Toronto has a habit of getting things right when the stakes are high enough. Biidaasige Park is proof. This sweeping new greenspace in the Port Lands opened in July 2025 and is already being called the most significant park the city has built in a generation. It sits on a new island, carries an Indigenous name full of meaning, and transforms a long-neglected stretch of the eastern waterfront into a living, breathing public space.
What the Name Means
The name Biidaasige, pronounced “bee-daw-sih-geh,” means “sunlight shining toward us” in Anishinaabemowin. It is not just a poetic choice. The naming of the island and park was guided by the Indigenous Advisory Circle, a group of Elders, leaders, and knowledge keepers who helped shape the space's identity and stewardship values. Chief Claire Sault of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation described the opening as a profound moment of renewal, not just for land and water but for the relationships that continue to grow there.
The park occupies a new island called Ookwemin Minising. That name translates to “place of the black cherry trees” in Anishinaabemowin and reflects the landscape's deep Indigenous roots.
How the Island Was Built
The Port Lands Flood Protection Project re-routed and naturalized the Don River to create the island itself. Through this work, 174 hectares of land in the Port Lands and eastern waterfront are now protected from flooding. Flood protection and waterfront revitalization required a tri-government investment of $1.4 billion. The federal government contributed over $465 million, and the provincial and municipal governments each contributed over $471 million. Landscape architect Michael Van Valkenburgh was awarded the design contract as far back as 2008. It took nearly two decades to bring this vision to life.
Scale and Phases
Approximately 50 acres of parkland opened in July 2025. An additional 10 acres are set to open in 2026, bringing the total to over 60 acres. Once fully open, the park is expected to attract over one million visitors annually. Phase two will bring the first-in-Canada Lassonde Art Trail along with cultural gathering spaces, additional overlooks, and new seating areas.
What You'll Find There
The park's features include picnic areas, a playground with larger-than-life animal sculptures representing Anishinaabe, Ongwehonwe, and Huron dodems, Toronto's first ziplines, and a waterplay and climbing area called the Badlands Scramble. Recreational trails and cycling paths wind through the park. There are step-downs to the river for fishing and birdwatching, slips for non-motorized boats, the Don Greenway wetland, and two off-leash dog areas.
The planting program alone is extraordinary. Phase one features over 5,000 trees, 77,000 shrubs, and two million herbaceous plants, all part of a carefully restored riverine ecosystem.
Getting There
The park's closest main intersection is Cherry Street and Commissioners Street on Ookwemin Minising in the Port Lands. Biidaasige Park is connected to the Martin Goodman Trail. The Lower Don Trail runs through the park east and south of the river. TTC bus route 114 Queen's Quay East stops along Cherry Street and Commissioners Street. Wheel Trans users can make reservations using the code BIIDAAS-PK with the address 39 Commissioners St.
A City Within a City
The park is just the beginning of something far larger. Mayor Olivia Chow described the revitalization of Ookwemin Minising as creating a city within a city, with plans for 14,000 new homes and a $2.4 billion tri-government investment to advance this new community and Indigenous placekeeping in Toronto. Biidaasige Park signals what Toronto can do when government, Indigenous communities, architects, and urban planners work toward a shared purpose. The light it brings to the Port Lands is both literal and long overdue.
Sources
- Biidaasige Park, Waterfront Toronto
- Largest Park in a Generation Opens on Toronto's New Island, Waterfront Toronto
- A New Island Rises, money.ca
- How to Get to Biidaasige Park, City of Toronto
- Biidaasige Park Opens in Toronto's Port Lands, Canadian Architect
- Waterfront Toronto Opens New Park, ReNew Canada
- Toronto's Biggest New Park in a Generation, Streets of Toronto
- Biidaasige Park, Wikipedia
Next Steps
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