First-of-its kind art trail to open in Toronto’s new waterfront park in 2026

Toronto’s biggest waterfront park to open in a generation is about to get a new feature.

The city opened Biidaasige Park this summer — a massive recreational destination and the first public space to open on Ookwemin Minising. Ookwemin Minising (formerly known as Villiers Island) is a new island in the Port Lands–located where the Don River meets the lake–created by ongoing flood protection and river restoration projects in the area.

The city is now preparing to open the second part of the expansive park.

The final portion of Biidaasige Park, expected to open in the summer of 2026, will include the Lassonde Art Trail, the first art park of its kind in Canada.

The 4.2 km art trail will feature 15 interconnected public art sites and will be free to visit in Biidaasige Park.

The location of the new Lassonde Art Trail is marked in red on this map.  Map: Lassonde Art Trail Foundation

Once open, the trail will include renowned Canadian artist Kent Monkman’s first permanent public sculpture, Monira Al Qadiri’s monumental work First Sun (direct from NYC in partnership with Public Art Fund), and a sculpture by Tracey Emin on loan from the National Gallery of Canada.

“We had very much been thinking about how we could bring amazing and, let’s just say, world-class art or a really exciting art layer to that [space],” Chloë Catán, executive director at the Lassonde Art Trail, told INsauga.com.

Rendering of Artemisa by Joana Vasconcelos

Catán said they are commissioning local and international artists to make new works for the trail.

The trail will feature works by artists from Canada and abroad, including Alexa Kumiko Hatanaka, Alexandre Arrechea, Caroline Monnet, Dean Baldwin Lew, Hank Willis Thomas, Kara Hamilton, Lisa Hirmer, Monira Al Qadiri, Nadia Belerique, Tony Romano, Oluseye, Ryan Gander, and Tracey Emin.

First Sun by Monira Al Qadiri

A newly commissioned permanent destination sculpture by Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos will follow in 2027.

Ookwemin Minising will also include a residential development with over 9,000 housing units (including affordable rentals) that will accommodate up to 15,000 residents.

Once fully complete, the 98-acre island will feature 50 acres of parks and 80 acres of green space.

The park can be accessed by the public via Cherry Street and Commissioners Street area, right along the newly opened mouth of the Don River.

For more information on the Lassonde Art Trail, see the website here.

With files from Ashley Newport

Lead rendering of Biidaasige Park: City of Toronto