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Media Library

The media library is where you can search for image galleries and videos related to design, consultation and construction for Port Lands Flood Protection. If you can’t find what you are looking for, email us.

Latest Video

Watch this video overview of the project

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Latest Gallery

Photographs of the Changing Port Lands

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Videos

Planting in the Port Lands

Construction Progress in the Port Lands – May 2022

Doors Open 2022: Virtual Live Tour

2021 Construction Milestones in the Port Lands

Port Lands Flood Protection and Lake Shore Boulevard East Public Meeting – October 2021: Live Q&A

Four Bridges for the Port Lands

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Photo Galleries

Cherry Street North Bridge, Initial Design

Cherry Street North Bridge, 2nd design

Cherry Street North Bridge, 3rd design

Cherry Street North Bridge, Latest Design, from the road

Cherry Street North Bridge, Latest Design

Cherry Street North Bridge Design Progression

An excavator digging. — September 2024: Excavators near the north end of the river, along what used to be Villiers Street are removing soil stockpiles to allow for placement of river finishes where the new river valley will connect to the Keating Channel

A large structure that looks like a racoon reaching for some leaves. — September 2024: The ‘reaching raccoon’ is a structure to climb and incorporates a slide. Now crews are working on the curbs and nearby paths before adding plantings

A white bird standing by a river. — September 2024: The plants along the new river have continued to grow throughout the summer, attracting wildlife like this egret

A red landscape with a brick building in the background. — September 2024: The red landscape is the ‘badlands scramble’, an interactive water-play feature in the new playground. In the background, you can see the recently completed snowy-owl stage and historic Fire Hall 30.

June 2024: These flags mark the locations for where to plant shrubs.

June 2024: Plants in the new river valley coming back to life after the winter.

June 2024: The Reaching Raccoon play structure has been installed.

June 2024: A staircase as part of the parks on the south side of the river, next to a planted area.

June 2024: The red patch is part of the Badlands Scramble.

June 2024: The foundations for the new bike/pedestrian bridge as part of the Lower Don Trail extension.

June 2024: A future path on the south side of the river.

March 2024: The concrete and steel wall is the North plug, separating the new river valley from the Keating Channel.

March 2024: Villiers Street has been removed where the new river will flow through it.

March 2024: Plantings.

March 2024: Subgrade landscaping of the future park.

February 2024: The newly flooded river.

February 2024: the newly flooded river.

February 2024: The formwork for the Badlands Scramble.

February 2024: Working on the foundations for playground equipment.

February 2024: Working on the foundations for playground equipment.

February 2024: Working on the foundations for playground equipment.

September 2023: Excavation of the ‘west plug’, near the Cherry Street south bridge.

September 2023: Armour stone lining the riverbed south of the Commissioners Street bridge.

September 2023: The Commissioners Street bridge has been paved.

September 2023: Getting ready to pave the new alignment of Cherry Street

August 2023: Planting the islands in Canoe Cove

June 2023: The new piers for the Lake Shore Bridge are now complete.

June 2023: These large white blocks are geofoam in future River Park North. This lightweight material is placed in the ground above infrastructure like pipes to avoid putting too much weight on them. Then the geofoam is covered with soil.

June 2023: The tree trunks covered in orange tarp have been installed as habitat for chimney swifts in the Don Greenway. The tarp is there because we aren’t quite ready for them to move in yet.

June 2023: The carp gate at the south end of the wetland near Villiers Street.

June 2023: Paving on Commissioners Street.

June 2023: This wetland was planted last year and is growing well in its second year!

January 2023: The Ice Management Area, where the Don River will meet the new river valley is lined with armour stone.

January 2023: The wall of steel sheet-piles shows where the river will be widened in the Sediment and Debris Management Area. Everything left of the wall will be excavated and become part of the river or a sloped riverbank.

December 2022: The islands in Canoe Cove.

December 2022: A machine used to dig the cut-off walls underneath old Cherry Street. This area will connect thePolson Slip with the main river channel that is already excavated.

October 2022: The new bridge to the Port Lands is open, where people can walk, cycle and drive across at Polson Street.

October 2022: Cherry Street South Bridge opens to the public.

A yellow arch over a freshly paved road. — September 2022: This photo shows asphalt pavement on the Cherry Street South Bridge. This bridge will open to the public along with the partial realignment of Cherry Street between Commissioners Street and Polson Street in September.

