TRCA Waterfront Projects and Programs

Nancy Gaffney Government and Community Relations Specialist

Waterfront For All November 27th, 2019 2

Study Area Refined West Segment

Path along east side of Brimley Road Refined Central Segment Refined East Segment City Building

• The SWP is a holistic, integrated, collaborative approach to resolving the following problems: 1. Public safety 2. Public access 3. Erosion risk to infrastructure 4. Habitat integrity

The SWP will be a City-wide destination 1) Public Safety

Brimley Road South

• Narrow roadway with steep grades and high volumes of vehicular activity • Unsafe pedestrian and cyclist access

The Project will provide: • Separated multi-use trail with level rest areas • Improved pedestrian and cyclist access, in alignment with the City’s Vision Zero Plan 1) Public Safety Informal Trails = Landslide Risk

• Informal trails too close to the bluffs put users at increased risk of landslides

The Project will:

• Remove the shoreline trail from landslide risk while the slope naturally stabilizes 2) Public Access

Limited Access to Shoreline

• The only formal access points are Brimley Road & Doris McCarthy Trail • The Guild construction access route is Doris McCarthy Trail used informally • Beechgrove Drive access is also informal

The Project will: Guild Access Route • Improve access at Brimley Road & Doris McCarthy Trail • Provide formal access at the Guild • Provide a formal access point at East Point Park

Beechgrove Drive 2) Public Access Limited Access Along the Shoreline

• Only formal access is at Bluffer’s Park • Remainder of the shoreline access is informal and at-risk • Access east of the Guild is constrained by private and Formal access at Bluffer’s Park Beach restricted property

The Project will:

• Permit continuous formal access for ~8 km at the water’s edge (from Bluffer’s Park to Grey Abbey Ravine), with an additional ~2 km at the top of the bluffs through East Point Park Informal, at-risk access below Grey Abbey 2) Public Access Access for All Abilities • Currently those with strollers, wheelchairs, reduced mobility, or disabilities can only access the waterfront at Bluffer’s Park

The Project will:

• Open up all 11 km of shoreline to access for people with strollers, wheelchairs, reduced mobility, or disabilities 2) Public Access Eliminating Trespass • Grey Abbey shoreline is only accessible by trespass • Landowners are concerned with increased liability associated with trespass across their property • The City Official Plan and TRCA’s Living City Policies support moving private land into public ownership to provide increased public access

Private [Katherine gettingproperty cleaned up version of 1,770 m of publicly inaccessible shoreline this map] Restricted access

The Project will: • Move private property at the water’s edge into the public domain to provide safe public access 2) Public Access Improved EMS Access © CTV News

[Katherine getting cleaned up version of © CTV News this map]

© CTV News The Project will: • Significantly improve EMS access to and along the shoreline 3) Erosion Risk to Infrastructure • Greyabbey Trail (road and associated infrastructure) is the only public infrastructure at risk

of erosion Road within 10 m of bluff crest in 60 years • By the time the road is in jeopardy, parkland will have already been lost Private property (Grey Abbey Park) 100-year erosion hazard limit 4) Habitat Integrity

• 14 km of informal trails fragmenting sensitive vegetation communities • Degraded aquatic habitat through stonehooking

Informal trails at East Point Park

Meadowcliffe Headland Beach System The Project will:

• Decommission informal trails & manage public use • Enhance aquatic habitat • Provide 17.6 ha of new Promotes increased fish terrestrial habitat species diversity and biomass Other Benefits

Resiliency to climate change and Eliminates need for dredging at extreme weather events Bluffer’s Park boat basin entrance Support for the Climate Change Action Plan Next Steps • Implementation of project starting in the west and moving easterly (2020-2032) • Detailed design – Western Segment 2019 • Implement improvements to Brimley Road as early as Fall 2020 • Seek funding from all sources (Municipal, Provincial, Federal, private) Lake – Extreme Lake Levels Photo credit: Sean Tamblyn

Toronto and Region Conservation Authority 20 and Region Conservation Authority 21 • ’s level has declined over the past several months and is at 75.02 m, still 49 cm above average for this time of year. Lake Ontario • Lake Ontario outflow is expected to be 8870 m3/s for the coming weeks, 200 m3/s above Plan 2014 maximum L- limit in order to accelerate the decline in Lake Ontario Water Levels levels. • In 2019 the water level for Lake Erie was the highest it has been in recorded history and at a record rate of Current outflow. Current lake level is still 68 cm above average for this time of year. Situation • The LOSLRB will continue releasing high outflows above Plan 2014 maximum L-limit while considering the effect on all interests within the LO/SLR system. High velocities in the SLR will persist for several weeks as efforts to lower LO levels continue.

