Lakeview Waterfront Connection: Environmental Assessment

Public Information Centre #1

February 23, 2012

How Does the LWC Fit Into Inspiration Lakeview?

Inspiration Lakeview: The Vision (April 18, 2011)1. Link the City and the Water2. Open the Site with a Wealth of Accessible Public Spaces3. Create a Green, Sustainable, Innovative Model New Community4. Create a Vibrant Community5. Connect in Multiple Ways: Transit, Walking, Cycling and the Car6. Create a Destination to Draw Local, Regional and International Visitors7. Commemorate History While Creating a New Legacy8. Balance Public and Private Investment to be Economically Viable and Sustainable

Inspiration Lakeview Planning Context

AgendaLWC EA Organization and Context

• EA Project Team & EA Project Organization Chart• Broader Planning Context: locally, regionally and basin-wide

LWC EA Administration• Coordinated EA & Proponents• General Content of EA ToR• Consultation Plan• Project Study Area & Regional Study Area• Proposed Project Goal and Objectives

Description of the Environment• Streams• Terrestrial and Aquatic Habitat• Land Ownership• Parks• Early Stockpiling Proposal• Public Access and Connections• Sustainability

LWC EA Approach • Project Opportunity Statement• “Alternatives To” and Preliminary “Alternative Methods” Framework• Required Studies

What can the project look like?

Lakeview WaterfrontConnection Project

LWC EA Project Team & Advisory Groups

Braoder Planning Context

Regional Planning Context: Peel Region Capital Projects

Municipality

Excavated Material By Peel Region

Total (m3)

Excavated MaterialBy City of

Mississauga Total(m3)

Mississauga 504,646 500,000Brampton 543,228Caledon 224,204TOTAL 1,272,078 500,000

Municipality

Excavated Material By Peel Region

Total (m3)

Excavated MaterialBy City of

Mississauga Total(m3)

Mississauga 504,646 500,000Brampton 543,228Caledon 224,204TOTAL 1,272,078 500,000

Projected Fill Generation Over Next 10 Years

Regional Planning Context: LOISS

• Strategically implement restoration strategies in the context of Lake Ontario initiatives and shoreline plans

• Analyze and document current conditions of Lake Ontario in CVC’s jurisdiction

Regional Planning Context: A Binational Biodiversity Conservation Strategy for Lake Ontario

• Plan for and adapt to climate change• Restore quality of nearshore waters• Restore native fish communities & species• Restore connections and hydrology• Reduce impact of invasive species• Conserve lands and water

Environmental Assessment Process1. Coordinated EA Process (EAA & CEAA) 2. EAA – Individual EA is a two step process to meet Provincial requirements

• Step 1: EA Terms of Reference (EA ToR)• Outlines a proponent’s work plan to undertake Step 2 – the EA;• Provides the framework that the MOE will use to evaluate the EA; and• Allows interested parties to understand their involvement in the process

• Step 2: The EA3. CEAA – Anticipate an Environmental Screening to meet Federal regulatory approvals

• Fisheries Act• Navigable Waters Protection Act• Possibly others

4. Proponents: Region of Peel & Credit Valley Conservation

General Content of an EA ToRIn general, the EA ToR should outline:

1. Purpose of the proposed undertaking2. General description of the proposed undertaking3. General description of the environment that may be potentially affected by the project4. Alternatives that will be considered in the EA5. How alternatives will be evaluated and how preferred will be chosen6. Consultation that will take place during the EA7. Other approvals that may be required and the proposed schedule

Consultation between proponent(s) and interested parties is required as part of preparing the EA ToR

Consultation PlanConsultation opportunities for the project will be provided through the following venues:8. Project Advisory Committee (EA Project Team, OPG & MNR)9. Technical Advisory Committee (TAC)10. Community Liaison Committee (CLC)11. Public Information Centres (PICs)12. Project Newsletters, Flyers and Website Updates13. First Nations and Métis Consultation14. Landowner and Local Business Notifications15. Newspaper Advertisements and Articles

Public Consultation Opportunities: EA ToR

Lakeview Waterfront Connection Study Area

Lakeview Waterfront Connection Study Area

Preliminary Project Goal“To enhance and re-create coastal habitats through the establishment of a natural park that encour-ages public access, use and exploration along the waterfront while facilitating sustainable urban redevelopment on the existing tablelands”

• Enhance and create a diverse mosaic of naturalized terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem habitats • Create public access to and along the waterfront while allowing for compatible recreation and

cultural heritage opportunities • Design and implement this project in a manner that is environmentally and economically sustain-

able • Ensure that the project is compatible with existing infrastructure • Coordinate with and inform other local planning and development efforts

