Plan to protect Toronto Islands from flooding includes new beach on Ward’s Island

Thestar.com
June 24, 2019
Francine Kopun

It will cost between $14 million and $16 million to protect Toronto Islands against future flooding, according to a report prepared for the city and the Toronto Region Conservation Authority.

The proposed measures include protecting low-lying residential areas with berms or dikes, elevating low-lying roads, increasing the height of shore protection structures and directing surface drainage to sumps that were installed in 2018.

The proposals also include a new promenade and beach on Ward’s Island, running north from the existing ferry docks.

“The promenade is intended to draw in visitors disembarking from the ferry and direct them along the shoreline rather than down residential streets,” according to the report.

Rehana Rajabali, senior manager, flood risk management for the conservation authority cautions that the proposals are early ideas and would need to pass an environmental assessment before being selected.

“These are conceptual, not detailed designs,” she said.

The proposals also include flood walls for Algonquin Island; elevating the Centreville train tracks and adding a concrete wall along the existing seawall at the Island Water Treatment plant.

The city is currently spending $100,000 a week to keep the Toronto Islands dry.

The flood of 2017 closed the islands to visitors for weeks, resulting in $8 million in damages and losses to the city, including loss of revenue from ferry operations. Lake Ontario reached record high levels.

Flooding began again in May of this year, and although Lake Ontario levels were higher than in 2017, the islands were better prepared, having made some of the measures undertaken in 2017 permanent fixtures.

The ferries to Centre Island and Ward’s Island remain operational. The Hanlan’s Point ferry remains out of service.

A shoreline hazard warning has been in effect since April 30, urging people to exercise caution while walking along the water, especially during times of heavy wind or wave activity.

Joe Cressy, city councillor for Ward 10 Spadina--Fort York, which includes the islands, said taking steps to ensure they are floodproofed makes sense.

“We have more people visit the islands every year than the CN Tower,” said Cressy.

“We get 1.5 million visitors every year to the islands and so this is one of Toronto’s most significant tourist attractions. If our objective was solely climate change resilience for residents, I would say that this is worth investing anyway, but the fact of the matter is that this is a citywide destination that is at risk if we don’t invest.”

Meetings with residents revealed broad support for incorporating flood protection with other public amenities, such as walking trails, according to the report.

The Toronto Islands are low-lying with ground elevations generally less than one metre above the annual high water level.

Rajabali says conservation authority staff and city staff are working to determine whether the project qualifies for funding from any other level of government, perhaps from the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund administered by Infrastructure Canada.

City council will have the final say in the matter.