Many of Toronto’s dockwalls and breakwaters are falling down! Luckily, there’s a plan to fix them eventually.
At our Speaker Series event on September 30, 2025, Merrilees Willemse of the Waterfront Secretariat and Jennifer Ogrodnick of Create TO gave a great talk on the City’s new process to fix these crumbing and sometimes dangerous structures, which in some cases are over a century old. Their slide decks are here and here.
The urban shoreline in much of our central waterfront is in a sorry state, it's positively dystopian! For years Waterfront for All has been quietly and steadily pressing for action on this. From being a 'tragedy of the commons' situation there is now good news as the City of Toronto is starting to take action. Join us on online Tuesday, September 30th at 7:00 pm, as we welcome, Merrilees Willemse - Project Manager, Waterfront Secretariat and Jennifer Ogrodnick - Director, Construction, CreateTO who will tell us what's happening and take questions! CLICK HERE TO RSVP
Many thanks to David Stonehouse of the Waterfront Secretariat for leading a great a walk of Corktown Common, Oowemin Minesing, and along the water's edge promenade to Sugar Beach. We were thrilled to have a spontaneous appearance from Jed Kilbourn, Director Development Planning for Waterfront Toronto. Both have unmatched knowledge of Toronto's amazing waterfront revitalization. It was a beautiful night for a walk, and we learned a lot.
Thanks to all who attended our AGM on March 10, 2025.
Chair Ed Hore gave his sort-of annual Review of what's happening on the waterfront.
Joe Cressy, Chief of Staff, Waterfront Toronto, gave an inspiring talk on WT's projects, including Ookwemin Minising, Toronto's brand new island. Here's his deck.
Johanna Kyte of TRCA gave a fascinating overview of TRCA's waterfront projects.
We will post a recording of the meeting soon.
We invite you to attend our online Waterfront Review & Annual General Meeting on Monday, March 10th at 7 pm to hear influential waterfront experts describe what’s happening on the Toronto.
Waterfront! The Waterfront Review will be followed by a brief AGM.
WATERFRONT REVIEW SPEAKERS
The Year in Summary — Ed Hore, Chair
— Waterfront for All
Joe Cressy, Chief of Staff
— Waterfront Toronto
Johanna Kyte, Senior Manager,
Government & Community Relations
— Toronto & Region Conservation
Authority (TRCA)
Join us Wednesday, January 22, at 7 pm for Speaker Series 16 presented in co-operation with our sister organization Ontario Place for All,as we explore the potential toxic impact of the planed combined sewer overflow that has the clear potential to spread polluted water, including sewer run off, around the West Island at Ontario Place and the planed 'new beach'.
Norm Di Pasquale - Ontario Place for All Co-Chair.
Chris Glover - MPP, Spadina-Fort York
Ann-Elisabeth Samson - Ontario Place for All Co-Chair & Rower.
Some Toronto Harbour dock walls are collapsing. Many have decrepit, unusable safety ladders, or none at all. Yet the water can be cold enough to kill you, and the dock walls are high and unclimbable. WFA Chair Ed Hore recently did a Report on the condition of the dock walls, pointing out the worst spots, with photos taken from his kayak. An Appendix has pictures of all the harbour dock walls.
We are now on the new and fast growing BlueSky you can find us there via your web browser at https://bsky.app/profile/waterfront4all.bsky.social.
Or you can download and sign up for the BlueSky App.
We are pleased to join a positive new social media site that focuses on engagement and information sharing, rather than misinformation and disinformation. Hope to see you there!
Find out more about BlueSky https://bsky.social/about/blog/11-29-2024-engagement
FEATURING guest speaker Marc Ryan, Principal & Co-founder, PUBLIC WORK.
Plus an update on the Island Airport RESA process: including a little unboxing of the recent City Council decision.
Many people were upset when Harbourfront's beloved skating rink by the lake was unexpectedly dismantled and taken away in 2023 due to lack of funds. Waterfront for All and two neighbourhood residents' associations objected.
The rink was a big wintertime draw for the waterfront. Its sudden removal seemed symptomatic of a general decline of Harbourfront Centre.
Thanks to Councillor's Ausma Malik's successful motion in City Council on October 10, 2024, there will be a seasonal rink set up this winter at Harbourfront.
There's also a vibrant new CEO at Harbourfront, Cathy Loblaw, and we welcome her!