The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) has announced commencement of works at the Town of Ajax waterfront starting January 12.
This project involves the import of large boulders to combat shoreline erosion at the Ajax waterfront; a critical section identified in the approved 2024 Ajax Waterfront Environmental Assessment, TRCA said.
It said the project will be carried out in two stages with the first ending in spring and the stage two will depend on funding.
TRCA or the Town of Ajax did not reveal the funding so far or what will be needed for stage 2.
The Area
The project area is roughly 1 kilometer of Ajax Waterfront Park shoreline between Lion’s Point and Veteran’s Point.
There will be impacts to the waterfront trail near the Love Crescent parking lot. Signage has been in place to inform trail users, and diversions will be provided to ensure safety and accessibility during the construction period, said TRCA.
The Ajax Shoreline Project area is within Ajax Waterfront Park. The park has been a natural buffer between Lake Ontario and local development for over 60 years. Once agricultural land, the waterfront area now exists as public space with the Waterfront Trail, playgrounds, gardens, and the Ajax Water Supply Plant.
The Bluffs
The area is characterized by high bluffs and sandy rocky beaches. It is experiencing visibly rapid erosion, which is becoming a public safety hazard and threatens infrastructure like The Waterfront Trail, said the TRCA.
Through the Environmental Assessment process, TRCA identified this stretch of shoreline as one of two high priority areas to address in Ajax Waterfront Park.
Stage 2 Works
The project will take place in two stages; stage 1 will focus on the area west of the Love Crescent parking lot towards Lion’s Point, and Stage 2 will address the area east towards Veteran’s Point Gardens, said the TRCA.
It said stage 2 work on site will depend on future funding opportunities.
Through the Environmental Assessment process, TRCA identified that erosion in project area would be best addressed through a cobble boulder shoreline.
This shoreline would mimic historic natural conditions before a practice called stone-hooking removed stones from lake Ontario shorelines.
Coupled with more intense and frequent storm events fueled by climate change, the Ajax Waterfront shoreline is vulnerable to hazardous erosion conditions.
Cobble & Boulder Method
The proposed cobble and boulder shoreline uses natural processes and a mix of large and small stone material to provide:
- Protection from waves to reduce erosion impacts to parkland, trails, and infrastructure,
- A range of shoreline conditions supporting habitat and plant growth
- A more natural shoreline and beach condition and
- Ongoing recreational use of the beach
A “cobble and boulder shoreline” is a design that provides erosion protection through adding more stone material to the shore. However, the Ajax Shoreline Project is unique because the approach being used will allow waves to move and naturally direct where the stones go.
Instead of placing cobbles and boulders directly onto the shoreline, they will be placed underwater and along the beach where it meets the water for erosion protection.
The boulders will stay mostly underwater and provide a barrier, while wave action will push the cobbles onto the shoreline over time. This will create a more resilient and natural beach, similar to what existed many years ago.
Any work planned along the Ajax Waterfront Park shoreline will also fall into TRCA’s ongoing Shoreline Erosion Monitoring program.