Friends of Corktown Common (FoCC) is a volunteer association nurturing community as we care and advocate for our parks and public spaces including the award-winning Corktown Common, Underpass Park, and the Front Street Promenade. Through cleanups, walking tours, public talks, and pollinator gardens, we promote the Canary District neighbourhood and care for the earth and endangered species. In partnership with the Anishnawbe Health Foundation, we honour the first stewards of this land and learn from their wisdom.
Why It’s Important
For many animals and plants, parks and gardens provide vital habitat. For Torontonians living in apartments and condos, they are a vital extension of our living space. Parks are places where people experience the beauty and healing power of nature, come together for gatherings of family and friends or events, walk the dog, or go for a walk or run. They are spaces for residents and visitors of all backgrounds and abilities to enjoy, recreate, relax, and experience belonging in this extraordinary neighbourhood.
The Story
Before there was a Canary District this was former industrial land, cut off from the city by an elevated roadway and two rail corridors, sitting in a floodplain. Collaborating with the dedicated members of the West Don Lands Committee and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, Waterfront Toronto applied its brilliant “leading with landscape” strategy and delivered 9.3 hectares (23 acres) of stunning parkland and public spaces, transformed the barrier of a dark overpass into an inviting, art-filled playground and home for a farmers market, and created a flood barrier that doubles as a park designed by a leading landscape architect.
When Corktown Common opened in 2013, an enthusiastic Friends committee came together to organize activities such as clean-ups and cheer sections for various marathons. Activities paused when the park was closed by the 2015 Pan / Para Pan Am Games and Canary District construction, but in 2020, a group came together to revive Friends of Corktown Common. The group’s first effort was a Park Audit to identify the priorities of a diverse group of neighbours who care about our parks. The leading issues were a) care for the parks and b) events that bring people together.
The COVID pandemic revealed just how important our public spaces are to our health and well-being, but it wasn’t easy to meet or organize activities. Park cleanups with volunteers spread out and walks with small numbers were the first activities that FoCC could organize. We met with the Park Supervisor to explore ways we could help the dedicated park staff deal with invasive species in the east side of the park.
In 2022, a TD Park People Grant helped catalyze the group to become more active as pandemic restrictions were easing. We organized two cleanups, hosted public talks, and collaborated with the community to create the first two pollinator gardens along Bayview. We also helped the Toronto Outdoor Picture Show folk connect with potential funders to back the summer film series.
Bringing together people with different and shared interests is key to a healthy park community. We hope to continue to spread pollinator gardens and advocate for a role in removing invasive species. We want to advocate on issues like a legal off-leash park, replacing dead and dying street trees, and creating garden plots.
What You Can Do
We need committed volunteers and new leadership: if you share our passion for parks and public spaces, sign up here or simply email [email protected].