’s Garrison Creek, including murals that celebrate the importance of water to Indigenous Peoples.

Toronto is currently deep into a years-long, billion dollar project to “un-mess” the Don River. Led by Waterfront Toronto in coordination with the City of Toronto, the Don Mouth Naturalization and Port Lands Flood Protection project, aims to restore natural habitat and safeguard adjacent areas from flooding at the same time.

A wiman hlding an explanation paper with a map on a construction site
Don River Naturalization Project, Waterfront Toronto, 2023. Credit: Sean Brathwaite, Park People.

Waterfront Toronto is designing with natural forces rather than against them in the Don Mouth Naturalization project. By re-introducing the river’s meandering path as it meets the lake, the project will slow the flow of water, while new riverbanks are designed specifically to flood, protecting new neighbourhoods that will be built up around them. In a major storm–more common due to climate change–the Don River could see “water equivalent to two-thirds of Niagara Falls” flow down its length.

As Waterfront Toronto Parks and Public Realm Project Director Shannon Baker told Park People in 2021, the goal is not to block water or prevent it from rising and ebbing, but “to accept it and just be resilient to it in the same way that a natural system would be.” For example, vegetation was carefully selected for species that “can bend and flex and allow water to move through.” The riverbank is divided up into different sections from upland forest at the top of bank down to submergent (underwater) marsh, each with their own planting palette.

Construction site with tractors
Don River Naturalization Project, Waterfront Toronto, 2023. Credit: Sean Brathwaite, Park People.

The task is gargantuan–the largest urban construction project in the country. It has involved moving and cleaning tons of earth, shaping and stabilizing riverbanks using techniques like wood anchors and shale rock, and plantings to support a new river ecology and habitats. Finally park spaces will be created along the edges with various programming, including new trails, beaches, and areas for boat launches to allow for more interaction with the lake.

In the end, by placing the rivermouth back in its natural state, the hope is that all of this engineering will be invisible to anyone enjoying the newly created spaces. While the scale of this project is enormous, it still offers lessons for other cities looking to renaturalize and daylight formerly buried and channeled waterways, reconfiguring their relationship to water from one of control to one of mutual respect.

Recommendations

  • Raise public awareness of buried urban streams and channelized waterways by publishing maps, partnering with organizations to offer guided walks, and commissioning public art.
  • Explore opportunities in new or existing parks to daylight portions of buried urban streams to advance both climate change resilience goals (e.g., flood protection, water infiltration, increased biodiversity) and recreation opportunities (e.g., water interaction, natural respite).
  • Integrate lessons on working with water rather than against it into smaller park projects by introducing green infrastructure elements like rain gardens, bioswales, and permeable paving where possible.

Pumpkin parades are a creative way to celebrate local creativity and give carved jack-o’-lanterns a second life. 

Usually held the next evening after Halloween, pumpkin parades encourage neighbours to light up local pathways and parks in a stunning display of community spirit. Free, family-friendly, and great for photos, these parades also encourage sustainability as volunteers arrange to compost submissions after the parade is over.

Pumpkin parades are also a made-in-Canada phenomenon! Back in 2004, the Friends of Sorauren Park kicked off the trend when they organized local residents to publicly display their creations in the park. From about 100 pumpkins in that first year to over 3,000 today—and with copycat parades now being held across the continent—the pumpkin parade is here to stay. 

Ready to turn your own park or neighborhood into a glowing showcase? Here’s a step-by-step guide to make your pumpkin parade a smashing success.

Find Your Own Path

Take a walk around the park with your community park group to choose the best route for your pumpkin parade. It can be hard to predict how many jack-o-lanterns will be part of your parade in the first year, so make sure you have the flexibility to make the path longer if necessary. Keep wheelchair and stroller accessibility in mind, and find opportunities to place pumpkins on different levels for optimum visibility.

Take Care of Paperwork

Most park events of this size require a permit. In Toronto, there’s even a special Pumpkin Parade permit which makes the compost process simple and affordable. Check with your municipality or parks department to see if you require a permit or special insurance. 

Spread the Word

For effective (and free!) promotions, use social media to post in neighbourhood groups and email community centers, elementary schools, local businesses, and your city councillor asking them to spread the word through their own newsletters, bulletin boards, and social accounts. Put up posters in high-traffic areas like libraries, coffee shops, and grocery stores, and distribute flyers at local events leading up to the parade. Engage local media outlets—like newspapers, radio stations, and blogs—to feature the event in their community calendars. Finally, invite community members to help with promotion by tagging friends or sharing photos of their pumpkins as they prepare for the big night. The more people feel connected to the event, the more excitement and turnout you’ll generate!

Schedule Your Volunteers

You’ll need a few helping hands to prepare a great parade. Schedule a few volunteers to arrive early to get the pathway started and help people place their pumpkins. Community members can drop off jack-o-lanterns earlier than you might expect, with the after-school period being the most convenient time for many. Our park group experts advise groups to be on-site by 3:30pm.

