WAVE's practice is to recruit staff from the Ministry of Transport, port development bodies, local governments and industry for two year assignments with the organization. This has produced good results in terms of intergovernmental, inter-agency and public sector-private sector cooperation and understanding, fertilization of ideas and expertise, and on-the-ground physical built achievements.
3 c. The Waterfront Regeneration Trust
The Waterfront Regeneration Trust was established in 1992 by the Province of Ontario to coordinate the implementation of the recommendations made by a federal-provincial commission of inquiry (the Royal Commission on the Future of the Toronto Waterfront) which had been set up in 1988 and 1989 by the federal and provincial governments in response to strong public criticism of the type of waterfront development occurring on the Toronto central waterfront.
The criticism had been directed at the Toronto Harbour Commissioners (who had sold land surplus to port requirements which had then been developed for high-rise commercial and residential uses shutting off public access to the lake) and the federally organized Harbourfront Corporation (which had also permitted high-rise residentialb development on its land where the public had been led to expect low to medium-rise - 5 to 8 stories - and parkland).
The Commission had been asked to determine what kind of waterfront the public wanted, and how the federal, provincial and local governments could support and promote the kind of waterfront the public wanted and needed. As well, the Commission was asked to look at specific issues such as the future of the port, the roles and mandates of the Harbour Commissioners and the Harbourfront Corporation, and environmental issues.
The Commission completed its work in 1992. Its recommendations to reduce the Harbour Commissioners' mandate and transfer most of their remaining land to the City of Toronto's Economic Development Corporation (TEDCO) were acted upon by the Government of Canada and the City.
More broadly across the Central Toronto waterfront the Commission recommended reconnecting the downtown to the waters edge, and expanding the mix of uses including tourism, entertainment, commercial, residential and open space.
To solve the access question the Commission recommended a trail and open space system along the entire Lake Ontario waterfront.
Overall the Commission recommended that all stakeholders should adopt an ecosystem approach, integrating environmental, economic and community considerations. A set of nine principles were suggested to guide waterfront regeneration.
