Scarborough Bluffs West Project: Environmental Assessment Agreement - by Councillor Paul Ainslie, seconded by Councillor Paula Fletcher

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The decision

2025-05-21 · Toronto City Council · amended

As filed

City Council on May 21 and 22, 2025, adopted the following: 1. City Council authorize the City Manager on behalf of the City of Toronto to enter into the Agreement for the Application of the Environmental Assessment Act: Scarborough Bluffs West Project with the Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks and Toronto and Region Conservation Authority so that the Environmental Assessment for the project is subject to the rigour of a Comprehensive Environmental Assessment process under Part II.3 of the Environmental Assessment Act, R.S.O.

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1990, c.E.18. 2. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, in consultation with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, the Parks and Recreation, the Toronto Water and the Transportation Services, to report to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee with the results of the completed Comprehensive Environmental Assessment indicated in Part 1 above, prior to submitting it to the Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks.

On the agenda

As the city filed it

In December 2021, City Council allocated $2.912 million from the Toronto Water Capital Reserve (Resolution EX28.6) to the Scarborough Bluffs West (SBW) Project. The SBW study (the Project) will explore the enhancement and protection of sensitive shoreline and natural areas and opportunities for improved waterfront experience and access between the Eastern Beaches (Silver Birch Avenue) and Bluffer's Park along Lake Ontario.

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City Council also requested Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) to include the Project as part of the 2022 Budget process and directed the City Manager to enter into an agreement with TRCA to complete the Project. The Project commenced on November 2, 2023 and following completion of several rounds of consultation through 2024, the Draft Terms of Reference (ToR) was released for public comment and agency review in July 2024. In fall 2024, after reviewing the Draft ToR, the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) contacted the Project team to confirm whether all future design options would meet the recently updated 2024 Environmental Assessment regulations. These new rules require at least 1 km of altered shoreline and 4 hectares of lakefill for a Comprehensive Environmental Assessment (CEA) to be mandatory. The Project team explained that not all future design alternatives would meet these thresholds, given that the intent of the Project is to explore a wide range of reasonable options, including tableland solutions and/or shoreline solutions that could be less than 1 km in total length or 4 hectares of lakefill. Subsequently, the Project team requested to voluntarily continue with the CEA process to undertake the same high level of technical analysis and thorough public consultation that have been applied to other waterfront projects, and to conform to the requirements of the City's Official Plan. The Project team has received MECP approval to proceed with a Voluntary Agreement to continue through the CEA process, which requires execution from both TRCA and the City as co-proponents on the Project.

Staff recommended

Councillor Paul Ainslie, seconded by Councillor Paula Fletcher, recommends that: 1. City Council authorize the City Manager on behalf of the City to enter into an Agreement with the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks as a co-proponent with Toronto and Region Conservation Authority to apply the Environmental Assessment Act to the Scarborough Bluffs West Project.

On the record

The item as the City filed it

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