Volunteers can also distribute candles and help to light (and re-light) jack-o-lanterns throughout the night. Finally, you’ll want to have volunteers set up a table to collect sign-ups for your e-newsletter and ask people if they want to sign on to volunteer for next year’s Pumpkin Parade.

People watching aligned carved pumpkins and lighten in the dark at night
Pumpkin parade, Sorauren park, Toronto. Credit: Friends of Sorauren Park

Leave No Trace

Will you clean up the park the night of the Parade or the next morning? Either way, you’ll need lots of volunteers with wheelbarrows or wagons to efficiently move the pumpkins from the ground to the compost bin, and to remove all of the candles from the jack-o-lanterns. The City of Toronto supports this effort by providing organic waste bins, and the pumpkins are turned into compost that can be used in parks and gardens throughout the city.

Make sure to let people know what to bring and what time to gather.  

Tips & Bonus Ideas

  • Competitive Cleanup: Make clean-up fun by splitting your crew into teams and setting up a pumpkin toss competition. You can allot points for presentation, follow-through, and speed. The prize doesn’t have to be more than bragging rights.
  • Music and Lights? While there’s something to be said for the simplicity of Pumpkin Parades, you can add drama to the event by introducing spooky music and lights. 
  • Offer Hot Beverages and Snacks. There’s nothing like warm drinks to set the scene on a chilly night. Consider serving hot chocolate, coffee or cider to your volunteers and the public— just be sure to check public health regulations and permit requirements about serving food in the park.
  • Engage the Arts Community. There are hidden artists in every community! Invite local visual artists to make special jack-o-lanterns that can be displayed at local businesses before the event as a promotional tool.

How Brampton is fusing nature and recreation through its Eco Park Strategy

This case study is part of the 2023 Canadian City Parks Report, showcasing Inspiring projects, people, and policies from across Canada that offer tangible solutions to the most pressing challenges facing city parks.

Summary

  • Naturalization projects, while offering key social and environmental benefits, can also trigger community concerns due to the potential loss of park space for other activities and worries about the visual appearance of these spaces.
  • Brampton uses a citywide strategy as well as a point scoring system to locate suitable space in parks for naturalization projects in collaboration with community stewards to ensure well-informed decisions.
  • To address challenges associated with naturalization projects, focus on early internal staff buy-in, community involvement in site selection, stewardship programs, and communication with clear signage.

More cities across Canada are prioritizing the naturalization of existing parkland. Converting manicured parkland into natural meadows has multiple benefits including increasing climate resilience, biodiversity, and nature connection for residents.

Field with growing native plants and a restoration sign
Meadow Restoration Area, the Meadoway, Toronto

However, these projects have also proven controversial. For example, Vancouver’s “no-mow” pilot project, which naturalized certain sections of parks, was met with opposition by some residents who viewed the spaces as unkempt–a challenge that many other cities in Canada have reported facing.

Karley Cianchino thinks a lot about park naturalization. As City of Brampton Environmental Project Specialist, Cianchino’s job is to plan parks collaboratively with communities through the lens of nature.

Brampton prioritizes naturalization projects using its unique Eco Park Strategy–a citywide strategy that contains principles for conserving and enhancing both natural and cultural heritage. The strategy includes a helpful tool in understanding how to plan spaces, situating them on a scale from highly naturalized systems to high functioning social systems, recognizing that most places are a blend.

Diagram of naturalized and social system for the Brampton Eco Park Strategy

“If a park has a low environmental score, then we’ll look for opportunities to bring some restoration work forward.”

Karley Cianchino, City of Brampton Environmental Project Specialist

No matter how good they are, strategies have a habit of sitting on a shelf gathering dust. To ensure that doesn’t happen, Cianchino said that she does a lot of internal coordination, including a bi-monthly Eco Park meeting, as well as “casual conversations” with colleagues about new projects and discussing how to incorporate the Eco Park objectives. For example, if a park is undergoing upgrades, perhaps that’s an opportunity to incorporate naturalization work. This approach not only minimizes redundant community engagement and resource allocation but also enhances synergy between projects.

Not all of these projects go off without a hitch, however. Recently the city naturalized a large section of Dearbourne Park–the first time the city had brought its naturalization program to a busy neighbourhood park. It wasn’t received well, Cianchino said, with residents pointing out they had lost park space they used for other activities.

People coming together in a park with a Pollinator habitat sign
Community consultation, Dearbourne park pollinator habitat, City of Brampton, 2023

The city held a community meeting with residents who selected a smaller 10,000 square foot space in the park to be a programmed pollinator habitat, which would be stewarded by the community group Cianchino created with ongoing support from the city. In the future Cianchino said she wants to implement a QR code system in locations identified for potential naturalization asking residents to let the city know how they currently use the space.

Supporting community stewards will be a key part of the project’s ongoing success. Working with volunteers, Cianchino led the group’s first “bio blitz,” where residents measure the number of pollinators before the planting of native species this fall. Cianchino also works with the group to discuss what people can do in their own yards to support naturalization efforts. The core of the Eco Park Strategy, she said, is a series of linked habitats and green corridors,

“and you can’t just do that through public land. It’s critical that we educate landowners and help them build capacity to naturalize their spaces in a manner that works for them.”

