Toronto and Region Conservation Authority reviews Meadoway progress and future plans

On Mar. 20, 2026, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority held a meeting to review a report on phase two of the Meadoway project and the plans for phase three.

The Meadoway in Scarborough – Photo by @givememollusks on Wikimedia Commons

On Mar. 20, 2026, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority held a meeting to review a report on phase two of the Meadoway project and the plans for phase three.

The TRCA’s Board of Directors was shown a presentation on the Meadoway by TRCA’s Lisa Turnbull. This presentation supplemented a report by Anil Wijesooriya, the Director of Restoration and Infrastructure, which gave an update on the achievements of phase two of the Meadoway project, and the outlook of phase three.

During phase two, the Meadoway was used for outreach and education. It saw over 3,000 students and teachers educated through hands-on activities and field-trips. It hosted targeted programming for ESL learners and newcomers, supporting over 320 participants. The TRCA also hosted 13 seasonal community events at the Meadoway.

There was also a lot of research conducted in phase two. It was part of collaborative research with the University of Waterloo, University of Toronto Scarborough and Trent University on plant-pollinator relationships and meadow site preparation methods.

They managed and monitored 151 hectares of meadow and mown buffer areas. They also updated their Meadoway Restoration Manual, which is a guide to naturalizing infrastructure corridors.

Phase two cost $20.224 million. This included a $6.332 mil grant from the Weston Family Foundation, $6.545 million from the City of Toronto, $0.45 mil from The Garden Club of Toronto, $1.05 million from Parks Canada, $5.6 million from the Natural Infrastructure Fund, $0.231 million from the Nature Based Climate Solutions Grant and a total of $0.036 million from the Canada Summer Jobs Grant.

In 2026, they aim to continue work expanding the trails. This includes opening a new multi-use trail east of Kennedy, from Arsandco Park Marco Blvd. They are also designing a trail connection from Pan Am Drive to Conlins Road in partnership with University of Toronto Scarborough and the City of Toronto. They plan to launch a design competition for the trail connection and bridge over Ellesmere Ravine.

They are also going to continue rolling out public furnishing, such as benches. Other than that, they are going to introduce a goat grazing research pilot, and an enhanced seed collection program.

Key takeaways

The TRCA received a report on the Meadoway, which stated that:

From 2023 to 2025, the Meadoway was a valuable educational tool for thousands of students, including ESL learners, as well as being used for research by universities.

The Meadoway project phase 2 received a total of $20.224 mil, including from the Weston Family Foundation, the federal government and the City of Toronto.

In 2026, they plan to continue expanding the trail system, and to launch a grazing research pilot and an enhanced seed collection program.

On-the-ground observations from our documenter, CHRISTIAN MALONG

I live a couple minutes away from the Meadoway. It has been pretty interesting seeing this sterile grass field become a real meadow. You can go back in time on Google Maps and see the before and after. Even aside from the scientific and educational value it provides, I just think it’s cool I can bike through a meadow a couple of minutes from home. I’m glad that there’s support for biodiversity, native plants and pollinators. This is also helping fight against the urban heat-island effect. The presentation showed a nine degree difference between the Meadoway and the previous turf areas. I think this is a great use of the hydroelectric corridor, and I hope there are more initiatives like it.