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}}The Bentway, formerly Project: Under Gardiner,NEWS,weblink Waterfront Toronto renames Under Gardiner project as the Bentway, June 6, 2016, Parkdale Villager, InsideToronto, June 10, 2016, is a public trail and corridor space underneath the Gardiner Expressway in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is repurposed land that was in sections vacant,WEB, 2023-09-18, Grand Opening: Experimental Gardens under the Gardiner Expressway,weblink 2023-11-30, The Bentway, en, rail lines, parking lots and outdoor storage.

History

File:Gardiner (497280174).jpg|thumb|A section underneath the Gardiner Expressway near Fort YorkFort YorkThe initial idea to transform the underside of the Gardiner Expressway into a public space came from Judy Matthews, a local Toronto urban planner and activist. On November 17, 2015, after the city's mayor approved the park initiative, Matthews donated {{CAD|25|link=yes}} million for the park to the City of Toronto government through the Judy and Wilmot Matthews Foundation. The donation represented one of the most significant gifts in Toronto's history, and it was hoped that it would inspire other Torontonians to make similar philanthropic contributions to city-building initiatives. Waterfront Toronto, a revitalization agency representing the governments of Toronto, Ontario and Canada, was brought on board to collaborate with the city, along with Ken Greenberg Consultants Incorporated and Public Work to manage project planning and design.NEWS,weblink Matthews generous with ideas, energy — and cash — for Toronto, Keenan, Edward, Toronto Star, November 16, 2015, November 25, 2016, WEB,weblink FAQ - Learn More About The Bentway, The Bentway, November 25, 2016, WEB,weblink EX10.7 - Staff Report - Private Donation to Animate the F.G. Gardiner Expressway from Approximately Strachan Avenue to Spadina Avenue, City of Toronto, November 25, 2016, The project was given the working name "Project: Under Gardiner". A public naming contest was launched in March 2016, and the public submitted 884 different name suggestions. A panel of 12 artists, policy experts and community leaders took the suggestions and whittled them down to a shortlist of four names: "The Artery," "The Bentway," "The Canopy," and "Gathering Place." The public voting between these four options occurred between April 28 and May 8, 2016. The Bentway remained a firm leader throughout the vote with The Artery behind in second place by 10 percentage points, but in the last hours before voting closed, Waterfront Toronto observed a surge in votes for The Artery. The legitimacy of the votes was questioned, and a second runoff vote was held between The Bentway and The Artery. On June 6, 2016, The Bentway was revealed as the new official winner of the naming contest.NEWS,weblink Vote-rigging suspected in naming of future Gardiner Expressway park, Fraser, Laura, CBC, May 9, 2016, December 2, 2016, NEWS,weblink Help choose a name for new-look land under Gardiner Expressway, Goffin, Peter, Toronto Star, April 28, 2016, December 2, 2016, Construction of the Bentway was completed in phases, with the first phase opened on January 6, 2018, including a winter skating trail.NEWS,weblink Highway art: The Bentway defines the next wave of urban public spaces, Alex, Bozikovic, July 5, 2017, The Globe and Mail, WEB,weblink 'It's very Canadian': The Bentway skating trail under Gardiner opens this weekend, cbc.ca, January 5, 2018,

Layout

(File:The Bentway near Canoe Landing Park 2023.jpg|thumb|Bentway Staging Grounds near Canoe Landing Park)The conceptual vision of The Bentway consists of a {{convert|1.75|km|mi}} long multi-use trail between Exhibition GO Station to Spadina Avenue. It hosts activities such as farmer's markets, gardens, performances, ice skating and festivals, spanning three main sections.WEB,weblink WHAT IS THIS PROJECT?, Project: Under Gardiner,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160617193005weblink">weblink June 17, 2016, June 10, 2016, The Bentway spans six Toronto neighbourhoods with a total of 77,000 residents: Liberty Village, Niagara, Fort York, Fashion District, CityPlace, and Harbourfront.

Staging Grounds

Bentway Staging Grounds, located at Dan Leckie Way and Lake Shore Boulevard, opened in September 2023.WEB, September 18, 2023, New Bentway installation uses rainwater runoff from Gardiner Expressway to nurture plants,weblink January 8, 2024, CBC News, To the south of Canoe Landing Park, Bentway Staging Grounds includes a network of ramps and elevated walkways for pedestrians and cyclists.WEB, Bentway Staging Grounds introduced under Gardiner Expressway,weblink 2024-01-08, toronto.citynews.ca, This public infrastructure blends art, public space, experimentation, education and environmental regeneration.WEB, 2023-09-22, Bentway Staging Grounds Brings Plant Life to Gardiner {{!, Designlines |url=https://www.designlinesmagazine.com/bentway-staging-grounds/ |access-date=2024-01-08 |website=Designlines Magazine |language=en}} Designed by Agency—Agency (New York City) and SHEEEP (Toronto),WEB, Novakovic, Stefan, 2023-09-29, Infrastructure/Ecology: Staging Grounds Extends The Bentway,weblink 2024-01-08, Azure Magazine, Bentway Staging Grounds collects and leverages runoff water from the highway into oversized planters in the space below.WEB, Klein, Kristine, 2023-09-22, Staging Grounds repurposes infrastructure as an educational garden,weblink 2024-01-08, The Architect’s Newspaper, en-US, These planters support the growth of diverse, native plant species. Water filtration and retention helps to reduce the risk of flooding.WEB, Staging Grounds — SHEEEP,weblink 2024-01-08, sheeep.studio, en,

Winter Skating

(File:The Bentway ice skating trail 2024.jpg|thumb|The Bentway is converted into a public ice skating trail during winter)In the winter, part of The Bentway is converted into a public ice skating trail and exhibits public art by local artists.NEWS, Attention, Toronto artists. Local landmarks are looking to exhibit your work,weblink 7 July 2023, CBC News, January 25, 2023, During the 2022-2023 season, Shellie Zhang's installation Beacons was on display.WEB, "First Winter" Programming at The Bentway,weblink The Bentway, 7 July 2023, During the 2023-2024 season, Canadian artistic duo Yi Zhou and Carlos Portillo’s installation The Gateway is on display. WEB, Fujio, Tim, 2023-12-05, Northern Lights in the City: The Gateway at The Bentway,weblink 2023-12-29, Setting Mind, en-CA,

References

{{reflist|30em}}

• White, Richard (2003). Urban kids infrastructure and urban growth in the Toronto region, 1950s to the 1990s. Toronto, Ontario: Neptis Foundation. {{ISBN|0973331402}}.

External links

• Official Site

{{Parks and squares in Toronto}}{{Canadian Trails}}