Thomas William Thompson (1913–1985) is most well known as Toronto's first Commissioner of Parks (from 1955 until 1981). He is known and recognized nationally and internationally for his work and his trademark sign "Please Walk on the Grass."

His most notable achievement was the conversion of the Toronto Island

Toronto Islands

The Toronto Islands are a chain of small islands in the city of Toronto, Ontario. Comprising the only group of islands in the western part of Lake Ontario, the Toronto Islands are located just offshore from the city centre, and provide shelter for Toronto Harbour...

 into an enormous park (including a private golf course). He proposed the 12 million dollar plan to level all the buildings and revitalize the area in 1963, and work was completed in 1968.

In 1983, the northern half of the Leslie Street Spit

Leslie Street Spit

The Leslie Street Spit, or officially the Outer Harbour East Headland, is a man-made headland in Toronto, Ontario, extending from the city's east end in a roughly southwesterly direction into Lake Ontario. It is about 5 km long....

was renamed Tommy Thompson Park in his honor.

Biography

Tommy Thompson was born in Toronto in 1913. He graduated from the Ontario Agricultural College in Botany in 1936. He became the horticulturist for the Toronto General Burying Grounds in 1936 and later worked as the Director of Research and Development for Cedarvale Tree Experts until he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1943 as a navigator bombardier. Tommy Thompson was Superintendent of Parks and Recreation for the City of Port Arthur from 1946 to 1951. He returned to Toronto to become the Adviser on Parks and Recreation Facilities in the Community Services Branch of the Ontario Department of Education in 1951. Tommy Thompson joined the newly formed Metro government in 1955 where he was appointed the first Commissioner of Parks until his retirement in 1978. He acted as Interim General Director of the Metro Toronto Zoo from 1976 and continued as General Director from 1978 until his second retirement in 1981. He died on March 1, 1985.