Why Restoration Matters
The Jim Tovey Lakeview Conservation Area is a newly built 26-hectare greenspace that transforms a degraded section of eastern Mississauga’s Lake Ontario shoreline. Located west of Marie Curtis Park, the site restores natural functions while reconnecting people and wildlife back to nature.
More than a decade in the making, this project represents a transformative achievement in ecological restoration, habitat creation and waterfront revitalization. Its innovative approach has been recognized with an international award from the Society for Ecological Restoration for excellence in urban ecological restoration.
To support the long‑term development of the grasslands, forests and wetlands, ongoing restoration and management is essential. We’re working to protect the integrity of these ecosystems so they will endure for generations to come. That means periodic disruptions to use will occur to accommodate restoration and management activities, and to complete infrastructure and amenity construction. Please visit our Park Advisories for the latest updates on conservation area or trail closures before your visit.
Notice of Upcoming Trail Work
Beginning the week of June 8, we will be completing line painting on the trails at Jim Tovey Lakeview Conservation Area. The work will take place from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and visitors can expect rolling trail closures. All affected areas will be fully closed to the public during the week, re-opening Fridays at 5 p.m. and on weekends. We anticipate the project will occur in three phases and take three weeks to complete. We thank you for your patience as we continue to finalize trail work at this newly opened park.
The Conservation Area Building Process
Jim Tovey Lakeview was intentionally designed and constructed to create new functioning ecosystems and return ecological health and resilience to the shoreline.
The decade long building process has included:
- An Environmental Assessment
- Engineering and ecological design
- Regulatory permitting
- Large-scale landform building
- Habitat creation and restoration
- Infrastructure and amenity installation
- Indigenous Placemaking
Community engagement was embedded throughout the planning and construction phases.
Construction and Restoration Activities
Landform Building
The new landform and enhanced shoreline were constructed using:
- Over 370,630 cubic metres of brick/block rubble and concrete
- 1,776,000 cubic metres of clean excess soil 77,295 cubic metres of topsoil
This innovative approach reduced waste while creating diverse elevations and habitat conditions.
Habitat Creation
The creation of forests, grasslands, coastal wetlands, Lake Ontario habitat and restored Applewood and Serson Creek channels were guided by the Lakeview Waterfront Connection Environmental Assessment and detailed design. Additional habitat features such as raptor poles, bird and bat boxes, habitat logs, and wood tangles were installed to increase habitat feature diversity.
Forests
- Planted 5.6 hectares with over 18,700 trees and shrubs. Plants include a variety of deciduous and coniferous native tree and shrub species including white oak, white pine, serviceberry and multiple dogwood species.
- The treed habitat will mature into forests providing habitat that both resident and migrating wildlife will use for resting, foraging and reproduction.
Grasslands
- Seeded 5.3 hectares with native clumping grasses such as big bluestem and Savannah grass, and forbs such as wild bergamot and foxglove beardtongue.
- The grasslands provide habitat for a range of species, including mammals, reptiles, amphibians, migratory birds, butterflies and breeding birds.
Successional Areas
- Seeded four hectares as grassland that will be allowed to grow in with native shrubs and trees, transitioning these open areas to thicket and forest over several years.
Wetlands
- Created three wetlands: Serson West, Serson East and Applewood that cover 5.2 hectares, including the riparian areas.
- Installed over 75,000 plants in the wetlands and planted 19,000 shrubs and trees in the riparian areas.
- Coastal wetlands are important and productive ecosystems, providing food, shelter, breeding and resting places for a diversity of wildlife. They also encourage climate resilience, storing water during rain events, reduce the risk of flooding and improve water quality by trapping and filtering sediment and contaminants.
Shoreline and In-lake Features
- Historically, the Mississauga shoreline was degraded by stone hooking, a process of removing stone by hand using ships known as “stonehookers”. From the 1830s to 1920s, about four million tonnes of stone is estimated to have been removed from the nearshore of the Mississauga shorelines. This material was used for constructing houses and building roads in the Toronto area. Removing large slabs of shale from the lakebed negatively affected nearshore fish habitat.
- Created a total of 1.6 kilometres of shoreline and one hectare of cobble beach to reestablish fish habitat. The two shoals made of river stone have a combined length of approximately 300 metres.
- Installed artificial reefs on the lakebed near the middle and southern islands by submerging logs and root wads and placing boulder clusters of various sizes.
- Created three islands to provide habitat and shelter on the shoreline.
Creeks
- Restored 730 metres of Serson Creek that was buried underground in the 1960s.
