Trees from the site of the Boake family’s Locust Lodge homestead (background) are preserved within today’s Park.
De Havilland builds its first buildings at Downsview.
Cirrus Moths, Gypsy Moths and many other Moth designs were assembled at the De Havilland plant.
De Havilland moves its operations to facilities at the southeast portion of the lands, where they reside today as Bombardier, neighbours to Downsview Park.
The federal government decommissions the Canadian Forces Base Toronto and announces that a substantial portion of the site be set aside for the creation of a large urban green space dedicated to recreational and broader public use. The green space is surrounded by several parcels designated for development and intended to surround the Park with integrated future communities.
Downsview Park finalizes an international design competition to realize its vision for an urban green space; eventually selecting Bruce Mau’s “Tree City”. The design concept links current living conditions to the reality of an urban public realm for the 21st century.
As the initial phase of Downsview Park is officially opened, Canada Lands Company reacquires ownership of both Downsview Park and the Downsview Lands, with a mandate to implement the City of Toronto's approved secondary plan for the area.
Stanley Greene represents the first of the Downsview Lands neighbourhoods to begin redevelopment. Site servicing has been completed and home construction has begun.
Canada Lands Company hosts the first open house sessions and pop-up events to share information about the planning process for the new William Baker neighbourhood and to seek ideas, input and aspirations to inform the district plan.
Official Plan
The city's Official Plan will ensure that the City of Toronto evolves, improves and realizes its full potential in areas such as transit, land use development and the environment. Toronto’s Official Plan is constantly evolving and the Secondary Plan and District Plans inside it all work towards the greater framework that the Official Plan sets out.
Secondary Plan
A Secondary Plan, just like the larger Official Plan, is created and approved in accordance with the City of Toronto’s planning department. Input for the plan comes from a variety of sources, including official studies, expert analysis, Toronto City Council and local stakeholders.
In the case of the Downsview Area Secondary Plan, the original document was approved by City Council in 1999, then updated by the City in 2011 to align it more closely with City objectives.
Part of the 2011 updates were the inclusion of a transportation master plan for the area and a stormwater management plan.