Introduction

Proponent

Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) and the Region of Peel

Location

City of Mississauga

Type

Other

Reference Number

12066

Contact

Environmental Approvals Branch, 416-314-8001
Toll free: 1-800-461-6290

Current Status

Environmental assessment: approved, May 11, 2015

Project Summary

The LWC Project will create a new natural park that will establish ecological habitat and public linkages on the eastern Mississauga waterfront through the innovative use of clean fill from Region of Peel infrastructure upgrades.

Project History

  • Environmental assessment: approved
    • Date submitted: May 2, 2014
    • Expiry of public comment period: June 20, 2014
    • Expiry of public comment period for Ministry Review: February 9, 2015
    • Decision date: May 11, 2015

  • Terms of reference: approved
    • Date submitted: July 27, 2012
    • Expiry of public comment period: August 27, 2012
    • Decision date: November 28, 2012

Environmental Assessment

Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) and the Region of Peel, with the support of the City of Mississauga and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), have completed the Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Lakeview Waterfront Connection (LWC).

Current and past land uses have generally compromised the quality of terrestrial and aquatic habitat along the shoreline of eastern Mississauga. The removal of stone, industrial uses, and proximity to urban areas have left the area with a legacy of degraded habitat quality and quantity. Additionally, public access to and along the Lake Ontario waterfront has been impeded by security restrictions associated with industrial activities within both OPG’s former Lakeview Generating Station and the Region of Peel’s G.E. Booth Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP). To the east of the WWTP, Marie Curtis Park provides public access to the waterfront for recreation.

The LWC Project will create a new natural park that will establish ecological habitat and public linkages on the eastern Mississauga waterfront through the innovative use of clean fill from Region of Peel infrastructure upgrades. This part of the Mississauga waterfront has been the subject of many studies seeking to understand the degraded nature of the local ecosystem and identify improvements to habitat function, public access and recreational activities. The most recent was the Lakeview Waterfront Connection Feasibility Study completed in November 2011 which laid out the rationale for the LWC project and the degraded habitat and poor public access problems to be addressed.

Additionally, the Inspiration Lakeview reports identified, through a public visioning process, this area of the Waterfront  as a priority area to establish public access to the Mississauga waterfront and to create new habitats. The LWC Project is the first step in implementing Inspiration Lakeview. The Inspiration Lakeview project is fully supported by the City of Mississauga’s long-range community planning process.

The co-proponents held a number of public and agency consultation activities throughout the EA process. Consultation activities were coordinated by TRCA, with the support of CVC and Region of Peel, and included individual agency and Technical Advisory Committee meetings, Community Liaison Committee meetings, public information centres, direct community outreach in Marie Curtis Park and Lakefront Promenade, Aboriginal consultation, and regular newsletter and website updates.

The project is subject to the requirements of the Ontario Environmental Assessment Act and requires the Ministry’s decision on the Individual EA. Other environmental authorizations and approvals that may need to be secured in support of the LWC project include:

  • Fisheries and Oceans Canada: Authorization under the Fisheries Act;
  • Transport Canada: Formal approval under the Navigable Waters Protection Act;
  • Environment Canada: Permit under the Migratory Birds Convention Act;
  • Environment Canada / Fisheries and Oceans Canada: A permit under the Species at Risk Act;
  • Ministry of Natural Resources: Approval under the Public Lands Act; permit under the Lakes and Rivers Improvement Act; and a permit under the Endangered Species Act.
  • TRCA / CVC: Permits under the Conservation Authorities Act and Regulations 160/06 and 166/06; and easement/permission to enter the Arsenal Lands and Marie Curtis Park;
  • City of Mississauga: Site plan approval and heritage assessment.
  • Region of Peel: Easement for access route and permission to enter the site.
  • Ontario Power Generation: License or lease agreement with OPG may be required for use of OPG waterlots

The Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change completed its review of the environmental assessment on December 9, 2014. The Ministry Review was available for public and government agency comments from January 5, 2015 to February 9, 2015 during normal hours of operation at the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, CVC administration office, Region of Peel clerk’s department, Mississauga office of the City Clerk, the City of Toronto clerk’s offices and at the public libraries specified in the attached Notice of Completion of the Ministry Review.

Terms of Reference

A Terms of Reference (ToR) for the Lakeview Waterfront Connection (LWC) Environmental Assessment (EA) has been submitted by Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) and its co-proponent, Region of Peel (Peel), to the Ministry of the Environment for review and decision under the Environmental Assessment Act (EAA). The ToR sets out CVC and Peel’s work plan for preparing the EA and for carrying out the required public consultation. If approved, the ToR will serve as a framework for the preparation and review of the EA for the proposed undertaking in accordance with subsection 6(2)(c) and 6.1(3) of the EAA.

Problem/Opportunity Assessment

Current and past land uses have generally compromised the quality of terrestrial and aquatic habitat along the shoreline of eastern Mississauga, which has resulted in the degraded quality and quantity of habitat. Additionally, public access to and along the Lake Ontario waterfront has been impeded by security restrictions associated with industrial activities within both Ontario Power Generation’s (OPG) former Lakeview Generating Station and Peel’s G.E. Booth Wastewater Treatment Facility. The proposed undertaking will create a new natural park, enhancing the degraded local aquatic and terrestrial habitat conditions and providing public access to the waterfront.

Study Area

The Project Study Area is in the City of Mississauga, bounded to the east by Etobicoke Creek, to the west by the eastern edge of the OPG Lakeview site, and to the north by Lakeshore Road, and extends approximately 1 kilometre (km) south into Lake Ontario.