The breathtaking Scarborough Bluffs are Toronto’s most impressive natural feature, but the towering cliffs along Lake Ontario can only be safely viewed from afar, with no direct access for pedestrians.
That will soon change thanks to a new trail soon to begin construction along Scarborough’s waterfront that will unlock a stretch of lakefront currently inaccessible due to limited public access and existing public safety hazards.
Planning has been advancing for the Scarborough Waterfront Project for over a decade now, and construction is finally set to begin this year.
The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), in partnership with the City of Toronto, launched a study back in 2014 under the Environmental Assessment Act, seeking to advance a plan for a system of interconnected public spaces spanning 11 kilometres between Bluffer’s Park and East Point Park.
Plans were approved in 2019, and design work on the project has been ongoing since 2020. Various components of the project have since completed their design stages or are now approaching this milestone.
However, things didn’t get this far without some hiccups along the way.
According to a recent update from the TRCA, “the project experienced delays through 2024 in addressing final design comments that required additional technical assessments to ensure construction does not impact existing landfill infrastructure, and to mitigate concerns with soil contamination to protect the safety of workers and future trail users.”
And after numerous delays, construction of the new trail system is imminent.
Crews will soon mobilize for preconstruction on the Waterfront Project’s Brimley Road South multi-use trail, which is to feature an at-grade multi-use trail on the east side of Brimley Road South, between Barkdene Hills and Bluffers Park Road.
Pre-construction work is planned to begin on the landfill site this spring or summer, with full construction expected to follow in fall 2025.
Meanwhile, another aspect of the project recently completed its design phase. The planned West Segment Shoreline and Multi-Use Trail is anticipated to begin construction once the Brimley Road South component wraps up, though funding for this segment of the project is still pending as of early 2025.
This later phase will be the portion that actually carries foot and cycle traffic to the base of the bluffs, something the public might have to wait a little longer to see realized.
