Corktown Common has raised the bar for public parks within Toronto. This area has seen a huge transformation in the past few years. Since construction wrapped up and the park opened in 2013, it has established itself as a stunning green space for Toronto and brings together the community east end and along the waterfront.
You may have heard about Corktown Common, but how much do you really know about this park?
To take things back quite a few years, Corktown Common began as an industrialized area. It contained pork processing plants until they were abandoned in the 1970s. The land was eventually taken over by the government and they had some extensive cleaning up ahead of them. The soil was polluted due to its industrial past so they had to clear it out and replace it before they could move on with developing the land.
Construction began on the Corktown Common that we know and love in 2010. This area in the heart of the West Don Lands was transformed into a park that has so much to offer with all of its green space. The city added many features that are ideal for bringing the community together and turned it into a great meeting place for friends and families. Some of the many features that were added include: playgrounds, a splash pad, an athletic field, open lawn space, tables, benches, BBQ and fireplace area, amphitheatre, and so much more. One of our favourite features are the solar panels on top of the pavilion, making the area energy-efficient and environmentally friendly.
The topography of the park is split in half so it’s like two great parks in one. The area on the west side is pretty complex. It offers a variety of things: open lawn space, rolling hills, and marsh lands. There’s been some woodland planted on this side to help frame the urban landscape and the stunning views of Toronto from this park. The river side of the park boasts a 7.9 acre urban prairie that was specially designed to complement the conditions on site. Also the slope of the land along this area is vital to helping prevent flooding along the Don River.
The park also features plenty of meandering trails to explore, bike paths, a boardwalk, an off-leash dog area for your pup to explore. There’s no parking lot so leave your car at home – it’s TTC accessible!
Corktown Common is just one of the many, many green spaces around the Pier 27 Tower. Take a look at the map below to see them all:
