What would you do with a stretch of green space running all the way from downtown Toronto to North America's largest urban park?
Get to thinking, because The Meadoway is happening — and it's going to be huge.
The City of Toronto, Toronto Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) and the W. Garfield Weston Foundation just announced a community-building initiative that will see roughly 16 kilometres of barren land transformed into a "vibrant expanse of urban greenspace and meadowlands."
Toronto has a massive new park called The Meadoway. It stretches 16 km across the city, from downtown #Toronto all the way to Rouge National Urban Park! What will you do in The Meadoway? #MyMeadoway #Scarborough @TorontoComms @RougePark @TRCA_news @LivingCityFDN pic.twitter.com/GBag03GaM9
— TheMeadoway (@TheMeadoway) April 11, 2018
Running from the Don River Ravine to Rouge National Urban Park in Scarborough, this stretch of land is currently considered a "hydro corridor" – as in it's completely unoccupied save for power lines.
Conservation authorities say that, within seven years, it will become one of Canada's largest linear urban parks, connecting four different ravines, 15 parks, 34 neighbourhoods, over 500 acres of land and more than 1,000 diverse species of flora and fauna.
"The Meadoway will connect schools, businesses, hospitals and underused parks and trails across Scarborough," reads a press release announcing the project.
"Visitors and locals alike will be able to explore nature, grow their own food, go for a bike ride, birdwatch, or volunteer with their friends."
Proud to be in Scarborough today to announce The Meadoway - Toronto's latest innovation in transformative public space. The Meadoway is a partnership between the Toronto and Region Conservative Authority, The W. Garfield Weston Foundation, and the City of Toronto. pic.twitter.com/Ba5t4ScIkm
— John Tory (@JohnTory) April 11, 2018
It will cost about $85 million to build The Meadoway, in total, but nearly 40% of that budget has been pledged already ($35 million from the W. Garfield Weston Foundation and $6.3 million from The City of Toronto's Capital Budget.)
When all is said and done, the city will continue its responsibilities for ongoing operations and maintenance in the corridor.
"Over the next seven years this site will turn into a place filled with butterflies, birds and wildflowers," reads a website set up for the project. "A rich meadow landscape realized on a scale never before seen in the history of Toronto."
I, for one, look forward to frolicking through that meadow.
by Lauren O'Neil via blogTO
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