Toronto's human-made river is really starting to take shape

The massive eco-engineering project reshaping Toronto's Port Lands just made an exciting advancement, bringing the $1.25 billion construction and new naturalized mouth of the Don River closer to completion. 

The update was detailed in a YouTube video uploaded by Waterfront Toronto last week, and provided an exciting glimpse into the progress made with the Port Lands Flood Protection Project.

Aside from building a new naturalized mouth for the Don River, the infrastructure project also includes a wetland that is not normally part of the river valley, called the Don Greenway. 

According to the waterfront regeneration agency, this wetland serves as the emergency relief valve for the river in the event of a major flood. Construction crews have been working on the river valley and the wetlands in a dry environment, as it's safer to build these structures before they're fully submerged.

How Toronto's new human-made river will make the leap from ditch to waterway https://t.co/bwTmsbpgw3 #Toronto

— blogTO (@blogTO) June 2, 2023

Once the wetland was built and most of the greenery was planted, crews could finally add water to the wetland. In the update, the agency revealed that water had finally been pumped in slowly and carefully over three days, so as to not disturb any of the vegetation in the area. 

While the wetland is now flooded, it's still not connected to the lake or river, which will happen sometime in 2024. 

Toronto's new human-made river is looking very impressive 👀 https://t.co/ykNpEBXOh0 #Toronto #River #HumanMade

— blogTO (@blogTO) November 15, 2023

It's an important step in the completion of the new river mouth, which will connect the Port Lands to a 195-hectare network of parks nestled within the ravine system that runs through Corktown Common past the Brick Works to Pottery Road. 

The project also includes 2.2 kilometres of new roads, a series of futuristic bridges, a park with play areas, walking trails, bird watching and picnic spots, as well as less visible components, like 1,200 metres of duct banks hidden underground.