Toronto: Lake Ontario Park Development

Jackhammer · #1 Posted: **Jan 31, 2007, 4:51 AM**

Lake Ontario Park -Public Meeting January 17, 2007:

The plans are in and I am impressed. This park will be a jewel. The park will incorporate everything from new and upgraded beaches, pedestrian walks, naturist havens, recreation facilities and new ferry docks. A lot of thought and detail has gone into these plans .... so much that I am unable to summarize the entire project. If you are interested the pdf for the plans can be viewed at http://www.towaterfront.ca/dbdocs//4...8fb3e75804477f.

However, a picture is worth a thousand words ... so below is a few thousand words that lay this project out.

THE PARK:

THE VIEWS:

DOCKS:

BEACHES:

RECREATION/CULTURAL:

NATURE:

MonkeyRonin · #2 Posted: **Jan 31, 2007, 5:16 AM**

Meh.. landscape wise it looks quite dull. It would be much nicer to have some nice thick forest there, not these plain fields and grasslands..

Taller Better · #3 Posted: **Jan 31, 2007, 5:40 AM**

I think it looks amazing , and am very excited about it.

Tony · #4 Posted: **Jan 31, 2007, 12:04 PM**

lol, those renderings are pretty damned bad.

Moshgirl got better treatment than this!

WhipperSnapper · #5 Posted: **Jan 31, 2007, 3:49 PM**

ummm ... yeah; let's throw The Beach in there

caltrane74 · #6 Posted: **Jan 31, 2007, 4:34 PM**

I like it. Not bad.

I thought it would be a forest too.. but its still nice. And big too!!

sl64 · #7 Posted: **Feb 11, 2007, 9:56 PM**

I like the walkways along the water - should be busy, especially in the summer time, and more importantly (maybe just for me) provide some awesome skyline views. The trails, though, looks hopelessly barren and desolate. I hope the plans call for significant tree planting in some of these areas, because in the renderings they look as derelict and forgotten as they do now.

zerokarma · #8 Posted: **Feb 12, 2007, 3:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonkeyRonin

Meh.. landscape wise it looks quite dull. It would be much nicer to have some nice thick forest there, not these plain fields and grasslands..

Yea I agree

WhipperSnapper · #9 Posted: **Feb 12, 2007, 7:45 PM**

^^I disagree. The Lake Ontario plan is more a renovation/creation of public spaces within an existing naturalized grassland area - turning it into an 'artificial' forest would be very costly with a high failure rate and destroy the thriving ecosystem that is there now

psychosomatic · #10 Posted: **Feb 13, 2007, 1:17 AM**

I think the park definitely needs some dense forest, to add variety to the landscape. Im not calling for the entire thing to be planted, just certain areas. There seemed to already be some thick tree-growth in the photo labeled "wild landscapes". maybe that could be expanded. In addition, I think Toronto would be best served by converting the blight that is the Islands Airport into a vast (200 acre) park.

WHISTLERINMUSKOKA · #11 Posted: **Feb 13, 2007, 2:04 AM**

It's not really possible to maintain a thick forest on the lakeshore. The soil and growing conditions would be constantly working against it. Beach trees such as willows, birch and elm grow well in sandy soil just look at Toronto Island, no real thick forest over there.

miketoronto · #12 Posted: **Feb 13, 2007, 3:22 AM**

Toronto does not go the manicured big city park style like the American cities.

Toronto likes to leave things natural. Even High Park is left mostly natural. May not look as nice, but thats the style of the city when it comes to open space. Very simple natural landscapes.

OrientExpress · #13 Posted: **Feb 13, 2007, 1:57 PM**

Nice!

tradlak · #14 Posted: **Feb 13, 2007, 3:23 PM**

Pioneer species such as birch, aspen, black locust and poplar would do fine here and provide the shade trees desired while promoting ecological succession.

Taller Better · #15 Posted: **Feb 13, 2007, 4:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by goodlookin'

^^I disagree. The Lake Ontario plan is more a renovation/creation of public spaces within an existing naturalized grassland area - turning it into an 'artificial' forest would be very costly with a high failure rate and destroy the thriving ecosystem that is there now

Agreed. I don't think it would even flourish.

WhipperSnapper · #16 Posted: **Feb 13, 2007, 7:36 PM**

Quote:

I think the park definitely needs some dense forest, to add variety to the landscape. Im not calling for the entire thing to be planted, just certain areas. There seemed to already be some thick tree-growth in the photo labeled "wild landscapes". maybe that could be expanded. In addition, I think Toronto would be best served by converting the blight that is the Islands Airport into a vast (200 acre) park.

The type of trees rooting in the "wild landscape" areas are not the oaks and maples we Torontonians are accustomed to so I doubt they'd be satisfactory for those wanted a forested area.

Commisioners Park, a 100 acre re-development of brownfields and industrial uses, (not a sensitive, pre-existing naturalized area home to hundreds of thousands of migrating birds) will be a forested, landscape area with sitelines competing with Central Park in NYC

How many of you have actually been in Tommy Thompson Park or Cherry Beach?

Taller Better · #17 Posted: **Feb 14, 2007, 7:23 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by goodlookin'

The type of trees rooting in the "wild landscape" areas are not the oaks and maples we Torontonians are accustomed to so I doubt they'd be satisfactory for those wanted a forested area.

Commisioners Park, a 100 acre re-development of brownfields and industrial uses, (not a sensitive, pre-existing naturalized area home to hundreds of thousands of migrating birds) will be a forested, landscape area with sitelines competing with Central Park in NYC

How many of you have actually been in Tommy Thompson Park or Cherry Beach?

I don't think most people actually know their city very well, or take advantage of wooded areas like the massive ravine system going north of Bloor for about 26 miles. Or even take advantage of the beaches, etc..

icescraper · #18 Posted: **Feb 22, 2007, 1:25 AM**

What I like about this is its doable and shows vision that we as a city can afford unlike an Olympics. I'm all for it. - ice

Policy Wonk · #19 Posted: **Feb 28, 2007, 2:22 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by psychosomatic

In addition, I think Toronto would be best served by converting the blight that is the Islands Airport into a vast (200 acre) park.

That will never happen, the costs associated with reclaiming an airport that has been opperating for 70 years are too great, not to mention the federal government and TPA have no intention of closing it.

zerokarma · #20 Posted: **Feb 28, 2007, 3:21 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by icescraper

What I like about this is its doable and shows vision that we as a city can afford unlike an Olympics. I'm all for it. - ice

I wouldn't be too hopeful, many years later we still aren't doing anything with Downsview.