Corktown Common borders the Canary District, a mixed-use development that initially housed athletes during the 2015 Pan Am/ParaPan Am Games. The park incorporates a raised landform that protects the eastern part of downtown (including the Canary District) from flooding.
PROJECT Corktown Common Park and Pavilion, West Don Lands, Toronto, Ontario

DESIGNERS Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Inc. Landscape Architects (park) and Maryann Thompson Architects, Inc. (pavilion)

TEXT Jon Scott Blanthorn

PHOTOS Nicola Betts, unless otherwise noted
Toronto?s waterfront has been a place of contention for residents and politicians for many decades. In 1971, when Toronto celebrated the opening of Eb Zeidler, FRAIC?s futuristic Ontario Place, there was hope that the banks of Lake Ontario would usher in a new wave of development for public enjoyment. Yet few of the discussed plans came to fruition. And while subsequent builds around Queens Quay serviced the downtown core, other than the Waterfront Trail for cyclists there was no singular vision to unite the communities that stretched the full length of the Greater Toronto Area for almost 30 years. Private developers eventually began fragmenting the waterfront with large-scale condominiums. A tangible promise of change came in 2000, when the federal, provincial and municipal governments each committed $500 million to renew one of Canada?s largest designated waterfront areas. Together, they established Waterfront Toronto to bring together...