CAMH’s redevelopment project is part of our master plan to bring together programs, services and research at our Queen Street site and create a place that is integrated with our community. The end goal is to have a safe, comfortable and welcoming environment where patients can recover with dignity and change social attitudes toward mental illness. These buildings will transform the care and treatment we can provide for some of our most vulnerable patients and will further research and discoveries that will improve the lives of people living with mental illness.
We have an update for you about preservation work planned for the heritage wall as part of our ongoing 1D redevelopment. In preparation for this work, fencing and protective hoarding are expected to be installed on July 8, 2024. Over the years, parts of the wall were demolished, rebuilt, replaced, opened up for new entrances and restored. In 1997, the City of Toronto designated the remaining wall and former carpenter's shop and storage shed, built around 1888, as heritage properties. The preservation of the wall and these two buildings is an important component of CAMH’s Queen Street Redevelopment. The Heritage Wall stands to honour the ordeals of the patients who helped build it, and it serves as a reminder that the lessons of the past need to be taken to heart to ensure people struggling with mental illness and substance use get the respect and compassion they deserve.
The heritage wall lines a significant portion of the CAMH campus and borders parts of the community. As part of this planned phase, a heritage preservation strategy was undertaken with Heritage Toronto and was approved during earlier planning phases of our initial redevelopment.
The wall is an important part of the heritage of our site and the community, and the Heritage Wall Restoration Work is a City requirement based on the Subdivision Agreement between the City of Toronto and CAMH. Without restoration and structural repairs, the wall could eventually crumble. The restoration will start by repairing the foundation, fixing loose or dislodged stones, and brick restoration. Fencing and hoarding around portions of the wall are expected to be installed on July 8 with work expected to be completed by the end of 2024. The work will take place along the Southeast perimeter of the heritage wall - just north of the Terra Bella condominiums and the Joseph Workman Park. The fencing and hoarding will look similar to the previous 2019 restoration work and will be 8 feet high and 7 feet away from the wall to separate the construction zone from the public and ensure safety.
This work also includes the opening of an access point between CAMH and Joseph Workman park, and the installation of a gate. These features were part of the heritage approval and permit for this phase of work. The City of Toronto Planning and Parks like to create mid-block pedestrian connections especially for parks and open spaces to increase access. However, we want to emphasize that due to the ongoing redevelopment construction at CAMH, the gate will remain sealed until 2028.
At the community site plan approval meeting in May, we heard from members of the community and understand that some neighbours do not wish for the doorway to be created between Joseph Workman Park and the CAMH campus. We hear your concerns. While due to the scope of work outlined in the permit, we must proceed with creating the opening (and gate) along with the preservation work, we will work with the community about determining access, as the gate will be within CAMH’s control.
While the work on the wall will be undertaken relatively soon, the new gate and access to it will not be open until 2028. We will meet with interested neighbours to discuss a mutually agreeable solution in terms of gate access.
Thank you for your support and flexibility as we continue these important projects and work towards the completion of decades of transformation. We will continue to provide regular updates on www.camh.ca/neighbours and through our community mailing list. Questions? Please email redevelopment.feedback@camh.ca.
