The Project

The concept is as audacious as it is brilliant — imagine connecting seven city neighbourhoods by transforming a corridor of cement stretching 1.75 kilometres under a busy expressway into an inviting, exciting urban trail comprised of farmer’s markets, gardens, green spaces and community hubs.

This is The Bentway, formerly known as Under the Gardiner, a bold urban legacy project designed to reclaim unused space for the public in an efficient and creative way. This original concept park will link 55 outdoor civic “rooms” under the Gardiner’s lofty columns and beams (the “bents”) from Strachan Avenue to Spadina Avenue. The Bentway’s total footprint spans Exhibition Place, Liberty Village, Fort York, Niagara, Wellington Place, Bathurst Quay and City Place and will provide a much-needed green space to support development south of Front Street.

The Challenge

Creating a one-of-a-kind park of this length and magnitude and in such a unique location poses obvious challenges. Construction must not impact or impede the operation or the maintenance of the Gardiner itself in any way. The sheer length of this space poses significant challenges for power distribution and lighting design considerations as well: multiple connection points are required to cover the entire park, the rink will have large energy needs of its own, while lighting must enhance the park’s visual aesthetic.

DPM’s Roles and Responsibilities

DPM Energy is designing all electrical and lighting aspects for this project, thanks to our reputation for successfully tackling unique lighting projects around the city, such as the Luminous Veil and the Riverside Bridge, combined with our previous experience with the design team and Waterfront Toronto on complex sites such as Water’s Edge and Queen’s Quay. We’re also providing assistance with the Tender process, including specifications and contract administration.

DPM Solutions

Our focus is to provide solid technical solutions that will work within the unique constraints of the park. Function as well as design are both high priorities for this project, so we are working closely with the design team to ensure that what they need us to do will mesh seamlessly with their vision for this extraordinary urban space. DPM Energy is proud to be a part of this remarkable project, as The Bentway promises to become one of Toronto’s landmark destinations for residents, commuters
and visitors to the city.