The development of the Canary District in the West Don Lands has transformed a long-disused tract of land on the western bank of the Don River into an innovative new community that will soon be abuzz with activity, serving as the home to thousands of athletes during this Summer’s 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Games. With construction of all the West Don Lands facilities nearly complete, DundeeKilmer Developments has announced the first seven retailers to sign on to open up locations in the 46,000 square feet of new ground floor retail space along Front Street between Cherry Street and Bayview Avenue in The Canary District.

Aerial rendering of the Pan Am Village in the West Don Lands, image courtesy of Dundee Kilmer

Dundee Kilmer wanted to create a retail destination for those seeking a healthy lifestyle, offering what company President Jason Lester describes as the ‘best of the best’. “We know this mix of services will go a long way towards contributing to the healthy lifestyle of Canary District residents and the positive well-being and atmosphere of this engaged neighbourhood”, said Lester.

Retail space at Canary District condos, image courtesy of DundeeKilmer

The first group of merchants who have signed on are 'Dark Horse Espresso Bar', the holistic café 'Fuel Plus', full-service day spa 'OpusGlow', North America’s largest specialty running and walking retailer 'The Running Room' and 'Think Fitness Studio', a personalized fitness studio specializing in small group training and one-on-one personal training. Two restaurants have also signed on; Corso Italia's highly regarded traditional Neapolitan pizzeria 'Pizza e Pazzi' and Midtown's health-savvy 'Tabulé Middle Eastern Cuisine'.

Retail space at Canary Park condos, image courtesy of DundeeKilmer

All of these businesses were secured through DundeeKilmer’s partnership with LiveWorkLearnPlay Inc., an international real estate development and advisory firm specializing in large-scale mixed-use projects and the revitalization of entire neighbourhoods. LiveWorkLearnPlay Inc. and Dundee Kilmer were together responsible for the selection of retailers in the nearby Distillery District, which is well known for its independent retailers, cafes and restaurants.

Retail space lining Front Street, image courtesy of DundeeKilmer

"We curated the ground floor retail uses by choosing amongst the best and most appropriate operators to fit within the health and wellness theme of Canary District", said LiveWorkLearnPlay Partner & Principal Rob Spanier. "Retailers appreciate our rigorous approach as ultimately, it ensures their long term success at a location, which is beneficial to their business, the developer and the community overall.”

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