Tommy Thompson Park Recognized Internationally as a Leading Example of Sustainable Urban Restoration
November 5, 2025 – Toronto, ON – Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) has been awarded the 2025 New Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements Award for Global Model of Ecological Restoration and Protection, recognizing its outstanding work at Tommy Thompson Park.
The award was presented during the 20th Annual Session of the Global Forum on Human Settlements and New Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements Awards Ceremony, held November 4–5, 2025, at the World Meteorological Organization headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
The Global Forum on Human Settlements, supported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and other UN agencies, is one of the world’s leading conferences on sustainable urban development.
Its annual awards recognize initiatives that advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a particular focus on SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.
Representing TRCA at the ceremony was Andrea Chreston, Senior Project Manager, Restoration and Resource Management.
Tommy Thompson Park is located on the Leslie Street Spit, a constructed landform shaped by Toronto’s construction history, incorporating excavation materials, demolished buildings, and deposits from harbour dredging.
Over the decades, and with the support of its partners, TRCA’s science-based restoration and stewardship and public engagement programs have transformed the site into one of North America’s most remarkable urban ecological success stories.
Today, the park is recognized as a globally significant Key Biodiversity Area and an Environmentally Significant Area, offering opportunities for recreation, research, and education, and connecting the community with nature.
Signature events such as the TRCA Spring Bird Festival and TRCA Butterfly Festival draw thousands of visitors annually, celebrating the park’s biodiversity and inspiring environmental stewardship across the region.
Given the growing use and popularity of the park, TRCA, in partnership with the City of Toronto, has launched a Visitor Experience Plan. The study will identify and prioritize operational and physical changes to manage increasing visitor numbers, improve overall user experience, and ensure the park’s ecological features continue to be protected and enhanced.
The award jury praised TRCA for its innovative, replicable approach to restoration practices, noting the park’s exemplary transformation from a former construction-disposal site into a biodiverse landscape with a dual focus on ecological value and human benefits.
The jury recognized it as a model that successfully balances habitat creation with ecological protection.
This international recognition places Tommy Thompson Park among the world’s leading examples of sustainable urban restoration and reflects how TRCA’s careful planning, research, and collaboration can create ecologically resilient, multi-use greenspaces.
Behind this achievement is a dedicated team whose vision and expertise, supported by partners, Indigenous interest holders, community groups, volunteers, and funders, have helped establish Tommy Thompson Park as a unique urban refuge in the Toronto region and a worthy recipient of this prestigious award.
Quotes:
“Tommy Thompson Park is a homegrown success in my riding and a model for how ecological restoration builds stronger communities – bringing nature back into our cities while strengthening resilience to climate change. This recognition reflects the coordinated action by federal, provincial, municipal, Indigenous, and community partners to restore habitat, protect shorelines, and expand access to nature where people live. Projects like this help advance Canada’s goals to conserve and restore nature, reduce emissions, and build more resilient communities.”
– The Honourable Julie Dabrusin, Minister of Environment and Climate Change; Member of Parliament for Toronto–Danforth
“Tommy Thompson Park shows how restoration can reshape a city’s waterfront and strengthen our connection to land and water. As we continue the Port Lands Flood Protection Project and welcome new public spaces like Biidaasige Park on Ookwemin Minising, this award affirms Toronto’s long-standing commitment to building a greener, more resilient waterfront where nature and community thrive together.”
– Mayor Olivia Chow, City of Toronto
“Congratulations to TRCA staff and volunteers, and to our federal, provincial, municipal, and community partners. This award recognizes the complex, transformative work we have carried out together over decades, guided by science and grounded in community. It reflects a long arc of collaboration and stewardship that has turned a working shoreline into resilient habitat that protects wildlife and welcomes visitors.”
– Deputy Mayor Paul Ainslie, City Councillor for Scarborough–Guildwood; Chair of the TRCA Board of Directors
“Tommy Thompson Park has been a source of pride for the east end for decades, welcoming families, students, birders, and new Canadians who find community in nature. What began as a working shoreline has become a beloved habitat where visitors from across Toronto and beyond come to learn, connect and enjoy the many benefits of being out in nature. This recognition honours the countless volunteers, staff, and partners who have cared for the Spit and shared its wonders with generation after generation.”
– Councillor Paula Fletcher, City Councillor for Toronto–Danforth; Member of the TRCA Board of Directors; Chair of the City of Toronto’s Infrastructure and Environment Committee
“Toronto and Region Conservation Authority is honoured to receive the 2025 New Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements Award for Global Model of Ecological Restoration and Protection, recognizing our leadership in the restoration and care of Tommy Thompson Park. This recognition demonstrates what is possible through research, expertise, collaboration, and community support. Being recognized internationally highlights the success of this work. We are thankful to our partners, including the City of Toronto, Government of Canada, Province of Ontario, community groups, volunteers, and staff, whose efforts have made Tommy Thompson Park the remarkable place it is today.”
– John MacKenzie, Chief Executive Officer, TRCA
About Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA)
Since 1957, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), as enabled through the provincial Conservation Authorities Act, has taken action to enhance our region’s natural environment and protect our land, water, and communities from the impacts of flooding and increasingly extreme weather events – Ontario’s leading cause of public emergencies.
As the region’s first line of defence against natural hazards, TRCA maintains vital infrastructure and provides programs and services that promote public health and safety, protecting people and property. TRCA mobilizes a science-based approach to provide sound policy advice, leveraging its position as a not-for-profit operating in the broader public sector to achieve collective impacts within our communities and across all levels of government.
TRCA’s dedication to its employees and sustainability has earned it recognition as both one of Greater Toronto’s Top Employers and one of Canada’s Greenest Employers. These distinctions highlight TRCA’s commitment to fostering a supportive, innovative, and environmentally responsible workplace – dedicated to driving meaningful change and create lasting positive impacts in the communities it serves.
TRCA’s jurisdiction includes nine watersheds and their Lake Ontario shorelines, spanning six upper-tier and fifteen lower-tier municipalities and representing almost five million people, approximately 10% of Canada’s population.
To learn more about TRCA, visit trca.ca.
Media Contact
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA)
Afiya Jilani
Specialist, Communication and Media Relations
Communications, Marketing and Events
afiya.jilani@trca.ca
media@trca.ca