Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), in partnership with the Canada Water Agency, is planning an innovative shoreline restoration and protection project along part of Ajax Waterfront Park.
Following the Ajax Waterfront Erosion Mitigation Project Class Environmental Assessment completed in 2024, TRCA sought funding through the Great Lakes Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative to implement a nature-based approach to shoreline protection that mimics the historic shoreline along approximately 1km of Ajax Waterfront Park.
Thank You for Attending!
Thank you to all the community members who attended TRCA’s first Public Information Drop-in Session for the Ajax Shoreline Project. The project team was happy to answer your questions and showcase preliminary project plans. We appreciate your feedback and will continue to update the public on project progress and any future events.
COULDN’T ATTEND?
View our presentation panels HERE, and find more project information below.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS PROJECT
Project Area
The Ajax Shoreline Project area is within Ajax Waterfront Park. The park has been a natural buffer between Lake Ontario and local development for over 60 years; once agricultural land, the waterfront area now exists as public space with the Waterfront Trail, playgrounds, gardens, and the Ajax Water Supply Plant.
The project area is roughly 1 kilometer of Ajax Waterfront Park shoreline between Lion’s Point and Veteran’s Point.
The area is characterized by high bluffs and sandy rocky beaches; it is experiencing visibly rapid erosion, which is becoming a public safety hazard and threatens infrastructure like The Waterfront Trail.
Through the Environmental Assessment process, TRCA identified this stretch of shoreline as one of two high priority areas to address in Ajax Waterfront Park.
The project will take place in two stages; stage 1 will focus on the area west of the Love Crescent parking lot towards Lion’s Point, and Stage 2 will address the area east towards Veteran’s Point Gardens.
Stage 2 work on site will depend on future funding opportunities.
Ajax Shoreline Project Area, with Stages. Source: TRCA, 2025
Project Area Images
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Current Conditions
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Proposed Work
Through the Environmental Assessment process, TRCA identified that erosion in project area would be best addressed through a dynamic cobble boulder beach.
This beach would mimic historic shoreline conditions before a practice called stonehooking removed stones from lake Ontario shorelines.
Coupled with more intense and frequent storm events fueled by climate change, the Ajax Waterfront shoreline is vulnerable to hazardous erosion conditions.
The proposed dynamic cobble and boulder beach uses natural processes and a mix of large and small stone material to provide:
- Protection from waves to reduce erosion impacts to parkland, trails,
and infrastructure - A range of shoreline conditions supporting habitat and plant growth
- A more natural shoreline and beach condition
- Ongoing recreational use of the beach
What is a “Dynamic Cobble and Boulder Beach”?
A “dynamic cobble and boulder beach” is a design that provides erosion protection through adding more stone material to the beach, but allows waves to move and naturally direct where the stones go.
Instead of placing cobbles and boulders directly onto the beach, they are placed underwater and along the beach where it meets the water for erosion protection.
The boulders stay mostly underwater and provide a barrier, while wave action pushes the cobbles onto the beach over time. This will create a more resilient and natural beach, similar to what existed many years ago.
It is called a dynamic beach because of the random natural movement of cobbles by waves.
What Could a Dynamic Cobble and Boulder Beach Look Like?
View renderings:
Previous Projects and Studies
Ajax Waterfront Class Environmental Assessment (2024)
- Study of erosion across Ajax Waterfront Shoreline
- Identified high priority areas including the Ajax Shoreline Project site
- Incorporated public feedback into final shoreline protection proposals
Duffin’s Creek Boardwalk (2020)
- Built a boardwalk to replace trail prone to flooding
- Highlighted flooding and erosion concerns in the park
- Allowed public access along Duffin’s Creek
Love Crescent Outfall (2019)
- Protected Town of Ajax infrastructure from erosion
- Currently within the project area
Shoreline Erosion Monitoring
Any work planned along the Ajax Waterfront Park shoreline will also fall into TRCA’s ongoing Shoreline Erosion Monitoring program.
About the Shoreline Erosion Monitoring Program:
- Part of recommended solutions developed in the 2024 Environmental Assessment
- Paired with any shoreline restoration or protection work
- Teams monitor erosion rates and site conditions
- Will measure how effective shoreline restoration is and keep information current
- Can help inform future funding for shoreline restoration
Project Timeline
