Toronto's waterfront is getting a bunch of huge free attractions

Waterfront Toronto has just dropped its latest plans for how it will continue with the massive redevelopment of the city's vastly underutilized shoreline, and along with a slew of additional greenspace — 25 hectares worth, to be exact — residents can look forward to multiple fun (and free) new attractions.

Based on the early renderings, it seems that it will be hard to miss the forthcoming "Destination Playground" in particular when it's completed within the next few years, its colourful, towering structures punctuating the waterfront along with major updates that will include a completely overhauled ferry terminal, public art, a cohesive waterfront walkway, a new landmark building, sandy beaches, floating restaurants and more.

We're excited to share our Rolling Five-Year Strategic Plan 2022/23.

The next phase of our work on the waterfront will continue to transform the area — powered by partnerships, guided by community insights & letting the landscape lead the way.

Link: https://t.co/iZFESVrbUk. pic.twitter.com/UjMWBwCM3J

— Waterfront Toronto (@WaterfrontTO) January 24, 2022

Being billed as a first for all of Canada, the immersive playground will have the most modern equipment complete with "design and nature play opportunities," as inspired by similar adventure parks elsewhere in the world.

It will serve as just one part of the network of green spaces to be situated around the mouth of the Don River, which will be newly-rerouted and re-naturalized for flood protection by 2024.

The playground will also complement the ziplines and other attractions at the nearby Promontory Park and the aerial obstacle courses over at the new Ontario Place.

Tulsa, Arizona's Gathering Place is just one source of inspiration for the project. Photo from WaterfrontTO.

WaterfrontTO's $1.25-billion Port Lands project will also feature, perhaps most excitingly, a completely new island community with residences, offices, and even more parkland.

The transformation has been pretty epic (and educational!) so far, with so much more to come for the neighbourhood.