Toronto and Region Conservation Authority 4 Flood Characterization and Risk Assessment Project

• Flood Characterization Report • Flood Risk Assessment Report • Development of Flood Maps • Flood Mitigation Alternatives Report

Toronto and Region Conservation Authority 23 2017 vs 2019 – Same same, but different

• 2017 lack of stable ice cover in winter more significant • 2017 early spring rainfall over Lake Ontario watershed more significant, 2019 late spring rainfall • 2019 inflows from Lake Erie more significant • In both cases, spring flooding on the Ottawa River and requirement to balance upstream and downstream risks a significant driver • 2017 fewer wind events at peak level • 2019 longer duration at peak level, later peak

Toronto and Region Conservation Authority 24

Lake Ontario High Water Level Management

On-the-ground flood response: Technical advisory: sumps, pumps, sandbags, metre bags and Forecasts, mapping, impact tracking aquadams Toronto and Region Conservation Authority 26 Toronto and Region Conservation Authority 27 Lake Ontario High Water Level: Future Preparedness

Toronto Islands Flood Characterization and Risk Assessment Project • Flood Characterization Report • Flood Risk Assessment Report • Flood Mitigation Alternatives Report • Development of Flood Maps

Toronto and Region Conservation Authority 28 Erosion Control: Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Funding

Toronto Tree Canopy and Waterfront Shoreline Project Budget: $29.8M ($11.9M from DMAF; $17.9M from City of Toronto) • Project headed by City of Toronto’s PF&R Division • TRCA partnering with PF&R to repair 11 TRCA erosion control structures • Estimated $20M of work flagged for TRCA delivery

Toronto Waterfront Erosion Hazard Mitigation Project Budget: $84.4M ($33.7M from DMAF; $50.7M from TRCA); • Will protect over 10 km of Lake Ontario shoreline at 13 waterfront parks • Repairs and enhancements to 80 shoreline erosion control structures

Toronto and Region Conservation Authority 29 Erosion Control: Structure Maintenance

Up to 347 TRCA Erosion Control Structures will be monitored in the City of Toronto in 2019 • 233 shoreline stabilization structures • 70 high/medium priority & recently built structures Rotary Park Mimico Creek below Beaucourt Road • 44 vulnerable structures flagged for post-storm inspections

15 maintenance projects being planned in the City of Toronto in 2019 • 8 of these projects are expected to go to construction in 2019

Bluffer’s Park South Headland Long Branch Park Toronto and Region Conservation Authority 30 Environmental Monitoring: Lake Ontario Waterfront Monitoring Program contributes to the City’s Waterfront Revitalization Plans, official Waterfront Plan development, City Park planning and the Toronto Remedial Action Plan addressing the area of concern.

Support Major Restoration and Infrastructure projects • Lower Don/Portlands Naturalization Monitoring Projects • Ashbridges Bay Landform Project • Gibralter Point - Waterfront Shoreline Project • Compliance Monitoring (Federal and Provincial )

Support Environmental Assessments including Class EAs • documenting local and regional conditions and bio-physical attributes of the shoreline including: • fish and wildlife community surveys • wetland monitoring • bio-monitoring • physical habitat surveys

Toronto and Region Conservation Authority 31 Public Realm Projects: Ashbridges Bay Treatment Plant Landform

Ashbridges Bay Partnership project between Toronto Treatment Plant Water and TRCA to mitigate the risk Tommy to navigation due to sediment erosion Thompson Park Coatsworth Cut and deposition at the harbour Landform entrance of Ashbridges Bay and Central Coatsworth Cut while considering Breakwater Ashbridges various approved facilities, planning Bay Park initiatives and current uses in the Eastern study area. Breakwater

Project consists of erosion and sediment control structures that will be integrated with a lakefill area required for the City’s planned stormwater treatment facilities

Implementation anticipated to start mid-Fall 2019; pending the finalization of a $94M agreement between TRCA and Toronto Water Toronto and Region Conservation Authority 32 Public Realm Projects: Port Lands Flood Protection Project

Video courtesy of Waterfront Toronto Toronto and Region Conservation Authority 33 Thank you

Nancy Gaffney Government and Community Relations Specialist CEO’s Office [email protected]

www.trca.ca