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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDon Valley Advisory Board 1984 ~ J-l V the metropolitan toronto and region conservation authority minutes DON VALLEY ADVISORY BOARD 9-MARCH-1984 H/84 The Don Valley Advisory Board met with the Flood Control & Water Conservation Advisory Board at the Authority office, on Friday, 9, 1984 at 10 00 a.m. in accordance with Authority Resolution #31/84 "THAT an emergency joint meeting of the Don Valley and the Flood Control and Water Conservation Advisory Boards be called to explore further in what way the Authority may assist in the dredging of the Keating Channel." PRESENT Chairman :-Irs. L. Hancey Vice Chairman M.M. Smith, Q C. Members J Davidson W.R. Herridge, Q.C. Bryn Lloyd Ms. S. Nimmo F.R. Perkins A.L. Smoke Dr W M. Tovel! Mrs. H. l-lhite J.L. Womersley Vice Chairman of the Authority E V. Kolb Authority Member E. Fulton Mrs. F. Gel! City of Toronto Alderman Dorothy Thomas City of Toronto, Planning Staff Paul Bain ABSENT Members Monte Kwinter Ms. W Metcalfe Mrs B Sutherland W. Sutherland Mr. J S. Scott opened the meeting by asking Mr J.C Mather, Administrator, Water Resource Division to bring the Boards up to date on the status of the Keating Channel project. Mr Mather introduced members of the staff and the up-date proceeded as follows Mr D. Haley, Project Engineer, Flood Control Section, gave a brief account of the flood of February 14, 1984. Mild temperatures and substantial precipitation caused the heavy snowpack to melt, resulting in rising river flows. The Don River began rising on the afternoon of February 13th, peaking at 7 30 a m. on the 14th, and receded slowly throughout the day Several areas along the lower reaches of the Don River experienced flooding as a result of the high flows. l. The Bayview Avenue extension area at the Toronto Brick yards, including the C.N.R. tracks first began flOOding at midnight on February 13th and remained flooded until after 2.00 p m. on the 14th 2. Two separate locations along the lower end of Bayview Avenue, south of Dundas St and south of Gerrard, where the roadway is lowest, also experienced flooding. The C.P R. tracks were flooded in this area as well. 3. A portion of the Don Valley Parkway at Dundas Street was flooded, due to river waters backing up through a drainage catch basin and onto the Parkway. J-2 - 2 - At the G. Ross Lord reservoir, levels rose some 21 feet as the Authority stored a substantial quantity of water. As a result of the operation of the G. Ross Lord Dam, the levels of flooding were reduced along the lower reaches of the Don River. Slides were shown of the flooded areas. B. Denney, Manager, Waterfront Section, gave a brief history of the Keating Channel Project. The channel was built in its present form by the Toronto Harbour Commissioners (T.H.C.) in about 1920. It was dredged on a regular basis by the T H.C. with the materia~_bein9 disposed of in deep water south of the Toronto Islands. From about 1960-to 1974 the dredged material was placed in front of the advancing shoreline filling at the Leslie Street Spit. In 1974 Canada and the U.S.A. placed a ban on the open water disposal of contami- nated dredged spoil The T.H.C. examined several alternative methods of disposal over the period between 1974 and 1979 but meanwhile the Keating Channel was filling with sediment from the Don River. The Autho+ity became concerned about the potential flooding in the vicinity of the lower Don River which was aggravated by the reduced capacity of the Keating Channel. In 1979 the Authority, the Toronto Harbour Commissioners and Public Works Canada (now administered by Transport Canada) adopted a project to dredge the Keating Channel The provincial review of the Authority's participation determined that the project should be subject to the Environmental Assessment Act to confirm the need for the work, examine alternative proposals and investigate all the possible environmental implications. The preparation of the environmental assessment began in November 1980. The final report was completed in May 1983 after the conclusion had been reached that the best solution was to completely dredge the northeast corner of the Inner Harbour and the Keating Channel as well as to construct dikes upstream of Lakeshore Boulevard where the flooding could not be controlled by dredging alone. The assessment documents were submitted in July 1983 to the Minister of the Environment. The Assessment Branch of M.O E. circulated copies of the documents to various government ministries and agencies and other interested parties for review In November 1983, the Authority was asked to provide some additional information in support of the original assessment. A draft addendum was prepared but has not been submitted pending a review of an alternative material handling proposal by an interest group known as S.C.O.W (Stop Contaminating Our Water- front) The T.H.C., in conjunction with M.T.R.C.A., has also developed another proposal which would help to reduce losses from the disposal site and at the same time improve the productivity of the dredging operation. There is a need to evaluate these two proposals and include this additional information within the Addendum to the Environmental Assessment. This will cause some initial delay in the completion of the Addendum but this information will probably be required by the Minister of the Environment eventually and therefore it will be more expedient to provide that information now. The Minister of the Environment has advised that the government review of the assessment has been suspended until the additional information is provided. Alderman Dorothy Thomas of the City of Toronto spoke in response to the staff report to confirm that consideration of the matter has progressed to the point that there is substantial agreement on most concerns, and that the remaining issue relates to the details of the disposal operation. She advised that the City is anxious to have all parties co-operate to resolve the remaining isssue and negate the need for an expensive hearing Alderman Thomas stated that the City has no concerns about the proposed diking and stated that it should go ahead as soon as possible. .. J-3 - 3 - Res. H Moved by: Mrs. N. Stoner Seconded by: Ms. N. Nimmo THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT Authority staff be directed to meet with representatives of the Metropolitan Toronto Roads and Traffic Department to review the details of local storm drainage in the vicinity of the Don Valley Parkway and consider alternative methods where flooding of the Parkway due to storm swere backups can be alleviated. CARRIED Res. +2 Moved by: Dr. W. Tovel! Seconded by: Ms. S. Nimmo THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT Authority staff be directed to prepare terms of reference for an engineering study of the Bayview Extension area to determine the cause of the flooding and develop designs for remedial measures; ~ND FURTHER THAT the staff investigate funding arrangements for the study and report as soon as possible to the Executive Committee. CARRIED Res. *3 Moved by: Mrs. N. Stoner Seconded by: W.R. Herridge, Q.C. THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT Authority staff, in conjunction with the staff of the Toronto Harbour Commissioners, prepare an$analysis of two additional detailed proposals for handling dredged material a~ the disposal site and that this analysis be included in an Addendum to th ~eating Channel Environmental Assessment. CARRIED TERMINATION On motion, the meeting was terminated at 11.30 a.m., March 9, 1984. ~ "!rs. Lois Hancey J.C. Mather Chairman Acting Secretary-Treasurer em