How Canada Lands is transforming the Downsview Lands into a people-first hub

Two hundred and seventy acres. Five vibrant communities with more than 22,000 new homes. Iconic green spaces and unprecedented connectivity to highways, TTC and GO Transit. Led by Canada Lands Company, the redevelopment of Toronto’s Downsview Lands is set to become one of the most game-changing projects the city has seen in generations.

“Downsview Lands is truly a transformational opportunity for both the city and the Greater Toronto Area,” says James Cox, vice-president of real estate for the Central Region at Canada Lands Company, a federal Crown corporation that is spearheading the project.

“The vision is really around parkside living and being a place to live, play and work,” Cox says. “For residents, it’s where urban living blends into scenic nature, with the excitement of downtown just a short ride away. But beyond that, our vision is also to integrate really well with the existing community. We’ve got Downsview Park at the core, which includes green space and recreational and sport facilities. We host events—everything from Earth Day to music festivals. We’ve got running trails, a dog park. We have Centennial College’s aerospace campus, built around the historic repurposed de Havilland of Canada building with about 140,000 square feet of instruction space. It really offers something for everybody.

Meticulously planned

A home fit for all, Downsview Lands is a destination in and of itself within an already world-class city. It’s a bold vision—and it’s one that has centred on the community and the people who live in it since the project’s inception.

“When we first started, we did a lot of public engagement around the neighbourhood and its future,” Cox says. “A lot of that was grassroots. We were on the ground, meeting with local folks to understand what was important to them.”

The result is a meticulously planned urban centre that uniquely meets the needs of a growing and evolving city—for singles, families, seniors and everyone in between.

“We’re committed to delivering diverse housing, including 20 per cent of all new housing units for affordable housing,” says Cox. “We spent a lot of time looking at how we deliver that amongst the neighbourhoods through a mix of rental and ownership and different housing types.”

The project is also designed to meet the changing needs of Toronto’s population. “We heard from a lot of residents about the importance of senior uses. People want to be able to live in the community they grew up in and be able to age in place. They’ve found there aren’t that many options for seniors in Downsview, so there is an opportunity for us to fill that gap.”

Five unique neighbourhoods

The Downsview Lands comprises five neighbourhoods that surround the much-beloved Downsview Park, with each offering unique attributes and amenities.

Already completed, Stanley Greene is the first neighbourhood, featuring more than 1,350 new residences over 60 acres, along with a central 4.4-acre municipal park that has become a community focal point

Up next from Canada Lands Company, situated around a mature woodlot and nearly shovel-ready, is Arbo, bringing nature to the city, along with many of the features that residents want. “Arbo is a mixed-use, transit-oriented community that will deliver over 4,000 new homes, including seniors and affordable options,” says Cox.

“While Arbo is defined by its woodlot, the Downsview West neighbourhood will be defined by its depot building—an 800,000-square-foot military-supply building that will be reimagined and rejuvenated,” Cox says. The neighbourhood will include 8,800 new homes, approximately 10 acres of parks and green space and over one million square feet of new employment spaces.

Not to be outdone, two additional neighbourhoods, Downsview East and Allen West, will be developed over time and will bring nearly 10,000 more new homes to the area.

Canada’s developer

Downsview Lands is an exciting project—not only for Toronto, but for the developer. “It’s our largest project yet,” says Stéphan Déry, president and CEO of Canada Lands Company.

The company, which is celebrating 30 years in business, has ample experience turning public lands into landmarks, like the LEED-certified Les Bassins du Nouveau Havre site in Montreal or the unique green streets of the River’s Edge community in Chilliwack, B.C.—formerly a Canadian Forces base. They also own major attractions across the country, including the CN Tower, the Old Port of Montreal and the Montreal Science Centre.

“Canada Lands Company is an important partner of the Government of Canada when it comes to real estate development,” says Déry. “We are a commercial Crown corporation that specializes in real estate development and attractions management. Our role is to acquire and transform surplus property from the Government of Canada to reintegrate them back into local communities through real estate management and development, leasing and sales activities.”

At its heart, the company is about giving back to Canadians, delivering great spaces on publicly owned lands, tackling the country’s housing crisis and transforming the lives of individuals and families—not to mention transforming cities themselves. “Canada Lands Company strives to deliver economic, social and environmental value for all Canadians,” says Déry. “We transform former Government of Canada properties into vibrant, inclusive communities. We prioritize mixed-use and mixed-income communities that support national housing goals and ensure local community needs.”

That’s happening not only in Toronto but across Canada. “Last year, we enabled 4,100 housing units, of which 35 per cent were earmarked for affordable housing—a significant increase compared to previous years,” says Déry.

To learn more about Arbo, Downsview Lands’s next great neighbourhood, visit clc-sic.ca/downsview-lands.