A bridge crossing an area filled with gravel — August 2022: The pedestrian bridge spanning the future river was installed earlier this summer. Under the bridge you can see the river bottom and the river banks in the background.

Greenery hugging the curve of shallow water. — August 2022: This section of the river valley shows the river banks once plants have begun to grow. On the right side of the channel, a fibre-encapsulated lift has sprouted plants. On the left side of the channel, plants are growing over top of trees and roots that were installed. The tree roots remain exposed to the future river. This configuration is resistant to erosion and provides habitat for aquatic life. The water in the centre of the river channel is accumulated rainwater.

A mount of soil rising out of the water. — August 2022: These lumps of soil will become islands in Canoe Cove. You can already see some of the ‘drowned trees’, which are sustainably harvested trees that are intentionally installed as deadfall to provide habitat. Eventually these islands will also be planted with greenery.

Crews working on a tiered riverbank. — August 2022: Crews installing fibre-encapsulated lifts in the river valley. These structures form the banks of the future river. Soil and seeds are wrapped in a coconut-coir based fabric to provide stability to the seeds until the plants and roots get established. Once the plants are established, their roots stabilize the river banks and the fibre wrapping biodegrades.

July 2022: The cycling, pedestrian and vehicular bridge for the Cherry Street North crossing. Like the other bridges, it travelled along the St. Lawrence Seaway before being moved into its location.

July 2022: The large rocky steps will become a river access node. The rocks will create a break in the tangle of natural greenery and make it easier for people to access the water.

June 2022: Two pedestrian bridges were installed in June. This one spans the wetland in River Park South.

June 2022: The second of the two pedestrian bridges crosses what will be the main river channel, to connect the parks on either bank.

June 2022: Excavation of ‘Canoe Cove’ on the north side of Polson Slip is complete. Crews are now creating small islands in the cove.

June 2022: The pedestrian bridges were pre-fabricated and arrived on a truck. Then they were lifted into place by a crane.

June 2022: We’ve started planting wetland plants on the north side of the main river channel. The large logs on the right will also be part of the wetland, and provide variety to the habitat.

May 2022: These seedlings were the first to be planted in the future river valley, in an area called the ‘sedge meadow’.

April 2022: Excavation of ‘Canoe Cove’ on the north side of Polson Slip

April 2022: Excavation below the Commissioners Street Bridge.

April 2022: Trees installed in the future wetlands that will flank the main river channel.

November 2021: Canoe Cove excavation

November 2021: Excavation in the ‘Elbow” near the Commissioners Street Bridge

November 2021: The Commissioners Street Bridge

November 2021: Welding two halves of the Commissioners Street Bridge together

November 2021: Fibre-encapsulated Soil Lifts in the River Valley

July 2021: Looking south in the Polson Slip of the wet excavation and new foundation and piers for the Cherry Street South Bridge.

July 2021: Relocating Fire Hall 30 78 feet south.

June 2021: Looking east towards the Hearn at the new river valley levee core.

June 2021: Installation of the geomembrane in the Spillway

June 2021: West plug wet excavation.

May 2021: This is one of the secant walls that is part of the south plug.

May 2021: Installation of risk management measures in the Spillway.

May 2021: Start of elbow excavation.

May 2021: Wet excavation of the west plug.

April 2021: Looking west at the new foundation and piers for the Commissioners Street Bridge.

March 2021: This pre-treatment pond is the first step in the water treatment process. Once through the whole system, the water is cleaner than Lake Ontario.

March 2021: Crews are installing foundations for the Cherry Street South Bridge, which will cross the new mouth of the Don River where it flows into the Polson Slip.

March 2021: The large mound of soil, a future island, is visible in the deep excavation of the Don Greenway, north of the ship channel.

November 2020: A liner is installed in the excavated central river valley to prevent contaminants from seeping into the new river.

November 2020: This hydromill is one of the machines used to install the diaphragm walls near Polson Slip.

November 2020: Excavation is underway in the Don Greenway/Spillway.

August 2020: A view of the completed excavation, looking west, in the future river valley.

August 2020: One of the Cherry Street North Bridges on its way to get painted.

August 2020: Construction continues on the south plug wall.

May 2020: Deep excavation of the river valley has started, reaching as deep as four metres at some locations.

May 2020: The east slurry wall, running parallel to the Don Roadway.

May 2020: This is the site of the soil management area. A large asphalt pad has been completed to support the structures that will be used to clean up contaminated fill before it is reused elsewhere on site.

