Return to Annual Report 2023/24
Fueled by recent successes like the completion of the Under Gardiner Public Realm Plan (UGPRP), The Bentway is leading an exciting next chapter for the Expressway. Here’s a recap of progress in 2023-24.
Our Board Chair on how our work is flexing Toronto’s imagination
“2023 was a year of true momentum for us; The Bentway has hit its stride.”
– Daniel Shearer, Board Chair (The Bentway)
Jessie Farewell, our Manager of Fundraising & Partnerships, recently sat down with Daniel to talk about what makes The Bentway so special to him.
A new blueprint for an old Expressway
It is hard to ignore all the Gardiner-related construction. As the city undertakes a once-in-a-generation rehabilitation of the elevated Expressway and revitalizes nearby communities, there’s a unique opportunity to rethink how this infrastructure can connect, function, and inspire. We must ask the Gardiner to do so much more.
The Bentway’s Phase 1 site was just the beginning of a long-term transformation.
Over the past three years, The Bentway and the City of Toronto have collaborated on a comprehensive vision for the underused public spaces beneath and along the Gardiner Expressway, stretching from Dufferin St. to the DVP. In April 2024, City Council approved the plan. Throughout the coming years, efforts will continue to bring this exciting vision to life.
Our Under Gardiner Public Realm Plan kicks off a new chapter for this old highway.
Experimental gardens for the Gardiner
Opened in September 2023, Bentway Staging Grounds is a site of active, environmental learning that continues The Bentway’s creative work. Visitors are invited into a living laboratory for urban ecology!
“Staging Grounds successfully demonstrates that we can reclaim run-off water, filter it, and make use of it to support a more resilient urban landscape in our downtown core.”
– Robert McKaye, Senior Manager of Planning & Design (The Bentway)
Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik cheers on our next phase of growth
“It’s so exciting to see this organization on a strong growth trajectory.Toronto needs more Bentway!”
– Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik (City of Toronto)