Toronto’s mayor says a planned Don River Valley super park will depend on a lot of civic co-operation.
At a Tuesday press conference at the Evergreen Brick Works, Mayor John Tory said that plans for the park will allow more accessible features to the green space extending from the Don River Valley to Lake Ontario. Donors and volunteers, such as Tim Price, chair of the Ontario Arts Foundation, and Kenneth Tanenbaum, vice-chair of the Kilmer Group, have pledged funding to the project. Mayor Tory addressed the issue of co-operation in the plan.
“I will say that it is the advocacy, the partnership, the civic engagement and the dedication, of the people here that are changing how the city looks at this space and how the city looks at itself,” Tory said.
The donors and volunteers have raised over $3.5 million of a projected $5 million needed to completely fund the plan. Kenneth Tanenbaum expressed his support for the park.
“I’m excited about the move forward,” he said. “We’ll see this area more stewarded for all Torontonians to enjoy all year around. We get to see a different and greener Toronto that our city deserves.”
The project will add biking trails, hiking trails, park signs and outdoor art exhibits. Planners hope to have the park completed by 2020.