Mimico Waterfront Park

From Norris Crescent Parkette in the west,
to Humber Bay Park West in the east,
along the shore of Lake Ontario

Mimico Waterfront Park provides over a kilometre of beautiful new shoreline park space in a part of Toronto’s western waterfront that historically lacked public access. The public can now enjoy recreational activities along the multi-use trail and enhanced shoreline, which provides a stunning water’s-edge route to walk, cycle or skate through the neighbourhood.

A unique and accessible urban gem, the meandering park not only enhances the area and connects the local community to the lake, but also helps to re-establish Mimico as a recreational destination for the entire city to enjoy.

Located on the shore of Lake Ontario in Etobicoke, Mimico Waterfront Park provides 1.1 kilometres of shoreline park space between Norris Crescent Parkette and Humber Bay Park West.

Quick Facts

Size:

1.1 kilometres along the water’s edge

Design Team:

Cosburn Nauboris Ltd., park design, including landscaping

Planning and Construction Team:

Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA)

Waterfront Toronto, in partnership with Toronto and Region Conservation, opened the first 600 metre (Phase One) western portion of the park in 2008. The final 500 metres of linear park (Phase Two) provides the missing link in the city’s waterfront trail and enables Torontonians to enjoy the lakefront west of Humber Bay Park West for the first time. The second and final phase was completed and opened to the public in October 2012.

Mimico Waterfront Park was designed with sustainability and the native ecology of the area as key considerations. Shoreline restoration and enhancements to terrestrial and aquatic habitats were vital elements of the park’s design. The park was constructed through a lake-filling process along a narrow section of the existing shoreline in order to connect existing local parks.

In addition to adding a new section of the very popular multi-use waterfront trail, Phase One also included the creation of shoreline, embayment and breakwater features, and terrestrial and aquatic habitat enhancements. Phase Two included native plantings and the creation of small pockets of wetland habitat between the boardwalk and shoreline that provide fish and wildlife habitat and soften the shoreline treatment.

Phase One, which opened in 2008, begins at Norris Crescent Parkette and stretches east to Superior Avenue. Phase Two, which begins at Superior Avenue and stretches east to Humber Bay Park West, began in July 2011 and was completed and opened to the public in October 2012.

illustrative map showing the two phases of work

phase one

Phase One ran east from Norris Crescent Parkette to Superior Avenue and created two small headlands, three cobble beaches, a rounded shoreline at the foot of Superior Avenue and a new section of the very popular multi-use waterfront trail. A partly sheltered embayment, a boardwalk and a sand dune feature in the backshore was created at Amos Waites Park. Terrestrial and aquatic habitat enhancement work was also undertaken.

phase two

Phase Two extended the park east from Superior Avenue east to Humber Bay Park West and created an additional 500-metre section of the waterfront trail, a 250-metre cantilevered boardwalk, a separate multi-use trail located along the backshore, small pockets of wetland habitat, landscaping and park lighting. Phase Two also included the creation of small pockets of wetland habitat and native plantings.

public consultation

The Mimico Waterfront Linear Park Project was developed through an extensive public consultation process that began in 1999 and included the formation of a working group, composed of private and public stakeholders. Public input and consultation continued into the implementation phase through the Working Implementation Group.