On January 6, Toronto Mayor John Tory and school board officials welcomed elementary students at two new schools in Toronto’s CityPlace community. Students returned to school from winter break to Bishop Macdonell Catholic Elementary School and Jean Lumb Public School at the new Canoe Landing multi-use community facility.

“The new multi-use community facility at Canoe Landing is one of the final pieces of Toronto’s CityPlace neighbourhood. Our new schools, community centre and child care will enable us to provide necessary services for residents in the vibrant and growing downtown core. I’m thrilled to see these schools open their doors to CityPlace families,” said Councillor Joe Cressy, who represents Ward 10, Spadina-Fort York, where the facility is located.

The city owns the Canoe Landing site and partnered with the TDSB and the TCDSB to develop the multi-use facility. The two schools are the first areas of the facility to open. Each school will serve about 550 children from kindergarten to Grade 8. Notable features include a shared gym, library and learning commons, outdoor play areas for each age group. The St. Stephen’s Canoe Landing before and after school programs will also be available to attending students.

“We’re taking action to ensure Toronto’s current and future residents have access to recreation services they need and want,” Mayor Tory said. “Facilities like Canoe Landing exemplify the multi-use community focused spaces and partnerships we’re looking to build and leverage as part of our $2.2-billion investment in parks and recreation facilities to support the city’s growing and changing population over the next 20 years.”

Design and development of Canoe Landing was guided by Toronto’s Parks and Recreation Facilities master plan, which represents a $2.2-billion investment to serve population growth over the next 20 years. Construction of this community-focused facility was led by the city and funded primarily through development levies, development charges and Section 37 funds. Official ground-breaking for this site took place in fall 2017 and it is anticipated that the community recreation centre and the child-care centre will be completed this spring.

When completed, the multi-use facility complex will include two schools, a community recreation centre, community space and child care centre within a modern, three-storey structure. Many of the spaces within the buildings are shared, such as the school and community centre gym as well as the artificial turf field in the adjacent park. The design maximizes the available green space in the downtown site with an articulated green roof that spans a large part of the complex’s footprint.

Toronto is home to more than 2.9 million people whose diversity and experiences make it one of Canada’s leading economic engines and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. Now the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is known as global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture, and innovation, and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses.

More information and project updates are available at www.toronto.ca/canoelanding