- The natural channeled creek now extends to Lake Ontario supporting fish spawning and nursery habitat for fish.
- Extended Applewood Creek by 200 metres from its original outlet, through the new landform to Lake Ontario connecting Applewood Wetland to provide additional fish and wildlife habitat.
Restoration and Management Activities
Our restoration and management efforts at Jim Tovey Lakeview aim to:
- Improve water quality
- Improve natural habitat along the Lake Ontario shoreline
- Enhance biodiversity and ecosystem function
- Build long-term climate resilience in a changing urban environment
- Support recreational opportunities within a highly functioning ecosystem
Ongoing Restoration Activities
As a newly created greenspace in a highly urban area, Jim Tovey Lakeview faces pressure from climate change, fluctuating lake and creek levels, invasive species and impacts from visitation. We continually monitor and actively manage the created habitats and features to ensure long-term success. Our ongoing management includes:
Invasive Species Management
As a new natural area, Jim Tovey Lakeview is vulnerable to invasive plant, insect and aquatic species. Invasive species have been introduced through multiple pathways, including both natural dispersal and human activities associated with site construction.
Water flowing downstream from Serson and Applewood Creeks and across Lake Ontario transport seeds and plant fragments into the site. Invasive species may also spread from neighbouring properties and dispersal by migrating birds and wildlife. Ongoing management is required to ensure that habitat function is maintained and restoration objectives are achieved.
Large adult carp from Lake Ontario are deterred from entering the wetlands through the carp gates installed at the wetland mouths.
Currently, invasive plant species are causing the greatest impact as they thrive in disturbed conditions associated with construction activities. We use a variety of techniques to manage existing invasive plants on site through an integrated pest management strategy. This includes a combination of the following techniques:
- Mechanical control including hand-pulling of garlic mustard, weed wrenching to pull shrubs and spading to remove phragmites.
- Chemical control through targeted herbicide treatment of priority plants.
Read more about invasive species management in our conservation areas.
Forest Management
High winds, intense sun exposure, and pressure from invasive plants and native wildlife create challenging conditions for trees and shrubs to establish and thrive.
- We will continue to plant trees and shrubs until at least 2028 to replace saplings that don’t survive.
- As the forest matures, we’ll add shade loving herbaceous plants to add diversity to the forest floor.
Impacts from browsing by deer, beaver, rabbits and rodents have also affected tree and shrub growth.
- We have installed beaver guards and enclosure fencing throughout the site to help protect young plants.
- Temporary fencing protects young shrubs and saplings from wildlife browsing while they become established. Once they grow above deer browse height, the fencing will be removed.
- Natural, non‑toxic browse deterrents are also being used outside of the fenced areas to protect the new plantings.
Grassland Management
We continue to take steps to help the grasslands establish and prevent the grasslands from succeeding to thicket or forest communities. Management practices include:
- Adding more native grassland plants to increase diversity.
- Annual mows to minimize undesirable trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants from growing.
- Using controlled burns to encourage the growth of warm season grasses and hinder undesirable species. The first prescribed burn at Jim Tovey Lakeview took place in 2024 and it is expected to be repeated every four to five years.
Wetland and Riparian Management
The native aquatic plants planted in the three wetlands have been successful in spreading across the new habitats. Therefore, additional infill planting is not expected, especially as the invasive plant species are continued to be managed.
The wetlands are designed to function under fluctuating Lake Ontario water levels. Control structures at each wetland regulate water levels while allowing most fish to pass through, except for adult common carp.
- Water levels may be adjusted periodically to perform detailed assessments of carp exclusion and to confirm that the wetlands are functioning as expected.
Creek Management
We regularly monitor Serson and Applewood Creeks and the Lake Ontario shoreline for safety issues such as debris blockages and beaver activity that may lead to flooding and damage infrastructure.
Habitat Structure Management
Since the natural habitats have at Jim Tovey Lakeview are very new and are still evolving, habitat structures have been installed to attract wildlife and provide breeding or overwintering habitat. These structures mimic features found in mature habitats, such as cavity trees or snags that do not exist in newly created habitats.
Monitoring
We continually monitor our conservation areas to track their ecological health and to adapt our management activities to ensure success. Monitoring began in 2023 and will continue for 30 years. At Jim Tovey Lakeview we track:
- Early detection monitoring of new invasive species
- Survival and growth of planted vegetation
- Wetland and shoreline health
- Long‑term ecosystem development
Enforcement
Credit Valley Conservation employs in‑house Security Officers who assist with visitor compliance and education.
To report an occurrence, please call 1-800-367-0890.
