A joint $30 million plan between the city of Toronto and the Canadian government has been announced with a goal of bolstering the city’s shoreline against future flooding and erosion.
The city is putting up $18 million and $12 million is coming from Ottawa. The money will be used for projects aimed at protecting Toronto’s shoreline.
The area has seen severe flooding and erosion after the past couple of years—first in 2017 and then even higher levels this spring.
Toronto mayor John Tory said it is time to adapt to the new reality of climate change and the potential for more flooding in the future.
“We have the responsibility to do whatever we can to make a difference in terms of our environmental stewardship and our performance in terms of looking after our own environment in the City of Toronto,” Tory said.
Tory said protecting the waterfront is an issue that must be dealt with now.
“Thirty-five different projects will be funded by this to protect the shoreline and so that when we have higher water levels, there will be things that we have done or will do over the next couple of years to make sure we have taken account of that and not accepted that, as a reality we have to accept forever, but at least make sure we hve done the things we need to do,” Tory said.
Some of the projects include the placement of large boulders along parts of the shoreline to help reduce the erosion from waves. More trees will also be planted along the waterfront and some roads on the Toronto islands will be elevated.
Tory says some the work will get underway next year.
