In May 2023, the Lower Don Trail was closed between Pottery Road and the rail line underpass connecting to Corktown, in connection with a major trail improvement project. The scope of the project on this stretch of trail includes erosion remediation, trail reconstruction, and the installation of a stairway connection to the Dundas Street bridge and of an accessible ramp to the Riverdale pedestrian bridge.
Due to any number of complications, including simultaneous work by Metrolinx on adjacent rail infrastructure, the project has taken much longer than expected. In the meantime, cyclists and others have still been able to use the multi-use trail along the parallel stretch of Bayview Ave.
Northern and southern stretches of the project have been reopened, but for the time being it is not possible to use the full trail, and if you start from either end you will eventually reach a closed section and need to turn back. Fortunately, the reopening of the full trail may be approaching. We expect the Lower Don Trail will reopen in the fairly near future, even if some of the final work may continue a bit longer.
This upgraded trail will be a convenient way to get down to the waterfront, including Biidaasige Park. For now, the route south will go via Cherry Street. We understand that, eventually, the Lower Don trail will be reconnected to the Lakeshore Blvd corridor and routes to Ookwemin Minising (formerly Villiers Island). These southern connections are a separate project managed by Waterfront Toronto, part of the broader reconfiguration of the eastern waterfront area.
Please see the City’s website on the Lower Don River Trail Improvements for ongoing updates on this project, including news on the plans for reopening.