In an exciting move for the future growth of northwest Toronto, Woodbine Entertainment — owner of Woodbine Racetrack in Rexdale — has announced it is investing $170 million in a new Metrolinx GO Station at Woodbine Racetrack. Construction broke ground yesterday on the station, which will serve as the anchor to an expansive urban development planned for the surrounding lands.
Also anchoring the development would be the iconic Woodbine Racetrack, home to Canada’s longest continuously run sporting event, the King’s Plate.
“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create something truly special for Toronto,” said Michael Copeland, CEO of Woodbine Entertainment in a press release. “At the heart of this new urban centre will be Woodbine Racetrack, a cultural landmark that will now also serve as the centrepiece of a thriving, inclusive, and connected city within a city.”
A city within a city is a good way to frame the vision for this massive development project planned for the largest undeveloped parcel of land remaining in the City of Toronto. Spanning a whopping 684 acres, the project would deliver "tens of thousands of new homes, jobs, and economic opportunities," according to the release. The master-planned community is expected to be designed and constructed over 25 years, creating an estimated 43,000 construction jobs.
Aerial comparison of Woodbine site and downtown Toronto/Woodbine Entertainment
“This isn’t just about building housing. It’s about creating a complete community, a connected urban centre, with culture, entertainment, green space and horse racing at the heart of it all,” added Copeland
As the development will be centred around a world-class racetrack, residential components would include new accommodations for the backstretch workers, including trainers, jockeys, grooms, and veterinarians, who care for the 1,700 horses who call Woodbine home. This housing would be apart of the larger collection of affordable housing units planned for the area.
“Horse racing has been a way of life for my family for generations — it’s not just a career, it’s part of who we are. I believe Woodbine’s property development plans represent an important step toward building a bright future for our sport," said one Woodbine trainer, Kevin Attard. "Creating new sources of revenue beyond wagering is a smart and necessary move to help ensure that other families, like mine, can continue to build their lives around racing for generations to come. This is a great step forward for the long-term health of the industry we all care so deeply about.”
Plans remain conceptual at this point, but in addition to affordable housing, the development would emphasize "smart, sustainable design," while also both benefitting, and being made possible, through the transit-connected nature of the site.
Woodbine GO Station/Metrolinx
The new GO station at Woodbine would be located on the Kitchener GO Line between the existing Etobicoke North and Malton GO stations. Just 30 minutes from Union Station and planned to connect with the UP Express Line to Pearson Airport, Rexdale would be transformed into a transit hub "for the first time in its history."
According to a press release from Metrolinx, trains could arrive at the station as frequently as every 15 minutes during rush hour and is expected to serve approximately 7,000 daily riders by 2041. Other pros about the forthcoming station include a new station building, a new rail island platforms serving GO Transit and UP Express, and a multi-use path and direct road, bicycle and sidewalk access.
Woodbine's $170 million investment is supported by a portion of the $13 billion in provincial funding for the GO Expansion program and a greater $70 billion investment in public transit made by Premier Doug Ford.
“The new Woodbine GO Station is going to be a game changer for Etobicoke and for commuters coming in from across the Greater Golden Horseshoe,” said Ford. “The investments we are making in Woodbine GO and in two-way, all-day GO service across the province will keep workers on the job in the face of tariffs and economic uncertainty and will help commuters get around faster and more conveniently in one of Ontario’s fastest growing regions.”
Woodbine Entertainment, which is Canada’s largest horse racing operator and operates like a not-for-profit, will develop and own the land while exploring ways to continue directing revenue back into Ontario horse racing.
