Here’s what will happen next with Toronto’s gorgeous new artificial river

Excitement about Toronto’s new artificial river is building as this massive undertaking makes the much-publicized leap from a rocky ditch to a naturalized waterway.

The crown jewel in Toronto’s $1.3 billion Port Lands Flood Protection Project (PLFP) crossed a pivotal milestone in February when the filling of this new artificial river valley, etched through post-industrial lands, reached the water level of Lake Ontario.

Views of the new naturalized river mouth have astounded the public in recent months, and interest in the project has only grown in the weeks since the river valley was filled to lake level — which involved enough water to fill 30 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

A new video released by Waterfront Toronto gives an up-close look at the filling process and the path that led there. The video also delves into the project’s history, including a look back at the natural river that was lost to industrialization only to be restored generations later.

The project’s most recent development since the water level maxed out has been the deconstruction of a large dam separating the north end of the new waterway from the existing intersection of the Don River’s channelized southern terminus and the Keating Channel.

Removing this infrastructure is no simple task, and demolitions are expected to continue for months before water from the Don River finally meets its new course.

The West Plug is an underwater wall that’s separating the river from lake. It’ll take a lot longer than I thought to dismantle it – like months! But we’re getting ready to start! Not much to see yet but don’t worry, when they get ready to pull the pieces out, I’ll let you know! pic.twitter.com/LpMRcvGk9b

— Rocky (@TheRockRipper) March 5, 2024

This underwater wall, or plug, is just one of two dividers in place that have allowed aquatic plants to take hold within the new river valley. Next, a second plug walling off the river valley’s southwest end from the former Polson Slip and Toronto Harbour will be removed.

It’s just the latest in an impressive series of project milestones for the PLFP project. The first few months of 2024 have been full of huge achievements for the generational undertaking, including the opening of a newly-rerouted Cherry Street via the Cherry Street North Bridge and the opening of the matching Commissioners Street Bridge in January.

There is even more striking infrastructure in the works for the Port Lands, including plans to construct an iconic new pedestrian bridge spanning the Keating Channel in the years to come.