A New Way to Tell the Waterfront Story

Our city is changing. And so is the way that we're telling the story of our waterfront  and the work we're doing to revitalize it.

POSTED: OCTOBER 31, 2014
BY: ANDREW HILTON

What’s been done on the waterfront so far – both above and below ground? What will Toronto’s waterfront look like when the revitalization vision is fully realized? What value is being provided to Toronto through waterfront revitalization? These are all good questions, and we hear them frequently – from citizens, from journalists and even from those who live and work on the waterfront.

The waterfront is an important part of our city and its importance is increasing as the city grows and evolves. Over $1 billion dollars has already been invested by the federal, provincial and municipal governments in waterfront revitalization.  So, at Waterfront Toronto we think it’s important for you to know how your money is being spent and what you are getting for it. After all, this is your waterfront, this is your city – you have every right to know what is happening.

Part of Waterfront Toronto’s mandate includes consulting with the public on our projects and explaining the impact waterfront revitalization has on our city and on its residents.  In the past, we have pointed people to our website for information. It has a lot of content on just about everything we do, how we work, our mandate and more.

Now, half-way through our 20-year mandate and with many projects completed or nearing completion, we are at a different phase of waterfront revitalization. We still have plenty of work ahead of us and many decisions to be made about how that will be done.  

A New Approach

With that in mind, we also think we are at a new and different communication phase. And so, we are building a new approach, one that focuses on telling the many stories – through video, text, graphics and other ways – that we hope will break down and explain our mandate, and help connect the dots: What’s the relationship between a new park, a bike path, a new building and new infrastructure below the ground? How do they add up to something larger than the sum of their parts? How will they change Toronto’s waterfront? What does it mean for you?

This weekend we launch a new video about the waterfront and its role in supporting the larger changes going on in Toronto; the exponential growth in the downtown population, the continuing transformation of Toronto into a leading global city, and the increasing focus on Toronto as one of the best places in the world to live.

The waterfront has an impact on Toronto’s economic health; revitalization is not just about parks, it’s supporting this city’s ability to be economically competitive over the long-term. That value – the benefits that revitalization is generating for the city – is a story that we need to tell.

And we want you to know more about the plan for the next 10 years to complete the waterfront vision.

We think this is important to anyone who is passionate about the future of our city.

A Tool to Share

Soon, we will be sharing this video with our partners, the many government agencies, organizations, businesses and community groups that are responsible for marketing Toronto to the world, growing Toronto’s economy, attracting tourists and more. They all have a stake in the future of the waterfront, and we are inviting them to use this video to help tell their own stories about Toronto.

Over the coming months, we will be providing our partners and all Torontonians with more information for all to see and to use.