May 2020: Demolition of T+T Supermarket has started, the first step in preparing to excavate a new mouth for the Don River. This façade will remain in place until nesting birds vacate their temporary home here.

April 2020: Work has started on the south plug, one of three physical barriers we’ll use to keep lake water out of the new river valley while it’s under construction.

January 2020: This is an auger which will be used to clean the bridge caissons. It’s 2 metres in diameter.

March 2020: The Cherry Street lake filling is now complete. Crews are using the space on the site of the former Marine Terminal-35 building to stockpile excavated material from other areas of the project. The stockpiled materials will be reused later on in the project.

March 2020: The future site of the Cherry Street North bridge, on the north side of the Keating Channel.

March 2020: The south side of the future Cherry Street North bridge. The rebar cages form part of the foundations, while the large pile of material is part of the ground improvements for the new Cherry Street alignment and will support the raised grade of the new road.

March 2020: Rocky the Rock Ripper digging a slurry wall to keep the future river valley dry while it is excavated. This photo is looking south towards the Ship Channel, which will be the south end of the greenway.

January 2020: This steel reinforcing cage is 2 metres in diameter and will be placed inside a test caisson for the Cherry St. North bridge abutments.

January 2020: These are test secant piles used to observe the installation and ensure the steel was centred correctly within the piles. These piles are placed 30-35 metres deep.

November 2019: Crews continue installing the cut-off walls in the first section of the new river valley. The walls will form the structure of the river’s edge, keeping excavation dry and stable.

November 2019: Foundations for the new bridge to the north and south of the Keating Channel are almost complete. We expect to install the first of two Cherry Street North Bridges in 2020. Crews have also started work on the new alignment for Cherry Street.

November 2019: Marine landscapers have also been planting underwater in the newly created habitat coves.

November 2019: A dewatering plant is being installed south of Commissioners Street, east of Cherry Street as we prepare to begin deep excavation on the river valley.

November 2019: Landscaping is complete on along the new shoreline that has been created as part of Cherry Street Lakefilling.

September 2019: Dive teams are putting finishing touches in the new fish habitats.

September 2019: Crews stand on the naturalized shoreline west of Essroc Quay. A new fish gate and future base for a footbridge is visible in the foreground.

September 2019: Building demolition in the path of the new river, west of Don Roadway.

aerial view of the shape of the new river valley — September 2019: Looking east at the ongoing construction of the new river valley

September 2019: Foundation work for the new Cherry Street Bridge is underway west of Cherry Street, south of Keating Channel.

August 2019: Lakefilling is 97 per cent complete. The crew continues to work on marine landscaping – building new aquatic habitats using trees, stone and other natural materials. — August 2019: Lakefilling is 97 per cent complete around Essroc Quay.

August 2019: A marine landscaping barge puts finishing touches on the fish coves.

August 2019: These steel support beams will reinforce walls that will line the new river valley during excavation.

August 2019: The north side of the new Keating dock wall face is complete.

August 2019: Foundation work for the new Cherry Street Bridge is underway west of Cherry Street, south of Keating Channel.

August 2019: The final layer of stone along the new shoreline in the west fish cove.

August 2019: Drills are installing temporary walls along the edges of the new river valley to keep excavation stable.

August 2019: Creating cut-off walls along the river valley using cement created on site.

August 2019: Stone placement along the shoreline at the western edge of Essroc Quay.

August 2019: A view of the new cove that will be home to fish, birds and other animals.

guide walls line edge of new river valley — May 2019: Guide walls line the edges of the new river valley as we prepare for deeper excavation.

drill rigs install secant piles — May 2019: Drill rigs install secant piles to support the cut-off walls that will help keep excavation dry and stable.

crews ready for deeper excavation — April 2019: The shape of the first section of the new river valley has been set and crews are ready for deeper excavation.

salvaged tress being placed in new habitat coves — April 2019: Marine landscapers have started placing salvaged trees into the new habitat coves. The trees will be secured in place using stone.

new fish gates ready for installation — April 2019: Fish gates have arrived – these will be installed at key locations to protect new habitats from invasive species of fish.

Clearing underground obstructions — April 2019: Clearing underground obstructions to prepare for ongoing excavation

February 2019: Progress on Cherry Street Lakefilling. Looking west from Cherry Street, the new fish coves are now visible along the shoreline.

February 2019: Removing underground obstructions as part of the excavation process.

