THORNCLIFFE PARK WOMEN’S COMMITTEE

We are happy to share some exciting news that TPWC was recently honoured with the Neighbourhood Parks Award from World Urban Parks; international recognition of the extraordinary work we’ve led in transforming R.V. Burgess Park into a vibrant, inclusive, and community-driven public space. Our Neighbourhood Parks Award was the only one in Canada, one of just two in North America, and one of just eleven in the world! I was pleased to accept the award in person in recognition of our Women’s Committee’s work and sacrifices over the last two decades in Istanbul, Türkiye.

This recognition celebrates our vital ongoing contribution to the revitalization and animation of RV Burgess Park; it also highlights the global impact of our intercultural work. It reflects years of fearless, earnest grassroots city building; in partnership with the City, we’ve revitalized a once-neglected space by co-creating amenities such as:

• A park shelter, garbage bins and community seating;
• A renovated splash pad and new drinking water station;
• Park signage and swings;
• Community garden and picnic areas;
• Playground upgrades and improved lighting (with new light poles);
• Park Cafe;
• And, uniquely, the only outdoor tandoor oven in a North American public park:

R.V. Burgess Park has become a model for community-led urban transformation — a space where connection, inclusion, and innovation thrive. This award is a moment of pride not only for our organization but for Toronto as a whole.