Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), in conjunction with the City of Toronto, completed a shoreline repair and long-term erosion mitigation project along a portion of Waterfront Trail between East Point Park and Port Union Waterfront Park.
Project Location
The project area connects East Point Park and Port Union Waterfront Park along the north Lake Ontario shoreline in Scarborough, as seen below in Figure 2. It is located just east of the FJ Horgan Water Treatment Plant and is bounded by the Metrolinx rail corridor to the north and Lake Ontario to the south.
The site included approximately 200 meters of the Waterfront Trail and is mainly comprised of beach shoreline and riparian area.
Scope of Work
- Start Date: January 2023
- Completion Date: June 2024
The Erosion West of Highland Creek Shoreline Protection Project was considered high priority because the erosion of the backshore was encroaching on a heavily-used public multi-use trail, creating a public safety hazard. The trail asphalt was impacted, and waves often washed sand onto the path at the bottom of a short hill, creating a hazard for trail users, especially cyclists. The scope of work included two phases:
Phase 1: Interim Work
The interim focused on addressing immediate safety concerns by providing protection to the most critically eroded section of Waterfront Trail at the east end. The interim work designs were completed in 2022 and work was implemented on site starting in January 2023. Work was completed in May 2023.
Phase 2: Long-term Work
Phase 2 built on Phase 1 by installing permanent protection along the entire Project area shoreline. This work expanded the armourstone wall and included raising and paving of the trail throughout the project area. Phase 2 work began in October 2023 and was completed in June of 2024, with the site reopening following the trail repaving.
Contact Us
For more information regarding this project, please contact the Project Manager:
Whitney Brennan
Project Manager, Erosion Risk Management
Restoration & Infrastructure Division
whitney.brennan@trca.ca
(365) 566-3255