Toronto, ON – December 11, 2025 – Today, the Toronto Region Board of Trade released ‘The Power of Connection’, a new report outlining a six-point plan for government and business to invest in a waterfront that functions as a connected, competitive district.
Toronto’s waterfront is one of the most economically powerful and fastest growing districts in Canada, contributing $13 billion in GDP and welcoming 18 million visitors annually. The eastern waterfront and Port Lands are projected to house at least 130,000 new residents, and 50,000 more jobs by 2040. Few places in Canada offer this scale of economic potential in such a concentrated geography.
“The waterfront is one of Toronto’s greatest assets, but it cannot reach its full potential without transportation and mobility that keeps pace with rapid growth,” said Giles Gherson, President & CEO, Toronto Region Board of Trade. “We are calling on every level of government, together with private sector partners, to shift from planning to implementation. Our report presents a clear roadmap to unlock the waterfront’s extraordinary potential for our city.”
Improved connectivity will deliver real benefits for businesses, workers, and the city: faster, more reliable travel; stronger business operations; improved visitor experiences; and a more dynamic waterfront economy. Without action, gridlock will worsen, competitiveness will weaken, and Toronto will miss major opportunities for housing, tourism, development, and innovation.
Six Actions to Unlock the Waterfront
The Board is calling on all three orders of government to work together on six targeted, high-impact actions:
- Secure funding for Waterfront East Transit to unlock housing, jobs, investment, and visitor growth on the eastern waterfront.
- Prioritize future transit-priority implementation on Bathurst and Dufferin to improve speed, reliability, and access to major destinations.
- Enhance connections to major hubs including Billy Bishop Airport, cultural anchors, and emerging employment clusters.
- Expand and upgrade the PATH network to support year-round pedestrian movement and downtown waterfront integration.
- Invest in Under Gardiner transformations to create safer, more connected pedestrian and cycling corridors along the Gardiner’s edge.
- Enable and scale water-based transit with coordinated regulation, pilots, and infrastructure that support water taxi, seabus, and hovercraft services.
About this Report:
This report was authored and prepared by the Toronto Region Board of Trade, and incorporates insights and inputs from the Waterfront Coalition, a group convened by the Board that unifies the major economic and cultural drivers of the waterfront.
Waterfront Coalition Quotes on Connectivity:
“Each year the waterfront business community benefits from incredible growth, new parks, amenities, and the expansion of tourism activity. We already have the best bike paths in the country, and the best indoor pedestrian network, the PATH, will expand here, too. With light rail expanded to the Port Lands and improved marine transit nodes as highlighted in the Board of Trade’s new report, this neighbourhood can truly be one of the great waterfront experiences in the world.”
— Tim Kocur, Executive Director, Waterfront BIA
“Improved connectivity across, and to, Toronto’s waterfront is essential to enabling access to Harbourfront Centre for our 6.3M+ visitors each year. Reliable transit helps visitors, families, and newcomers reach us with ease, supporting local businesses and deepening engagement with arts, culture, learning, and recreation. A connected waterfront is essential to delivering an exceptional visitor experience and welcoming more people to our campus.”
— Cathy Loblaw, CEO, Harbourfront Centre
“This latest report is a clear signal from the businesses, agencies, and institutions on the waterfront: Waterfront East Transit, coupled with expanded marine transportation, is critical to our continued revitalization of Toronto’s waterfront. Waterfront Toronto and our partners have laid the foundations for Waterfront East Transit and are ready to put shovels in the ground.”
— George Zegarac, President & CEO, Waterfront Toronto
“Building a truly connected waterfront means rethinking how people move—by transit, on foot, by bike, on the water, and through the public spaces below and beside the Gardiner. Each mode matters, and together they create a network that lets everyone experience the waterfront more fully and more fairly. At The Bentway, we see integrated mobility and public space as powerful catalysts for a more dynamic, resilient, and prosperous waterfront for all residents and visitors.”
— Ilana Altman, CEO, The Bentway
“George Brown Polytechnic is proud to help shape the eastern waterfront into a dynamic place to work, learn, and live. The Board’s report rightly highlights the urgent need for key infrastructure investments, especially the Waterfront East transit line, which will be essential in helping thousands of people move efficiently through this rapidly growing part of the city.” — Dr. Gervan Fearon, President, George Brown Polytechnic
— Dr. Gervan Fearon, President, George Brown Polytechnic
“Seamlessly connecting Toronto’s waterfront creates a shared space where people gather—and where local businesses and attractions thrive, fueling a vibrant visitor and local economy that benefits the city.”
— Don Boyle, CEO, Exhibition Place
"Strengthening connections between Billy Bishop Airport, the Waterfront, key transit nodes and the city is vital to improving mobility, enhancing the experience, and building a stronger, more accessible Toronto. As we welcome more and more visitors to the Waterfront, this report's recommendations would see the visitor journey, from origin to destination, considered and planned with ease and convenience in mind.”
— Jennifer Quinn, CEO, Nieuport Aviation.
“PortsToronto’s businesses anchor each end of the waterfront with the marine port to the east and Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport to the west – two gateways that move people, goods, and ideas while fueling the economic engine of Toronto and region. This potential will not be fully realized without bold investments in connectivity that is inclusive of modern transit, pedestrian-friendly routes, and better use of the harbour for marine mobility. Only with clear vision and decisive action can we ease congestion and build a truly connected and accessible waterfront – one that unlocks Toronto’s full economic, cultural, educational, and residential potential and strengthens the city’s role as a driver of national prosperity.”
— RJ Steenstra, President & CEO, PortsToronto
"Improving connectivity and mobility across Toronto's waterfront is crucial to its future. This is a key part of CreateTO's mission. We're building bridges, unlocking the potential of the Port Lands and connecting more people to Toronto Islands. CreateTO is creating the spaces and building the infrastructure to connect people, places and possibilities along Toronto's waterfront and across the city."
— Vic Gupta, CEO, CreateTO
The Toronto Region Board of Trade is one of the largest and most influential business chambers in North America and is a catalyst for the region’s economic agenda. We pursue policy change to drive the growth and competitiveness of the Toronto region and facilitate market opportunities with programs, partnerships and connections to help our members succeed – domestically and internationally.
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