Item - 2021.IE25.10

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommends that:

1. City Council adopt the Centennial Park Master Plan in Appendix 1 to the report (October 12, 2021) from the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation as the general direction in which improvements to Centennial Park shall be undertaken over the next 20 years.

2. City Council request the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation to advance the implementation of priorities identified in Appendix 1 to the report (October 12, 2021) from the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation as part of the 2022-2031 (and beyond) Capital and Operating budget processes.

3.  City Council direct the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation to seek funding from other orders of government in order to advance the implementation of the improvements outlined in the Centennial Park Master Plan, as described in Appendix 1 to the report (October 12, 2021) from the General Manager, Parks Forestry and Recreation.

4. City Council request the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, to coordinate with the General Manager of Transportation Services, General Manager, Toronto Water, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, and other City Divisions as required, to implement various components of the Master Plan outlined in Appendix 1 to the report (October 12, 2021) from the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation.

5. City Council request the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, and the General Manager, Transportation Services, working in partnership with the Indigenous communities, and in alignment with the Parks Wayfinding Strategy and TO360, to explore opportunities to celebrate Indigenous cultures, languages and histories through Indigenous place-keeping and place-making as part of the implementation of the Centennial Park Master Plan in Appendix 1 to the report (October 12, 2021) from the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation.

At 526-acres (213-hectares), Centennial Park is one of Toronto’s largest parks and an integral part of the parks and open space system. The park currently hosts an incredibly diverse range of activities, programs and amenities that serve a wide range of users from across the city and region while functioning as an important component of the area's ecological system. However, changing user expectations, growth pressures, aging facilities, and a greater recognition of the need to protect and enhance the ecology of the park necessitates a holistic reimagining of the park.

Given the size and complexity of Centennial Park, a Park Master Plan was developed to guide this reimagining. A Park Master Plan is a long-term planning document that acts as a blueprint to guide decision-making around future infrastructure and capital improvements, programming, and management of a park. The Centennial Park Master Plan, Attachment 1 to this report, will serve as a guide to decision-making over the next 20 years and beyond.

Taking its cues from the Toronto Parkland Strategy, The Ravine Strategy and the Parks and Recreation Facilities Master Plan, the Centennial Park Master Plan seeks to find a new balance between the natural environment and the recreational facilities, and addresses the existing fragmentation of the site. It also reveals the unique features that should be cherished and preserved as the foundation for park improvements. Through an in-depth public consultation process, four Principles emerged to guide this work: Activate, Connect, Protect and Enhance, and Collaborate and Evolve.

The transformational moves and improvements identified in the Master Plan will increase the prominence of Centennial Park as one of Toronto's largest 'Legacy' parks, ensuring it will continue to play a central role as part of the City's parks and open space system for generations to come. Highlights include a new district playground and water play area, the addition of a new cricket pitch, improved sports fields and other facilities as part of the City's Facilities Master Plan, a re-imagining of the Centennial Park Hill that will follow the eventual winding-down of Ski Centre operations, a destination skate trail, a skateboard park, improvements to the network of trails and pathways, opportunities for Indigenous Place-making and Place-keeping, improvements to park wayfinding, and strategies for the long-term enhancement of the park's water courses and natural areas.

Given the size of this park, achieving the final park vision will require time and the prioritization of certain projects considering available budget, importance, level of impact, and the ability to implement as part of other initiatives and as opportunities arise.