Public Forum

June 10, 2003
Radisson Plaza Hotel Admiral, 249 Queen's Quay West
Summary Meeting Notes

Attendance

Approximately 33 members of the public, agency stakeholder committee and advisory panel attended the public forum.

Open House

Displays included drawings from the compendium of habitat restoration techniques and ortho-photos of the waterfront showing proposed restoration projects and objectives. From 5:30 - 7:00pm, participants viewed the displays and discussed them with members of the advisory panel and agency stakeholder committee.

Welcome

Councillor Irene Jones welcomed participants to the workshop. She noted that the success of the City's and the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation's plans for the Central Waterfront, Port Union and Mimico Linear Park will rely in part on the integration of the Aquatic Habitat Strategy. She also stressed the importance of implementing the City of Toronto's Wet Weather Flow Plan to improve water quality and help achieve the full potential of the waterfront.

Overview of Aquatic Habitat Restoration Strategy Process

Doug Dodge provided an overview of the process that is being used to develop the strategy. He noted that the redevelopment of the Toronto waterfront represents an untapped opportunity to restore some of the ecological integrity of aquatic habitats that has been lost over the past two centuries. The strategy will establish a framework for changes that will lead to a more self-sustaining aquatic ecosystem while recognizing human uses of the waterfront.

Doug invited participants to provide comments on the proposed strategy by filling out the feedback form provided at the forum or by contacting Gord MacPherson at gmacpherson@trca.on.ca, phone 416-661-6600 ext. 5246 or fax 416-667-6277.

Presentation of Draft Aquatic Habitat Restoration Strategy

Gord MacPherson presented information about the physical processes and cultural influences that shape aquatic habitats on Toronto's waterfront. He noted that there are four primary waterfront habitats - estuaries, wetlands, sheltered embayments and open coast. For each habitat type, Gord described the existing aquatic communities, targets for improvement and examples of habitat restoration techniques.

Group Discussions

Participants divided into groups based on sections of the waterfront. They were asked to address five questions:

1. How do you use the waterfront?
2. Do you have comments on the strategy objectives and guiding principles?
3. What is your opinion of the proposals for aquatic habitats?
4. Are there any issues that should be addressed?
5. What are your suggestions for addressing these issues?

Plenary Reports and Individual Comments

A representative of each discussion group reported on their key ideas and recommendations. In addition, nine individuals provided detailed comments on individual feedback forms or separate letters. In summary, the major points were:

How do you use the waterfront?
Participants use the waterfront for birding, natural history, boating, cycling, canoeing, picnicking, walking, running, roller blading. Some participants are owners of private waterfront lands.

Do you have comments on the strategy objectives and guiding principles?
Seems like good science!

What is your opinion of the proposals for aquatic habitats?
One group summarized their views as follows: "The proposal is very well thought out by experienced authorities who have studied and worked on the waterfront development for a long time!"

Participants generally liked the proposals and were keen to see them implemented. There were some comments that the proposals do not go far enough, and lack a "big vision". People also felt that there were lots of good ideas being proposed, and we should just get on and try them.

There was discussion not only about the aquatic habitats, but also about the relationships with adjacent land uses, especially parks and trails.

Specific suggestions included:

• Create a Don greenway corridor with a minimum width of 300 metres. One group suggested that the greenway should include a river connection from the Don River Mouth to the Ship Channel. Another group recommended beginning with a lake inlet from the Outer Harbour to the Ship Channel, with the opportunity to extend it to the Don River when the water and sediment quality in the river have been improved.
  
  
• Reconsider need for massive flood protection at Don River Mouth and instead create a green matrix in the Portlands including rain gardens.
  
  
• Create a true lacustrine marsh at the mouth of the Don River. Make it as large as possible and remove the Keating Channel. Focus on restoring ecological functions, with less emphasis on human uses. Ensure that the Lower Don EA gives full consideration to legitimate alternatives.
  
  
• Prepare a single master plan for the Don Narrows, Don Greenway and Lake Ontario Park, integrating terrestrial and aquatic habitats.
  
  
• Include ecological improvements to the Ship Channel — in the water and along the terrestrial edge of the channel. Connect it to Lake Ontario Park.
  
  
• Create a vegetated buffer zone along Commissioner's Street.
  
  
• Create a series of islands at the western edge of the Outer Harbour (from eastern point of the East Gap to Peninsula C on Tommy Thompson Park) to create more protected water and improve shoreline and aquatic habitats. This would also provide better conditions for many of the boating recreational activities, with the possible exception of board-sailing.
  
  
• Include a "pocket wetland" like Spadina Quay in Harbour Quay.
  
  
• Continue naturalization of parklands (eg Marie Curtis Park)

Are there any issues that should be addressed and what are your suggestions for addressing them?

Specific suggestions and questions included:

• Plan habitat improvements on a littoral cell or shoreline segment basis and include more emphasis on the biophysical rationale.
  
  
• Improve pedestrian, cycling and transit access to the waterfront, across the rivers and across the Gardiner and other major roads.
  
  
• Re-align roadways away from the Don Marsh and include transit improvements.
  
  
• Acknowledge the fact that there is a mix of public and private lands on the waterfront and respect private uses.
  
  
• Consult with specific user groups and landowners using surveys, signage and local public meetings.
  
  
• The relationship with adjacent land uses is important. There should be design guidelines that specify vegetated walks and roofs, use of native plant materials and lot level stormwater control.
  
  
• Address the perceived tension between formal recreation parks and naturalized areas by demonstrating ways to incorporate natural habitats into recreation parks.
  
  
• How much funding is required and where will it come from?
  
  
• When will the proposals be implemented?
  
  
• Education of the general public and local landowners is essential to gain their buy-in and support. People need more knowledge about existing water quality conditions, what measures are being taken to improve them, and the benefits of improving aquatic habitats. Provide an interpretive center and website. Highlight the human benefits (tourism, recreation, health, aesthetics) of the aquatic habitat restoration strategy in any public/media materials.
  
  
• Shoreline erosion is a problem in some areas - incorporate erosion protection into the aquatic habitat proposals.
  
  
• Are you addressing the needs of coldwater offshore species?
  
  
• Develop strategies to address nuisance species of plants, Canada Geese, carp and zebra mussels. Lobby for research funds from Federal/Provincial governments.
  
  
• Address concerns about Cladophora algae.
  
  
• Take decreasing water levels into account when designing projects.
  
  
• Clean up garbage and litter (eg at Amos Waites Park). They are unsightly and give people the impression that the water is highly polluted.
  
  
• Projects should address not only the opportunities to improve habitats, but also other factors such as the needs to improve navigation, safety, water quality, public access, and deteriorating infrastructure (eg dockwalls and breakwalls).
  
  
• What will be the impacts of warmwater inputs from the generating plant in the Portlands?
  
  
• Incorporate protection and interpretation of cultural heritage.
  
  
• Provide tax or other financial incentives for private landowners to help implement the restoration strategy.

Next Steps

Doug Dodge thanked everyone for participating and noted that comments from the public forum will be incorporated into the strategy. The draft aquatic habitat restoration strategy will be available for review in August, and participants will be notified when it is posted on the TRCA website for review. Anyone without internet access will receive a paper copy of the document. The final strategy will be presented to the TRCA Board in September.

Quick links

Resources
Toronto Waterfront
Aquatic Habitat Restoration Strategy - 7,889k