It was twenty-five years ago on September 8th, 1996 when Colonel Samuel Smith Park officially opened. Development of the parklands began in the 1970s and between the years 1983 and 1992, in partnership with Metropolitan Toronto, the province of Ontario and the Government of Canada, the Metropolitan Toronto and Region Conservation Authority added the 21.5 ha lakefill area to the old hospital grounds. Habitat restoration projects included Carolinian tree and shrub plantings and the creation of a 3.6 ha wetland. The park is named for Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Smith as the lands were part of his property in the 1800s. Much of the park was created from lake fill from former Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital and the RL Clark Filtration Plant and is now one of the City's largest waterfront parks. There is a commemorative plaque on the marina wall.
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