$20 million for Evergreen at the Brick Works

Heritage site to be a model of sustainability and urban innovation

Canada’s Federal Government Announces $20 Million for the transformation of the Brick Works into Evergreen at the Brick Works, an environmentally-based community centre engaging visitors in diverse experiences connected to nature. L-R: Lawrence Cannon,

The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, and the Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance and Minister Responsible for the Greater Toronto Area, announced that Canada’s New Government would invest up to $20 million to support the creation of an innovative urban green space called Evergreen at the Brick Works. Geoff Cape, Executive Director of Evergreen, also attended the Dec. 20 announcement.

“This investment by Canada’s New Government demonstrates our commitment to municipal infrastructure and to the environment,” said Minister Cannon. “This project shows how innovative design and environmental technology can help make living in cities more enjoyable for Canadian families. It is a model for urban redevelopment and sustainability.”

“This project will help make Toronto a leading tourist destination, will create concrete economic benefits for the area, and will make a positive contribution to the health and quality of life in Canada’s largest city” said Minister Flaherty. “Canada’s New Government is taking action to ensure the prosperity of our communities and at the same time, is cleaning up the environment to build a better Canada for future generations.”

Evergreen at the Brick Works is a pioneering environmental community facility that will explore how nature makes cities more liveable. The site includes a 16-hectare park with the Weston Quarry Garden, wetlands, hiking trails, wildflower meadows, and 15 heritage buildings, and is at the centre of Toronto’s internationally unique ravines and green ways that total more than 27,000 acres. The extensive redevelopment and renovation project will use leading-edge green design technology adapted to the heritage buildings and their ongoing management.

“This exciting project is a showcase for Evergreen’s mission of ‘bringing communities and nature together for the benefit of both’,” said Geoff Cape, Executive Director, Evergreen. “It is a testament to the power of partnerships that will together create exciting, hands-on activities for the people of Toronto and all Canadians. Evergreen is grateful to the Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario and the City of Toronto for making this project possible.”

Once completed, Evergreen at the Brick Works will offer a broad range of activities for visitors, including community and youth programs, arts and culture programming, outdoor winter activities such as skating, theatre and performance spaces, and a restaurant and café featuring food grown onsite at demonstration gardens.

The project will be required to meet applicable conditions, including environmental assessments. As next steps, the Government of Canada will work towards the successful negotiation of a formal contribution agreement with Evergreen.

“Budget 2006 provided an unprecedented level of support for infrastructure of various types across Canada. This support of some $16.5 billion includes $6.6 billion in new infrastructure funding to support both small and larger scale municipal infrastructure projects in communities across Canada,” concluded Minister Cannon.

The federal contribution for Evergreen at the Brick Works will be provided through the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund, which supports large-scale infrastructure projects, including tourism and urban development projects that promote Canada as a leading destination for tourists or that promote urban development.

The Government of Ontario has already provided $10 million to preserve the existing buildings and trail system at the site. The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority and the City of Toronto, which own and manage the site respectively, granted Evergreen permission to redevelop it into an environmental education and community-focused centre.

As well, Green Municipal Fund grant of $350,000 was key to the launch of an earlier site-specific sustainability plan that followed an integrated design process. The plan resulted in the selection of infrastructure technologies suited to the Brick Works location. The Government of Canada has provided the Federation of Canadian Municipalities with $550 million to establish and manage the Green Municipal Fund. The Fund supports partnerships and leveraging of both public and private sector funding to reach higher standards of air, water and soil quality, and climate protection.