Queen's Park North could be getting $50M facelift, courtesy of the Weston family

One of the first municipal parks in Canada, Toronto’s Queen’s Park North, could soon be the recipient of a multi-million dollar revitalization project, courtesy of the Weston Family Foundation. 

The park just north of Ontario’s legislature opened in 1860 and the city was able to make some recent improvements to it in 2019, but stopped short of doing more due to budget constraints. The Weston family wants to give the city up to $50 million to revitalize the park, along with ongoing annual funding to keep it in good condition. 

The mayor’s executive committee will vote on the proposed donation Tuesday, which would mean sending it to city council for final approval.

“In a perfect world, we would have tax revenue to be able to look after public spaces and public assets to a high standard ourselves. That’s not the world we live in,” said Coun. Dianne Saxe. “[The donation] is incredibly generous of the Weston family.”

But given the source of the donation, Saxe also wants to ensure the space continues to serve its intended, public purpose.

"How do we make sure that there isn't excessive influence by the donor?" she said. "They don't just hand over $50 million and say 'have a nice day.'"

CBC Toronto has reached out to the Weston Family Foundation for comment on Saxe's concerns.

According to the report, the donor will have to approve of the final design. There may also be donor recognition in the form of a commemoration to Hilary M. Weston, Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario from 1997 to 2002.

The donor recognition would have to be approved by the city's general manager of parks and would be in line with "typical donor recognition within parks and recreation spaces," the report says.

Councillors will have the chance to ask staff about the potential donation at the meeting Tuesday.

The city hopes to settle on a “design direction” for the park by the spring, according to the report before the executive committee. Phased construction would begin late in the summer.

City staff say revitalizing the park is especially important because of the high demand for green space in densifying downtown wards. 

Part of the goal for the redevelopment of the park is to create a better experience for the people who use it, with amenities such as new washrooms and potentially a café.

Other changes floated during consultations so far, according to the report, include improvements to the running track, a commemorative garden and a shelter structure being called a “workshop” for local community programming.