A New Heaven & Earth in Downtown Toronto?

I see a new heaven.

I see a new earth as the old one will pass away,

where the fountain of life flows and without price goes

to all people who abide in the land.

1 There, there on the banks of a river bright and free,

yielding her fruit, firm in her root, the Tree of Life will be.  R

                             Voices United 713

The vision of a new heaven and a new earth in the Revelation of John includes a city, Jerusalem, with a healthy river running through it. Even though it is a downtown river it is crystal clear and there are fruit trees growing on the banks. The Green Bible highlights passages which mention Creator and Creation and those first verses of Revelation 22 is one of them.

We have paddled and explored wilderness rivers through our lifetime but I am also partial to urban rivers which have been shown respect as part of Creation. Too often suburban and urban waterways have been used as conduits for waste, or buried, out of sight and mind.

I'm impressed by the 1.25 billion dollar project well underway in Toronto which will transform the mouth of the Don River from an industrial wasteland into marshland, as it once was, and an urban park. This will benefit many species, including humans. and mitigate flooding in that portion of the city. Ultimately over a million cubic metres will be excavated and rearranged, much of it needing cleaning because of the toxic substances dumped in the area over the decades.

By the time this park is opened fully in 2024 2 million herbaceous plants and 5 thousand tree will be planted, while 3 kilometres of new waterfront access will be created, along with 11 kilometres of new park space. I am impressed that work on the project continues and is on time despite the pandemic. 

I'm delighted that the vision for this transformation is more than "pie in the sky." This certainly fits my notion of a new creation and I would like to think that Jesus approves  It might be worth travelling down the Don Valley Parkway to explore it when its completed.