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

Few projects can match the ambition and scale 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.

Spanning 400 hectares, PLFPEI eliminated flood risk across 174 hectares of Toronto’s Port Lands and east end, unlocking land for future growth while restoring critical natural systems. Delivered by EllisDon under a Construction Management model for Waterfront Toronto, the $1.3 billion project stands as a landmark achievement in urban civil infrastructure and one of the largest earthworks and water management projects in the city’s history.

Ambition at Urban Scale

The project’s complexity lies in its integration of civil infrastructure, environmental remediation, and public realm development. EllisDon led the delivery of:

• Naturalized River Engineering: a new 1.2-kilometer river valley with two outlets to Lake Ontario, transforming the channelized river mouth into a dynamic, ecologically rich system.
• Flood Protection: engineered a system that relieves the Don River pinch point at Keating Channel, safeguarding against regulatory storm events while enabling future mixed-use development.
• Sustainable Soil Management: excavated 1.4 million cubic metres of contaminated soil, treating and reusing 80 per cent on-site, reducing landfill dependency and carbon footprint.
• Ecological Restoration: the creation of wetlands, meadows, and woodlands, reintroducing native habitats and supporting urban biodiversity on a scale previously unimaginable in the downtown core.
• Complex Utility Integration: installed 20,000+ meters of storm and sanitary sewers and 1,000+ meters of upgraded watermains using microtunneling, HDD, and jack-and-bore methods to navigate dense urban constraints.
• Enabling Infrastructure: construction of bridges, roads, utilities, and public spaces to support new mixed-use communities.
• Community and Cultural Anchors: public spaces such as Biidaasige Park incorporate Indigenous-inspired design, deepening cultural connection to the land.

Redefining What Can Be Built

EllisDon applied advanced construction methods and careful planning to deliver this complex project in a constrained urban environment. Precision-guided excavation using GPS technology ensured accuracy across massive earthworks, while innovative value engineering solutions, such as replacing traditional dockwall tiebacks with a load relief platform, optimized both schedule and performance.

Beneath the surface, a highly coordinated network of civil infrastructure systems supports the site. This includes stormwater management systems designed to handle major weather events, a sanitary sewer network and pumping station connecting to Ashbridge’s Bay, and a fully integrated water distribution system to support future development.

Coordination with stakeholders, including Hydro One, ensured the seamless integration of overhead transmission lines, underground high-voltage cables, and flood protection landforms, all while maintaining uninterrupted service and meeting strict regulatory requirements.

Cleaning, Stabilizing, and Rebuilding from the Ground Up

The work went beyond building; it involved preparing and restoring the site from the ground up. EllisDon excavated 1.4 million cubic metres of contaminated soil, treating it on site to break down pollutants and reduce environmental impact. Clean material was reused across the project, minimizing waste, truck traffic, and cost. Groundwater was also treated on site to meet - or exceed - Lake Ontario’s standards before being returned to the environment.

At the same time, the team addressed challenging site conditions, including soft, waterlogged soils and winter construction. Ground stabilization was achieved through surcharging, compressing soils to prevent future movement. Work continued through the winter using heated enclosures to maintain quality and keep progress on track.

Together, these efforts created a stable, buildable foundation for the new waterfront, supporting durable infrastructure designed to perform over the long term.

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.

These works are supported by new roads and underground services that form the backbone of the district’s future development.

A Defining Civil Project

Hundreds of EllisDon team members and thousands of tradespeople have contributed to transforming the Port Lands into a safe, accessible waterfront district. By combining flood protection, ecological restoration, and enabling infrastructure, PLFPEI has established a new benchmark for sustainable city-building.

Today, the project stands as a global example of how cities can reclaim underutilized land and create resilient, future-ready communities.