Grange Park reopening enlivens storied AGO green space
Thirteen years and $15 million since the idea to rejuvenate a storied Toronto green space was first floated, the newly revitalized Grange Park reopened to the public on Saturday.
The modernized, two-hectare urban park in the shadow of the Art Gallery of Ontario was unveiled at a ribbon-cutting ceremony early this afternoon after 15 months of construction.
Its new centrepiece is the famed work Large Two Forms by renowned English artist Henry Moore. The sculpture once stood at the corner of Dundas and McCaul streets, outside of the AGO.
Other upgrades include:
- Expanded children's play area with customized features.
- 80 news trees, including elm, chestnut, beech and oak species.
- An expanded lawn.
- An off-leash dog park.
- New public washrooms.
- New water features.
- New seating areas.
The money for the project came primarily from The W. Garfield Weston Foundation, the city, the AGO and various community groups. An endowment fund has also been established to pay for ongoing park maintenance in coming years.
Grange Park has been a staple green space in midtown Toronto since it was officially converted into a public park in 1911. Formerly part of estate grounds once owned by the prominent Boulton family, the land became a city-run green space following an agreement between the AGO and the city of Toronto.