For urgent matters, please call 911.
CVC Provincial Offences Officers may issue fines under the Conservation Authorities Act (R.S.O. 1990, Chapter C.27) and Regulations as well as the Trespass to Property Act (R.S.O. 1990, Chapter T.21).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the benefit of Jim Tovey Lakeview along the shoreline?
The conservation area restores natural shoreline function, improves water quality, supports wildlife habitat, and reconnects people to Lake Ontario through accessible natural landscapes.
We work to protect the integrity of these ecosystems so they will endure for generations to come.
Is Jim Tovey Lakeview an important habitat for wildlife?
Yes. Newly created wetlands, grasslands, forests and shoreline habitats provide refuge for birds, pollinators, amphibians, reptiles and mammals in an otherwise highly urbanized corridor.
What is threatening the health of Jim Tovey Lakeview?
The ecological health of Jim Tovey Lakeview is subject to many threats and disturbances including:
- Climate change: increase in extreme weather including droughts, flooding, and storm events
- Pollution
- Invasive species: plants, insects, pathogens, animals
- Sedimentation accumulation in the wetland from upstream
- Human disturbance
We continue to monitor and respond through ongoing monitoring and management.
Why aren’t there big trees?
This is a newly created ecosystem. Trees are still young and will grow over decades. Early management focuses on survival and healthy establishment rather than immediate canopy cover.
Why does the conservation area smell sometimes?
GE Booth is a water resource recovery facility (WRRF). Water resource recovery facilities treat wastewater and convert it into an effluent that can be safely returned to the environment. Odours are naturally created during the collection and treatment of wastewater as bacteria start to break down waste. This happens in all sewer systems. Odour control methods can help manage or eliminate odours, and Peel Region uses an active monitoring program to help identify and address odour issues quickly.
Learn more about the GE Booth WRRF and how Peel manages and monitors wastewater odours on the Peel Region website.
Why does the conservation area need ongoing management?
New ecosystems require active care to control invasive species, manage visitor impacts, support plant establishment and respond to climate‑related stressors.
Why is there fencing around plants?
Temporary fencing protects young trees and shrubs from browsing while they establish strong roots and growth.
The fencing will remain in place until the trees reach “free-to-grow” height, a stage at which most branches and foliage are above the reach of deer. Once the trees have matured beyond this vulnerable phase, the fencing will be removed, allowing the site to transition naturally into a self-sustaining and resilient plant community.
Why are there cameras and security patrols at Jim Tovey Lakeview?
CVC conservation areas may be under video surveillance for security, health and safety, or research purposes. Use of any personal information collected through video surveillance is protected and restricted through the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.M.56, as amended. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.
A series of automated trail counters are deployed at entrances to Jim Tovey Lakeview. These infrared sensors count visitors entering and exiting the property and help to quantify visitation levels. While no identifying information is collected through the trail counters, this monitoring data helps us to more effectively plan for enforcement activities, visitor services and trail improvements, and to better understand human use of the space.
Who was Jim Tovey and what was his contribution to the conservation area?
Jim Tovey was a prominent community leader and politician in Mississauga, Ontario, known for his dedication to environmental conservation and community development. Here are some key points about his contributions:
Key Contributions
- Environmental Advocacy: Jim Tovey was a strong advocate for the protection and enhancement of natural spaces in the Lakeview area. He played a crucial role in promoting initiatives that aimed to restore and preserve waterfront areas.
- Community Engagement: He was known for his ability to connect with residents and engage them in community projects. Jim believed in the importance of community involvement in decision-making processes.
- Lakeview Development: As a city councillor, he worked on various projects that transformed the Lakeview area, including the development of parks and recreational spaces. His vision for a vibrant waterfront contributed to the overall improvement of the community.
- Jim Tovey Lakeview Conservation Area: Named in recognition of Jim Tovey’s vision and contributions. This conservation area aims to enhance the natural landscape and provide recreational opportunities for residents and visitors.
Legacy
Jim Tovey’s legacy is marked by his commitment to creating a sustainable and vibrant community. His efforts have had a lasting impact on the Lakeview area, making it a better place for future generations.
How would a financial gift to Jim Tovey Lakeview make a difference?
Donations support restoration, education and stewardship initiatives. All gifts qualify for a tax receipt through the Credit Valley Conservation Foundation.
Donate today: Credit Valley Conservation Foundation
To read more frequently asked questions about Credit Valley Parks, visit our Parks FAQ page.
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This project is generously funded by the Peel Region.
This project is funded in part by the Government of Canada.
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