The Urbanist: Tall Stories 477 – Biidaasige Park: How Toronto Combines Green Space and Flood Protection
Monocle, September 22, 2025 | Host: Andrew Tuck | Reporter: Mandy Sinclair

Overview

This episode spotlights Biidaasige Park, Toronto's largest new park in a generation, which exemplifies how urban green spaces can provide not just recreation but also vital flood protection. Mandy Sinclair takes listeners on a tour through the park’s transformation, from industrial wasteland to ecological and social asset, emphasizing its Indigenous heritage, innovative flood management, and the collaborative efforts behind its creation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Park's Purpose and Significance

• Dual Functionality:
  Biidaasige Park isn't just about leisure; it also serves as a major component of the Port Lands Flood Protection project.
  • “How can a park combine its purpose to help provide more than just green space? In Toronto, the largest new park opening in a generation is showing how it can help prevent flooding while also providing recreational space for residents and visitors.”
    – Andrew Tuck [00:09]
• Size & Scope:
  50 acres currently open, with 10 more to come—Toronto’s largest addition of green space in decades.

2. From Industrial Wasteland to Wildlife Haven

• Ecological Restoration:
  The park replaces contaminated, industrial land with vibrant habitats for birds, fish, and other wildlife—indigenous and local species featured in playgrounds and throughout the park.
  • “Children's play areas were abuzz with children climbing play structures of larger than life local wildlife, including the snowy owl, beavers and raccoons representing Anishinaabe, Angwa, Honwe and Hiranodams, but also animals that have been spotted in the newly created park.”
    – Mandy Sinclair [01:36]
• Community Recreation:
  Activity options abound—fishing in the restored river, canoeing and kayaking, nature watching, and community gathering areas like the “Raccoon picnic terrace.”
• Biodiversity Return:
  Early wildlife monitors report largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, and a diverse bird population thriving.

3. Urban Integration & Accessibility

• Central Location:
  Situated just east of downtown, with clear views of the skyline and landmarks like the CN Tower.
  • “With the park located just east of the city's downtown core, the Financial District's office towers and the soaring CN Tower are seemingly within reach.”
    – Mandy Sinclair [02:56]
• Transportation:
  Proximity to Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport brings in unique urban energy.

4. Indigenous Heritage and Reconciliation

• Historical Significance:
  For millennia, the area was a vital resource for Indigenous peoples before industrialization degraded the landscape.
• Name & Language:
  “Biidaasige” means “sunlight shining towards us” in Anishinaabe, Moen, and Ojibwemowin, selected by an Indigenous advisory circle.
  • “As the name Biidaasige park indicates, this is a place of recreation, but it's also a place of reconciliation.” – Mandy Sinclair [03:31]

5. The Environmental Engineering Feat

• Flood Protection Mechanisms:
  • The park is central to moving the mouth of the Don River and protecting 174 acres from flooding.
  • Complex construction: cut-off walls, deep excavation, groundwater management, and riverbed creation.
  • “The process involved building cut off walls around the river valley by drilling overlapping holes into the bedrock, filling them with concrete and reinforcing some of them with steel beams… crews then excavated inside, digging as deep as 7 to 8 meters to remove contaminated and unstable soil in preparation of the new river.” – Mandy Sinclair [04:19]
• Investment & Collaboration:
  • Nearly two decades of planning.
  • $1.5 billion from all levels of government.
  • Partnerships between Waterfront Toronto, municipal government, and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority.

6. Art and Cultural Features

• Art Installations:
  The Lassonde Art Trail will debut in 2026; Carolyn Monet’s ‘trage’, already installed, evokes ancestral Indigenous footprints discovered in 1908.
  • “Footprints left behind by Indigenous ancestors on Lake Ontario and uncovered in blue clay in 1908 are cast in bronze.” – Mandy Sinclair [05:38]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Children's play areas were abuzz with children climbing play structures of larger than life local wildlife... but also animals that have been spotted in the newly created park.” – Mandy Sinclair [01:36]
• “The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority monitors the newly created wetlands here and has already found that largemouth bass, northern pike and walleye are enjoying the New River.” – Mandy Sinclair [02:35]
• “As the name Biidaasige park indicates, this is a place of recreation, but it's also a place of reconciliation.” – Mandy Sinclair [03:31]
• “But now, having spent nearly two decades on the project, an investment from federal, provincial and municipal governments to the tune of $1.5 billion. The mouth of the river has been moved and is lined with sweeping green spaces that protect 174 acres of land in the city's Portlands.” – Mandy Sinclair [05:00]
• “'Biidaasige' means sunlight shining towards us in Anishinaabe, Moen and Ojibwemowin and represents a desire to move toward renewal and environmental stewardship.” – Mandy Sinclair [05:18]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Opening & Episode Theme – [00:09]
• Park Introduction & Features – [00:49 – 02:56]
• Indigenous Significance – [03:31]
• Industrial Past & Environmental Restoration – [03:50]
• Engineering & Flood Protection Details – [04:19 – 05:00]
• Park Naming & Art Installations – [05:18 – 05:38]
• Closing – [06:04]

Tone & Style

The episode blends detailed, evocative field reporting with historical and technical context. The tone is forward-looking, optimistic, and respectful of Indigenous heritage, reflecting the spirit of renewal and reconciliation at the park’s heart.

Summary:
Biidaasige Park stands as a pioneering model for cities seeking to blend green space, climate adaptation, and cultural acknowledgement. Through innovative engineering, deep-rooted historical respect, and community engagement, Toronto transforms a century of industrial damage into a hopeful, resilient, and inclusive waterfront for future generations.