Karley Cianchino, City of Brampton Environmental Project Specialist

Recommendations

  • Ensure both internal staff and community consultation on locations for naturalization projects to minimize challenges regarding operational issues and community buy-in.
  • Provide local councillors with education on naturalization benefits as well as common concerns so they’re able to speak to residents confidently and answer questions.
  • Pair naturalization projects with community stewardship opportunities to bring more residents into the project longer term and foster a sense of shared responsibility over the new spaces.

Further Reading:

According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, children and youth in grades 6 to 10 report playing outdoors for just 15 minutes per day on average.  

This has serious consequences for their health and wellbeing: children spending less time outdoors has been linked to decreased appreciation of the environment, health problems including obesity and vitamin D deficiency, attention difficulties, and higher rates of emotional illnesses like anxiety and depression.

Moving youth programming outdoors to a park is a wonderful opportunity to connect kids with nature, foster creativity, and encourage physical activity. So, how can we encourage young people to leave the couch and reconnect with nature? 

We spoke with Shakeera Solomon from Vision of Hope Resource Centre in Brampton—who received a TD Park People Grant in 2019—about what they learned when they brought their monthly Youth Council programming outdoors into the park.

Here are Shakeera’s tips for moving your indoor programming outside.

Assess Your Surroundings

First up, observe your local park to see which aspects could be appealing for youth and suitable for your programs. Check for amenities like restrooms, shaded areas, picnic tables, and open spaces. Identify any potential safety hazards (such as bodies of water or uneven ground) that might require extra supervision for youth participants.

Next, take note of the surrounding area: are you near a school, convenience store, or other location that youth are already drawn to? If so, this could make your park a great spot for outreach! 

When Vision of Hope chose to move their monthly Youth Council meetings from the east Brampton Resource Centre, they picked Anne Nash Park—a small, local park with just a modest play area because of its prime location beside an elementary school. This way, the Youth Council caught the attention of kids from the elementary school and those passing by on their way home from school. Their new visibility helped the Youth Council attract many more members who now regularly attend meetings and events. 

Tips:

  • Where possible, choose parks that are close to transit stops and accessible for people with disabilities.
  • Consider your available facilities, and what might need to be brought from elsewhere. For example, plan to bring portable handwashing stations or hand sanitizer if restrooms are unavailable.
  • Determine your “Plan B” in case of poor weather. Are there covered areas available in your park, or would you need to postpone your programming?

Involve the Whole Community

Hosting a gathering in a park is a great way to deepen relationships in your community. By involving parents, park staff, and other partner organizations in your outdoor programming, you can help create stronger community bounds.

As Shakeera explains, when youth-focused programs happened indoors, parents would wait on the sidelines and kill time on their own. But when programming moved into the park, parents interacted in a whole new way. In the small park, it became awkward for parents not to talk, and so they started chatting and getting to know one another. When parents connect, there are many benefits, particularly in an underserved community. Parents who know one another are much more likely to support each other and build resilience in times of need.

Tips:

  • Check with your local park authorities to see if permits are required and ensure the program aligns with park rules.
  • Communicate with parents in advance, providing clear instructions about the location, schedule, and what kids should bring (e.g., water bottles, sturdy shoes, weather-appropriate clothing).
  • Consider contacting local nature or environment-focused groups to partner on your programming. Could they offer special activities for your youth?

Get Inspired by Your Park

Adapting indoor activities to the outdoor environment offers incredible opportunities to get creative. For example, storytelling can become a nature scavenger hunt, and art projects can use natural materials. Think about how you’ll use the unique character of your park to inspire your youth participants, and how you might encourage them to feel a sense of ownership and responsibility towards the space.

Shakeera told us bringing programming to the park helped the youth feel that the space was truly theirs. She was even surprised when her group eagerly suggested organizing a park clean-up. That’s when she realized the park had really become “their place.”

“They were so proud of what they accomplished for their park.”

Shakeera Solomon, Vision of Hope Resource Centre

She observed their pride when they posed for a team photo with gloves and garbage bags.

Tips

  • Establish outdoor rules for safety and respect for nature, such as “stay within boundaries” and “leave no trace.”
  • Take advantage of the park’s environment with activities like leaf rubbings, bug hunts, birdwatching, or tree identification.
  • Encourage creative play using natural elements like sticks, rocks, and leaves.
  • Ensure activities accommodate all abilities and provide alternative options as needed. Balance high-energy activities like relay races with calmer ones like nature journaling or storytime.

Ravines and Resilience – Toronto’s Ravines and Climate Change

Our city and our ravines were shaped by past extreme weather events. Looking ahead, our ravines can help us be more climate-resilient. But first, we need to protect them.

In this webinar, David MacLeod, Senior Environmental Specialist with the City of Toronto, and Carbon Conversations TO explore how these natural spaces can mitigate climate impacts and the steps we must take to protect them.

The webinar is held in English; French subtitles are available.