Queen West’s Lisgar Park sets new standard for seating
Around the corner from the Drake Hotel, the west-end park will finish its revamp by late September. The half-hectare space will have arguably the best park seating in the city.

TheStar.com
Sept. 7, 2017
David Hains

The city’s newest park renovation invites Torontonians to take a seat.

Right around the corner from the Drake Hotel, Queen West’s Lisgar Park will finish its revamp by late September. The half-hectare space will have arguably the best park seating in the city.

“There’s lots of people-watching opportunities,” said landscape architect Jeremy Craig of Victor Ford and Associates, who designed the project.

He explained that the extensive seating surrounds and faces open areas, creating spaces where community events can take place. Only about half of the seating is installed right now, but upon completion a full 330 seats will be available.

Craig said they’ll serve a variety of purposes, including both intimate chats and large events. The park is also meant to support the strong arts community in the area.

“It’s meant to be really flexible,” said Craig.

The design earned praise from Katia Osokine, a member of SitTO, which advocates for better public seating.

“I really love sitting there,” Osokine enthused. “It will be a fantastic new public space.”

Osokine was happy not to see “anti-vagrancy” arm rests — a contentious feature in park design meant to keep people from sleeping on benches.

The Lisgar Park renovation also added 88 trees, a playground and 25 wooden poles salvaged from a nearby industrial building, which will provide electricity for events.