East Harbour – Celebrating 30 Years

When a developer acquired 50 acres of underutilized land near downtown Toronto—home to a derelict soap factory and stuck in floodplain restrictions—some, like landowner First Gulf, saw a big opportunity that lay beyond the challenges. Those 50 acres are now in the midst of becoming one of the city’s most transformational urban projects.

Tasked with enabling development where none seemed feasible, StrategyCorp helped its client orchestrate a plan that aligned political will, regulatory approvals, and capital investment across all three levels of government. The project team’s work successfully secured support to update the road network, enabled advocacy for the strategic placement of East Harbour’s new GO Transit and Ontario Line stations, and unlocked over $1 billion in infrastructure funding for the Don River naturalization project.

Toronto is at a critical juncture in 2025. As Canada’s largest city continues to absorb population and economic growth, it faces mounting pressure on its core—housing shortages, congested transit systems, and the need for first class commercial space to attract global talent. This project relieves that pressure by creating a new, fully integrated downtown node. Strategically located and transit-connected, East Harbour will support the city’s next phase of growth with housing, office space, and public amenities, all while enhancing resilience through modern flood infrastructure and active transportation connections.

Success for this project required an integrated public affairs approach to navigate political transitions, overcome entrenched interests, and build consensus around a future vision for the city. The result: a major commercial and residential hub is now taking shape, one that will bring up to 50,000 jobs, new housing, and improved transit connections just minutes from Union Station.

As the project continues under the stewardship of Canadian real estate royalty, Cadillac Fairview, Toronto is gaining more than buildings—it’s gaining a second downtown. With modern infrastructure, vibrant public space, and sustainable design, this development stands as a blueprint for how public policy and private ambition can converge to reimagine a city’s future.