The Award of Merit in Documentation and Planning was given to Tamara Anson-Cartwright, and Kathryn Anderson (City of Toronto); and Rebecca Sciarra and Laura Loney (ASI) for the Exhibition Place Cultural Heritage Landscape Assessment. The judges were impressed by the comprehensive nature of the project, which embraced a palimpsest approach to meaning. The project was notable for laying the groundwork for future use while ensuring they are in keeping with its cultural and heritage significance. Most importantly, the judges highlighted that the Indigenous engagement is deemed worthy of acknowledgement – distinguishing it from all the other nominated projects.

Overview:
Exhibition Place is a special and unique waterfront asset located in the City of Toronto. It hosts over 350 events and attracts 5.3 million visitors annually. It is a visually prominent site defined by iconic entrances, connected to a network of waterfront attractions and is well known to people across the province and country. It has showcased crowning achievements in Toronto’s history, and which are also significant within the Province of Ontario.

Between May 4th, 2018 and May 1st, 2019, Archaeological Services Inc (A.S.I), in collaboration with Brown+Storey Architects, completed a Cultural Heritage Landscape Assessment of Exhibition Place for the City of Toronto. While various buildings at the site are already individually recognized for their cultural heritage value, this study represents the first time the site has been documented and evaluated as a complex, including assessment of its archaeological resources, landscapes, plantings, circulation networks, views and vistas, and open spaces.