From Industrial Wasteland to Waterfront Gem: The Port Lands Vision Unfolds

Few projects can match the ambition and scope of Toronto’s Port Lands Flood Protection and Enabling Infrastructure (PLFPEI) project. What was once a patchwork of polluted industrial land, is now emerging as one of North America’s most inspiring urban redevelopments — a place where flood protection, ecological restoration, and community connection intersect to shape a resilient, vibrant future.

Through the Port Lands Flood Protection and Enabling Infrastructure (PLFPEI) project, Waterfront Toronto, government partners, global design experts, and EllisDon have joined forces to reimagine 300 hectares of Toronto’s eastern waterfront. The result will unlock more than 400 hectares of new land for housing, parks, and economic opportunity, turning a flood-prone contaminated area into a sustainable, mixed-use urban district.

Ambition at Urban Scale

At the heart of this transformation is a vision to protect Toronto’s waterfront from catastrophic flooding while creating a world-class community shaped by nature, innovation, and design.

• Flood Protection: At the heart of the PLFPEI is the new River Valley - a naturalized waterway engineered to handle stormwater volumes equal to two-thirds of Niagara Falls, protecting homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure from once-in-a-century flood events.
• Ecological Restoration: The project includes the creation of wetlands, meadows, and woodlands, reintroducing native habitats and supporting urban biodiversity on a scale previously unimaginable in the downtown core.
• Enabling Infrastructure: New bridges, utilities, roads, and public spaces lay the groundwork for thriving new neighbourhoods, green corridors, and multi-modal transportation links.
• Community and Cultural Anchors: Parks like Biidaasige, with Indigenous-inspired design elements, foster cultural connection and welcome the community into newly opened spaces.

This is a project that blurs the line between engineering and art and embodies the belief that a city’s resilience and beauty can grow from the same foundation.

Engineering the Impossible

EllisDon was brought into the process early through a construction management model that prioritized transparency and trust, collaborating directly with Waterfront Toronto, city departments, utilities, and regulators. We helped shape the approach from the ground up, anticipating challenges and adapting in real time, so that each moving part was calibrated to support the next and enable the city above to thrive safely and sustainably. 

Over 1.4 million cubic metres of soil were removed to create a naturalized river valley with channels and wetlands to mimic local ecosystems. Advanced erosion control and native plantings protect the banks, while a network of stormwater and utility systems, equipped with smart sensors, adapts to both minor and extreme weather events.

To enable excavation beneath Lake Ontario’s water table, engineers constructed a 1.2-kilometre watertight “bathtub” anchored to bedrock, using deep cutoff walls and a secant pile wall to keep lake water out. Inspired by global flood protection efforts, this approach created a dry, stable workspace and served as a critical safety measure—shielding workers from water ingress, unstable ground, and the risks of saturated soils.

What the public sees—bridges, parks, and winding riverbanks—is only part of the story. Beneath it all lies a hidden infrastructure: floodplains, smart sensors, and utility systems working quietly to keep the landscape safe and adaptable. Engineered to respond to everything from daily rainfall to hurricane-scale events, this invisible network is what makes it possible to build confidently on ground that was once unstable swampland, transforming Toronto’s Port Lands into a resilient, future-ready waterfront.

Environmental Remediation: Turning Brownfields into Community Assets

The transformation demanded more than infrastructure—it required healing the land itself. EllisDon’s teams excavated 1.4 million cubic metres of contaminated soil, using on-site bioremediation to break down pollutants and dramatically reduce environmental impact. Clean, reusable fill was reintegrated into the project, minimizing waste, truck traffic, and cost.

Water treatment was just as rigorous. An on-site plant processed groundwater to meet or surpass Lake Ontario’s strictest standards, ensuring that every drop rejoining the ecosystem was as clean—or cleaner—than what came before. 

Connectivity and Infrastructure: Bridges, Roads, and Public Spaces

Connectivity lies at the heart of the Port Lands vision and nowhere is that more visible than in its four new signature bridges. These bridges, which have been constructed to connect OokweminMinising (pronounced Oh-kway-min Min-nih-sing) with surrounding districts, enhance mobility and ensure seamless access for pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles. The bridges are not only engineering feats but also architectural landmarks that reflect the design excellence of the project.

The Cherry Street North Bridge—a sleek, single-span shell-arch—was delivered by barge and rotated into place within the narrow Keating Channel using a custom turntable system. Its installation showcased precision collaboration across engineering, marine transport, and construction. Designed for streetcars, pedestrians, and vehicles, the bridge reflects the future of sustainable, multimodal infrastructure. Its elegant curves and hybrid structure have earned international acclaim for blending aesthetics with engineering efficiency.

Surrounding it, new roads, green corridors, and plazas have been designed for the people who will one day call this district home — with integrated bike lanes, smart utilities, and accessible public spaces that invite recreation, community gatherings, and connection to nature.

Built to Withstand: How EllisDon Tackled Toronto’s Toughest Terrain

The Port Lands site posed extraordinary challenges, from unstable, waterlogged soils to the deep cold of Toronto winters. EllisDon met each with ingenuity and care.

To stabilize the ground, crews used surcharging to compress and settle soft soil before construction began, preventing future movement. During the winter, teams worked under heated enclosures to ensure concrete cured safely despite sub-zero conditions.

Each challenge became an opportunity for innovation. The result is infrastructure that is both technically resilient and aesthetically refined — proof that progress and beauty can coexist, even in the harshest conditions.