Toronto Love Park | 3m | 1s | City of Toronto | CCxA

There is a need for more park space, even as too much of what's there is underfunded. The City is growing exponentially and buying land is unlikely to get any cheaper. There is also a dedicated power (S.42) that requires parkland or cash-in-lieu from most large rezoning applications.

The thing is, Parks needs to improve its technical expertise in design; both to elevate it, but also to be conscious how it will be maintained in real-word conditions. The cost of that maintenance needs to be funded by Council, each and every time a new park is approved.
I get that. It's just it's pretty evident from all the need to "cut waste" from the budget narrative, there was really never any waste to begin with...and our parks, among many other things have suffered for it. Fiscal responsibility is about allocating money towards things that are needed...and in not doing so, it has become its own form of waste in the irony. Therefore, it isn't rocket science if we wish to build more parks, the money is not only needed to build it soundly but maintaining it too.
 
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Will the canopy wiring have an actual roof for stuff like rain protection? Or is it just an oversized trellis for vines? (no judgement, would look cool either way)
 
I don't see this park matching the massive success of Berczy Park by the same firm, simply because the heart shaped pond element isn't all that obvious at the pedestrian level (unlike a fountain of dogs squirting water from their mouths). That along with the City's tendency to do a poor job keeping water elements in parks running. Still nice to see new parks get proper design attention though.
 
I don't see this park matching the massive success of Berczy Park by the same firm, simply because the heart shaped pond element isn't all that obvious at the pedestrian level (unlike a fountain of dogs squirting water from their mouths). That along with the City's tendency to do a poor job keeping water elements in parks running. Still nice to see new parks get proper design attention though.

Ponds are great landscape features that do, in fact, attract people regardless of whether heart shaped or not. They're not that complicated to maintain, either, if there's no fountain. Love Park's pond would potentially be a nice place to skate in the winter.

Montreal has many neighbourhood parks with ornamental ponds, which attract many people, like St. Viateur Park. I'd like to see more parks with ponds, as they make landscapes more interesting and picturesque.
 
I made it down here on my walk yesterday. Photos from 3 sides (north, east and south) taken March 20th, 2023: General note: Most site furniture is now present, some is out, and placed, but the rest is under wraps and ready to go.

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Ok, just stop and look at this image below; look at the way the different path materials are woven together and executed. That is why you hire Cormier.

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Soft opening imminent??
I think not : they still have more of the pathways to finish around the pond and best to give the plantings time to take. The pumping station is also unfinished. I suspect we will see a soft opening in mid to late May when the Lake will be filled.
 
There goes the soft opining folks were hopping for. No soft opening was to happen before July going back to last year review.

Waterfront Toronto began work on Love Park (York Street Park) in July 2021, which will be a 2-acre park located at the southern foot of York Street and Queens Quay West in the southern Financial District and Harbourfront neighbourhood.

Beginning April 12, the construction fence limits on the eastern edge of the park will be extended to remove the existing pathway curb and to pour concrete for the park’s new pathways and curbs that have been designed to seamlessly integrate with the surrounding sidewalks. This fence extension will close the pedestrian pathway on the east side of the site running alongside 88 Queens Quay West - WaterPark Place.

Once this work is completed, the fence will be returned to its current location and the pathway will be reopened for pedestrian access. This work is expected to be completed by the end of April 2023.

Construction of Love Park is expected to be complete in June 2023. Waterfront Toronto will continue to provide construction updates as plans are finalized and work progresses.
 

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