Item - 2026.EC28.7

The Economic and Community Development Committee recommends that:

1. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, the General Manager, Parks and Recreation and the General Manager, Transportation Services to work with Canada's Walk of Fame, Roy Thomson Hall, Mirvish Productions, the Toronto Downtown West BIA and other stakeholders to:

a. Develop a concept plan for improvements to the public realm on the block bounded by King Street West, Simcoe Street, Wellington Street West and John Street, including alignment with ongoing City projects;

b. Formally explore the proposed Canada's Walk of Fame Garden of Achievement project at David Pecaut Square as part of that plan;

c. Review precedents for successful public-private maintenance and operational agreements for similar public spaces; and

d. Report back in the first quarter of 2027 with an update report and recommended next steps.

Canada's Walk of Fame celebrates Canadians who have excelled in their respective fields in order to engage and inspire the next generation. In recent years, Canada's Walk of Fame has expanded its ambitions to include programs that help create a new generation of star Canadians, and to strengthen national ties with "hometown stars" in cities across Canada, and explore opportunities to revitalize the green space in David Pecaut Square as a lasting monument to great Canadians and a tourist destination.

This evolution aligns with the ongoing work on the John Street Cultural Corridor, stretching from Stephanie Street to just south of Front Street West. Recognized as a route of civic and cultural significance, the corridor connects many of the city’s major cultural institutions, including the Art Gallery of Ontario, the National Film Board of Canada, the CBC Broadcast Centre, the Princess of Wales and Royal Alexandra Theatres, and the TIFF Bell Lightbox, among others.