The Canary District | Pre Pan Am Games

By Lydia McNutt
December 01, 2014
With files from Dundee Kilmer Developments

Canary District in Toronto's West Don Lands is a lesson in clever urban design - used to house athletes taking part in the Toronto 2015 Pan Am / Parapan Am Games, but made to boost Toronto's livability long after the Games have gone. Once the games are complete, new condos at Canary District by Dundee Kilmer will be available for purchase.

Canary District is being built to house the athletes taking part in the Toronto 2015 Pan Am / Parapan Am Games, and sold as condominium residences post-Games.

When presented with the opportunity to not only build Toronto’s next great community, Waterfront Toronto and the Ontario government embraced the opportunity to accelerate revitalization of the city’s West Don Lands. The award-winning vision took shape through a planning and consultation process involving local stakeholders and community members. The second phase of the West Don Lands is now being transformed into a mixed-use sustainable community – the – which will house the Pan Am / Parapan Am athletes during the games, later to become one of Toronto’s most exciting new work-live-play neighbourhoods.

We took the tour of this impressive urban pocket, and here's why the plan will work for the Pan Am Games, and beyond:

Pan Am Canary District site plan

Distinct architecture & the big picture: Each of the four blocks forming Canary District was designed by a different architectural team, who infused their distinctive architectural flavour into the overall West Don Lands vision. The development includes work by: architectsAlliance, KPMB Architects, Daoust Lestage Inc., and MacLennan Jaunkalns Miller.

Gateways & sight lines: Marking the entrance to the new community, the historic CNR and Canary Restaurant/Palace Street School buildings are being restored, framing views to Corktown Common Park, while the space between Bayview and Front Street will frame views of the downtown Toronto skyline.

Walkable system & scale: A system of pedestrian pathways through Canary District encourage foot traffic, while a secondary network of walkable routes follow two former CNR rail lines. The ground floors of all Canary District buildings rise to six metres, housing retail, community and recreational amenities, topped by residential units with loft appeal. Lane ways, courtyards and paths are linked to create continuous throughways, while the main street running through the neighbourhood connects to Front Street.

Eyes on the street: The architects employed Toronto urban planning visionary the late Jane Jacobs' “eyes on the street” thesis to create a safe and connected urban environment with open streetscapes, and large-scale building windows and balconies to offer a connection between residents and the streets below.

Building inter-connectivity: The architects have designed buildings in the district – eight blocks in total – using similar materials in different ways, while facades are recessed and roof heights differ, resulting in a visually interesting architectural flow. Materials like masonry are used at street level on buildings closer to the nearby Distillery District, connecting the old and new neighbourhoods, with a modern design aesthetic which speaks to the area's cutting-edge status.

Clean & Green: Social, economic and environmental sustainability front and centre within Canary District, which is made to meet LEED Gold criteria and the Toronto Green Standard for building. Beyond building practices, the neighbourhood's highly walkable design promotes walking among residents and visitors.

Urban livability: Walkability, easy access to urban conveniences, public spaces and parkland, and the well-connected public transit system all contribute to Canary District's future appeal to residents.

Video by: Brandon Bastaldo

About Lydia McNutt

Lydia McNutt is an award-winning writer and editor.

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