Jim Tovey Lakeview Conservation Area

We conducted an environmental assessment to develop the overall design concept and set objectives. It was approved on May 27, 2015. View The Lakeview Waterfront Connection (LWC) Project Environmental Assessment (EA) now called the Jim Tovey Lakeview Conservation Area.

Environmental Assessment Objectives:

• Naturalization: Restore diverse terrestrial, aquatic and wetland ecosystem habitats and linkages.
• Public access: Provide safe and accessible access to and along the waterfront with recreational, educational and cultural heritage opportunities.
• Fiscal viability: Maximize public benefit and value by reusing locally generated fill from existing municipal projects.
• Compatibility: Ensure that the conservation area is compatible with existing infrastructure.
• Coordination: Coordinate with and inform other local planning and development initiatives.

The new conservation area design is based on objectives and concepts developed through the Environmental Assessment with input from a broad range of interest groups. This includes a southeastern-facing shore line, a naturally flowing landscape with meadow and forest habitats and three coastal wetlands. The design maximizes habitat for wildlife, builds climate change resiliency in addition to offering views, an interesting landscape and trails for visitors to enjoy.
We’re currently in the process of refining the final design of the conservation area to provide a welcoming and engaging visitor experience. We’re assessing connections between the trail network and entrances, as well as the experiences of the new wetlands, barge pier and promontory feature.

We continue to coordinate with our project partners and supporters.

The new public realm designs are expected to be completed and shared later in late 2021/early 2022.

The Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation are the treaty holders for the lands and waters where the conservation area is being constructed. It’s located on the boundaries between the Toronto Purchase (1805) and the Head of the Lake Purchase (1818).

CVC is working in close partnership with the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation to ensure that the new conservation area reflects Indigenous traditional knowledge in environmental restoration and in the creation of a sense of place.

New Indigenous Placemaking features are being developed by the Brook McIlroy Indigenous Design Studio to help express this intention in the future public realm and visitor experience of the conservation area. These new concept designs will be shared later in 2021.

We’re rehabilitating the eastern Mississauga waterfront by replacing the existing shoreline with a more natural, diverse and ecologically functional shoreline. Construction and habitat restoration activities include:

• Building three offshore islands to protect the shoreline from wave action and to create underwater habitat for a variety of aquatic wildlife.
• Building three coastal wetlands to provide important fish, wildlife and bird habitat.
• Planting trees and shrubs to grow a forest and planting flowers and grasses to grow a meadow
• Re-connecting Serson Creek to Lake Ontario and restore the buried creek to allow fish to access the creek from the lake.

Our progress up to the end of 2020:

• Reused 1,208,880 cubic metres of fill
• Reused 254,320 cubic metres of construction rubble
• Planted 20,748 trees and shrubs
• Installed 42,850 wetland plants
• Placed 95,583 tonnes of quarry stone for shoreline revetment
• Completed 550 linear metres of new Serson & Applewood Creeks
• Completed two hectares of new meadow
• Completed six hectares of new forest
• Completed five hectares of new wetland
• Completed 1,390 metres of Lake Ontario shoreline

We plan on opening the new Jim Tovey Conservation Area to the public in 2025. We can’t wait to welcome you!

As of December 2020, we have responsibly reused approximately 1,208,880 cubic metres of clean fill, 69 per cent of which comes from Region of Peel capital works projects. We treat this material as a valued resource to enhance the local environment and improve our waterfront. This saves Region of Peel residents on transportation and tipping fees related to other Regional works projects. It also keeps thousands of trucks from driving long distances to northern municipalities to dispose of the fill material, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We’ve responsibly reused approximately 254,320 cubic metres of clean rubble on the site to date.

We plan on opening the new Jim Tovey Lakeview Conservation Area to the public in 2025.

Input from local residents, the public and private sectors, all levels of government, and Indigenous Communities have been valuable in shaping the project. We continue to seek and welcome your questions and comments. Please fill out our contact form on this page.