ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT PROJECTS
Amberlea Creek Erosion Control Project
This Class Environmental Assessment (EA) is situated around Amberlea Creek, one of the four main tributaries of Frenchman’s Bay, located northwest of the Bay in the City of Pickering.
The purpose of the project was to provide long-term protection against slope instability and channel erosion with Amberlea Creek in an effort to reduce the risk to public safety, and to prevent future property damage. The project received Notice of Approval from the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change on February 3, 2014. Construction was substantially completed on May 29, 2015. LEARN MORE.
Ashbridges Bay Erosion and Sediment Control Project
The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) and the City of Toronto have completed a class EA for the Ashbridges Bay Erosion and Sediment Control Project. Three Community Liaison Committee Meetings and two Public Information Centre’s have been held to date to disseminate study information and receive feedback from stakeholders and the public.
The EA proposes to carry out remedial erosion control works to resolve long-term shoreline stability and sediment issues at the mouth of Coatsworth Cut and Ashbridge’s Bay Park in the City of Toronto. LEARN MORE.
Don Mouth Naturalization and Port Lands Flood Protection Project
This project is a critical component of plans to revitalize Toronto’s Port Lands. Ultimately the DMNP project will transform the existing mouth of the Don River including the Keating Channel, into a more naturalized river outlet to the lake, as well as remove the risk of flooding to urban land in the vicinity of the existing river.
Recently, TRCA formally submitted the amended individual EA document to the Ministry of the Environment for review. LEARN MORE.
Frenchman’s Bay Harbour Entrance Reconstruction Project
The Class Environmental Assessment at the entrance to Frenchman’s Bay is located in the City of Pickering.The Ministry of the Environment approved the Environmental Study Report on November 16, 2009.
Construction was substantially complete in December 2014. Works included the replacement of two breakwaters located at the harbour entrance as well as the widening of the entrance to improve user safety and accessibility.
In addition, walkways were constructed on the breakwaters to provide safe pedestrian access. LEARN MORE.
Scarborough Waterfront Project
In July 2014, Toronto and Region Conservation initiated a study under the Environmental Assessment Act to create a system of greenspaces along the Lake Ontario shoreline between Bluffer’s Park and East Point Park in Toronto, Ontario.
The vision of the Scarborough Waterfront Project is to create a system of greenspaces along the Lake Ontario shoreline which respect and protect the signficant natural and cultural features of the Bluffs, enhance the terrestrial and aquatic habitat, and provide a safe and enjoyable waterfront experience. LEARN MORE.
OTHER PROJECTS
Western Durham Nearshore Monitoring Program
TRCA conducts scientific monitoring of Lake Ontario water quality in the Ajax and Pickering nearshore areas of Durham. The “nearshore” generally includes the shoreline (or lake edge) and the area of the lake out to a depth of approximately 30 metres.
Nearshore water quality shows us the effects of activities in the watershed on the lake which receives this water. Activities on land, and in the streams which empty into the lake, also affect the conditions of Ajax and Pickering beaches.
TRCA monitors water quality in the proximity of the intake for Durham Region’s Ajax Water Supply Plant and near the Duffin Water Pollution Control Plant outfall. Monitoring has been ongoing since 2007. TRCA shares this data with academics, other governments, and the public. LEARN MORE.
Direct Stormwater Inputs to Lake Ontario
Environmental implications resulting from direct discharge of stormwater to nearshore areas of the Great Lakes are an emerging topic of interest. Untreated stormwater is important to manage because it can:
- Impact swimming beaches by transporting E.coli and sediments to the lake.
- Add phosphorus to Lake Ontario, which is a nutrient source for algae.
TRCA has constructed a pilot wetland treatment system to improve the water quality of a stormwater sewer that flows directly into Lake Ontario in Pickering, Ontario.
Experiments are underway to illustrate how effective this wetland system is at reducing pollutants and how the lake responds to these inputs. Future efforts will focus on implementing new stormwater technologies in the industrial business park that drains into this sewer, on a retrofit basis. LEARN MORE.