Tommy Thompson Park Visitor Experience Plan (VEP)
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Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) in partnership with the City of Toronto is studying ways to improve how people experience and connect with nature at Tommy Thompson Park (TTP).
Tommy Thompson Park is a unique urban wilderness located minutes from downtown Toronto on a constructed landform, known as the Leslie Street Spit, which extends five kilometres into Lake Ontario and is over 500 hectares in size.
It is one of the largest natural habitat areas on the Toronto waterfront and includes wildflower meadows, cottonwood forests, coastal marshes, cobble beaches, and sand dunes.
See the Resources page for our TTP Talks webinar series videos, a bird checklist for the park, and frequently asked questions.
The Visitor Experience Plan (VEP) will identify and prioritize operational and physical changes to the park to manage a growing number of visitors to the park, improve the user experience, reduce conflicts, and protect natural habitats.
Project Timeline
Study Area
The study area, shown in the map above, covers the entirety of the Leslie Street Spit including lands currently owned by the Province of Ontario and leased to Ports Toronto.
The Tommy Thompson Park Master Plan established that provincial lands are to be transferred into TRCA ownership when Ports Toronto exits its lease.
Any recommendations related to the provincially owned lands will be long-term (five-plus years) actions for consideration, once these lands are under TRCA ownership.
Feedback gathered on lands currently owned and operated by the City, TRCA, and CreateTO will be considered in developing both short-term (within five years, 2027-2031) and long term (greater than five years, 2032+) priorities.
About the Project
In June 2021 City Council adopted 2021.IE22.5 directing TRCA and the City of Toronto undertake an engagement process to inform the development of a visitor experience plan.
The VEP is intended to establish a coordinated and comprehensive approach to the operations, maintenance, and visitor experience across the Tommy Thompson Park and the Leslie Street Spit lands and to create a plan that supports public access while maintaining ecological integrity.
The VEP will be guided by the Tommy Thompson Park Master Plan approved in 1995 and the four key objectives it established for the park:
- Preserve significant species
- Protect environmentally significant areas
- Enhance aquatic and terrestrial habitat
- Enhance public recreational opportunities
The VEP will review changes in the following areas to improve people’s experiences when they visit the park:
- Natural Environment
- Entering & Moving Through the Park
- Accessibility
- Safety & Wellbeing
- Operations & Maintenance
- Branding & Communications
- Facilities & Amenities
- Equity & Inclusion
- Programming, Events, & Recreational Opportunities
Examples of park changes the visitor experience plan might consider are:
- Signage and wayfinding
- Nature viewing points / lookouts
- Seating, waste receptacles, shade, bikeshare, bike parking
- Website, newsletters, or social media
- On site staff / programming
- Waste collection / washrooms
- Site security / bylaw enforcement / emergency response
- Accessibility features
Alignment with the Tommy Thompson Park Master Plan:
The visitor experience plan will be aligned with the Tommy Thompson Park Master Plan and will prioritize changes that support and advance Master Plan objectives.
The visitor experience plan is not intended to be a park re-design or re-visioning process that considers major new uses or facilities on the site.
Get Involved
During Stage 2 and 3 of the project in 2026 there will be opportunities for the public to participate in the engagement process both online and in-person.
Join the TTP direct mailing list to receive project updates and notifications about engagement opportunities.