Preliminary Project Objectives

Description of the Environment: Streams

Lake Ontario

CooksvilleC

reek

Applewood

Creek

EtobicokeC

reek

SersonC

reek

Description of the Environment: Terrestrial and Aquatic Habitats

80% of the shoreline has been filled, modified and armoured

Serson Creek pipedSersonCreek SW

Channel

Applewood Creek

Serson Creek

Applewood Creek

Description of the Environment: Terrestrial and Aquatic Habitats

Cormorant nesting

Serson Creek pipedSersonCreek SW

Channel

Applewood Creek

Serson Creek

Applewood Creek

Description of the Environment: Terrestrial and Aquatic Habitats

• Lakefill and landuses may have impacted groundwater and soils • Poor upland habitat and wildlife connections along the lake• Serson Cr. is not connected to Lake Ontario

All coastal wetlands were lost in the area over the last 60 yrs

Description of the Environment: Terrestrial and Aquatic Habitats

Taken from: “Tales From the Great Lakes”, Based on C.H.J Snider’s “Schooner Days”, 1995. Dundurn Press Limited

• Fisheries records indicate poor fish community structure and abundance• Past stone-hooking resulted in the loss of nearshore aquatic habitat

Description of the Environment: Terrestrial and Aquatic Habitats

Description of the Environment: Terrestrial and Aquatic Habitats

Complex bathymetry

Deep Drowned Valley

Shallower Submerged Shelf

Steep Drop-offShallow Shelf

Description of the Environment: Land Ownership

Description of the Environment: Parks

LocationArsenal Lands

MarieCurtis Park

RK McMillan Park

AE Crookes Park

Douglas Kennedy Park

Lakeview Park

Lakefront PromenadePark

• Public access to and along water is at Marie Curtis Park and Lakefront Promenade

Description of the Environment: Public Access to and Along the

Waterfront

• Poor beach conditions at Marie Curtis Park• Waterfront Trail is largely away from Waterfront

Description of the Environment: Arsenal Lands Master Plan – Early

Stockpiling Proposal

• Short-term accom-modation of 200K m3 of fill originating from Hanlan Feedmain at Arsenal Lands will remove ~20,000 trucks from local and regional roads

• Will avoid pocket wet-lands & water tower

• Occupies previous stockpile area and can accommodate up to 500K m3 of fill.

• Implementation of Arsenal Lands Master Plan: short-term delay from 2013 until 2016 or 2017.

Description of the Environment: Sustainability• Region will generate more 1.5 million m3 of clean fill over next 10 years through planned

Capital Infrastructure works = ~150,000 trucks or more• Current management approach is to dispose as a waste through “long-haul dig and dump” -

Significant costs associated with long travel times for disposal• Up to 10 fold increase in CO2 emissions and total kilometres travelled by heavy trucks on our

roadways for long haul disposal of fill compared to reusing fill locally

Project Opportunity StatementWhich helped define the Preliminary Project Goal above:

• LWC offers the opportunity to:• Re-use the Region’s locally generated fill as a resource• Recreate coastal habitats• Provide Regional public access to and along the waterfront• Seek opportunities to reduce costs to the Region and City for their planned Capital Infrastruc-

ture expansion projects; • Reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and

• Reduce wear and tear on transportation infrastructure.

Proposed “Alternatives To” FrameworkProposed “Alternatives To” :

• The EA ToR will be prepared in accordance with 6(2)(c) and 6.1.(3) of the Ontario EA Act that includes the requirements outlined in subsection 6.1(2) known as “focusing”. Focusing or scoping integrates previous planning works, specifically the LWC Feasibility Study to reduce duplication of efforts and focus the selection of Alternatives.

• “Scoped EA” – two “Alternatives To”: • “Do Nothing” and “Lakefill Alternatives”

Contemplate Lakefill “Alternative Methods” based on:• Fill volumes, shoreline treatments and alignments• Channel alignments for Serson Creek• Wetland and terrestrial habitat mixes• Public linkages and uses• Soil & groundwater remediation approaches

• Coastal Engineering• Source Water Protection• Stream Hydraulic Modeling• Fluvial Geomorphological Studies• Soils and Groundwater Studies• Terrestrial and Aquatic Habitat Studies• Archaeological (Marine and Terrestrial)• Costing and Implementation Plans• Socioeconomic Assessments – including Ecological Goods and Services• Traffic, Noise and Odour Studies• Cumulative Effects – other adjacent projects• Adaptive Management Plan

Required Studies

What Can the Project Look Like?

What Can the Project Look Like?

What Can the Project Look Like?

What Can the Project Look Like?

Questions?