February 2019: Excavation on the first secton of the new river valley.

February 2019: Removing underground obstructions as part of the excavation process.

October 2018: Excavation of existing, unused underground infrastructure near Cherry and Commissioners Streets.

October 2018: Excavating swales to manage surface water at the construction site near Cherry and Commissioners Streets.

October 2018: Installing a culvert (drain pipe) in a recently excavated swale.

October dredging — October 2018: Dredging at the Cherry Street Lakefilling project site.

October Lakefilling — October 2018: Clean, locally sourced material is being used to fill in the slip between Essroc and Cousins Quay.

September 2018: An aerial view of the lakefilling progress.

September 2018: The new shoreline continues to take shape.

September 2018: Clean, locally sourced material continues to fill in the slip.

September 2018: Shaping the new shoreline with clean, locally sourced material.

September 2018: Testing begins for shallow excavation.

September 2018: Construction of the dock wall continues.

June 2018: Clean, locally sourced material is being used to fill in the slip.

June 2018: The new shoreline is taking shape.

June 2018: Construction of the dock wall.

June 2018: Lakefilling beginning in the south east section of the slip.

June 2018: A view of the lakefilling progress around Essroc Quay.

June 2018: The shape of future habitat covers along the new shoreline is seen from above.

The completed berm (stone wall) between Essroc Quay and Cousins Quay. — April 2018: The completed berm (stone wall) between Essroc Quay and Cousins Quay.

The completed berm (stone wall) between Essroc Quay and Cousins Quay. — April 2018: The completed berm (stone wall) between Essroc Quay and Cousins Quay.

March 2018: Barge places core stone in the inner harbour at Essroc Quay.

March 2018: Core stone delivery at Essroc Quay where a beam is being built in advance of lakefilling.

February 2018: Stone is placed in the inner harbour to create a berm.

a barge empties stone into the inner harbour — February 2018: Stone is placed in the inner harbour to create a berm.

aerial photo of Essroc Quay under construction — February 2018: A view of a portion of the completed berm.

Core stone is being sourced locally. It’s used to form berms (or walls) before we begin lakefilling around Essroc Quay.

Photos from the construction site

A map showing the upcoming construction in the Port Lands. This is a complex image, email info@waterfrontoronto.ca for more information. — April – June 2024

Port Lands Flood Protection Construction Schedule

Before: Looking south at Don Roadway north of the Ship Channel

After: View Looking south at future overlook of Don Greenway towards the Ship Channel

Before: Looking south along Don Roadway

After: Looking south from the east side of the rebuilt Don Roadway

Before: Looking southeast on Cousins Quay

After: Looking southeast in the future Canoe Cove at Promontory Park

Before: Looking south at Commissioners Street west of Don Roadway

looking south from future Munition Street Park entrance — After: View looking south from future Munition Street Park entrance

Before

view looking south from future picnic terrace at River Valley Park — After: View Looking south from future picnic terrace at River Valley Park

Before: Looking west, south of Commissioners Street between Cherry Street and Don Roadway

looking west from future Cobble Beach at River Valley Park — After: Looking west from future Cobble Beach at River Valley Park

Before: River Valley Park South, Circulation Network

After: View Looking South at River Valley Park South

Before: Looking southeast from Cherry Street

looking southeast from future levee trail at River Valley Park South — After: View Looking southeast from future levee trail at River Valley Park South

Before: Looking east, south of Commissioners Street and west of Don Roadway

looking east in wetland at River Valley Park — After: View looking east in wetland at River Valley Park

Before: Looking east, south of Commissioners Street and west of Don Roadway

looking east from future pedestrian bridge at River Valley Park — After: Looking east from future pedestrian bridge at River Valley Park

Before: Looking south from Villiers Street, east of Don Roadway

looking south at future ice management area towards future Villiers Park — After: Looking south at future ice management area towards future Villiers Park

Before and After: Port Lands Flood Protection

When flood protection is complete, a new outlet for the Don River will have created Villiers Island. Also visible in this rendering: the new spillway, roads and bridges.

The Future Port Lands — May 2018

Map showing areas still subject to flooding (eastern waterfront including Port Lands, parts of Leslieville and Unilever site) and area protected already (west of Corktown Common) — The completed flood protection landform under Corktown Common now protects 210 hectares (519 acres) of eastern downtown Toronto and enabled the emergence of the new West Don Lands community.

Flood Protection Phases 1 and 2

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