Stunning new downtown park opens in Toronto tomorrow

Toronto's roster of downtown parks is set to get a major boost with the unveiling of the revamped Grange Park just north of Queen and John streets. The official opening festivities go down Saturday, July 8 between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m.

The revitalization of the park has been in the works since 2014, but construction only kicked into high gear in 2016. Most of the park has been off limits during the revitalization process, but the fencing has offered tantalizing views of the lovely green space shaping up.

Of the various additions to the park, the most noteworthy is Henry Moore's "Two Large Forms," which was moved from the southwest corner of Dundas and McCaul to a prominent place in the park.

The approach to the AGO from this side now misses the sculpture, but there's no denying that it looks well-suited to its new, greener home. It'll probably get a bit more focused attention now that it acts as a centrepiece to Grange Park.

Other additions are more subtle. The carriage path around the park has been restored, new trees and benches have been added, there's a spiffy new playground, and fountains have been installed in the northeast corner. Overall, the effect of the revamp is subtle but elegant.

Grange Park is highly valuable downtown park in an area where green space is at a premium. It's a huge boon to the city to get it back and looking so good.