Credit Valley Conservation has installed a surveillance camera along a trail in the sound end of Mississauga to see what types of animals are visiting and exploring the area. (Photo: Credit Valley Conservation X)

Conservation experts involved in a major restoration project on Lake Ontario in Mississauga are predicting people will come out in droves once the new natural area opens to the public this spring.

For now, though, Credit Valley Conservation officials want to see what type of animals are visiting the site of the nearly completed Jim Tovey Lakeview Conservation Area during the winter season.

CVC, one of the partners in the project that’ll bring to fruition the new $59-million natural area named for the late Mississauga city councillor, said on Wednesday it has installed a surveillance camera on one of the trails in an attempt to capture images of all critters that come and go over the next several months.

“In previous warmer seasons, we’ve captured (images of) white-tailed deer, kingfishers, trumpeter swans, snapping turtles and more as they began calling this new conservation area home,” the local conservation authority said in a post to X. “Now that the trail cam is set for winter, we can’t wait to see which species are exploring the landscape … stay tuned!”

Not even a polar vortex can keep us away from Jim Tovey Lakeview Conservation Area (JTLCA) when there’s a trail cam to install! 🎥 In previous warmer seasons, we’ve captured white-tailed deer, kingfishers, trumpeter swans, snapping turtles and more as they began calling this new… pic.twitter.com/6Eh59hGuwD

— Credit Valley Conservation (@CVC_CA) January 21, 2026

On track to open to the public in May 2026, the 64-acre Jim Tovey Lakeview Conservation Area is a joint restoration project led by Credit Valley Conservation, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority and Region of Peel. The cities of Mississauga and Toronto have also contributed to the massive undertaking.

Among the latest developments at the conservation area site was the placement of two new pedestrian bridges this past September (see video below).

Officials said those crossings “will connect trails, boardwalks and lookouts across the 26-hectare waterfront site, transforming a former industrial space into a vibrant green oasis for people and wildlife.”

Expected to be an environmental “gem” in the south end of Canada’s seventh-largest city, the Jim Tovey Lakeview Conservation Area was initially expected to open last July before it encountered a nearly year-long delay.

A raised boardwalk in the midst of nature is also expected to be a key feature of the conservation area, project leaders said earlier.

The local conservation authority said the raised boardwalk trail, which will be especially welcomed by birdwatchers, will offer “a one-of-a-kind vantage point, allowing visitors to look out over the surrounding vegetation and into the heart of the wetland habitat.”

CVC added the new boardwalk trail is located next to Serson Wetland East and among the experiences it will offer visitors is the opportunity to catch relatively up-close glimpses of a wide variety of birds.

Built on a previously degraded section of shoreline and named for the late Mississauga city councillor who worked to bring the project to fruition, the Jim Tovey Lakeview Conservation Area reuses construction rubble and fill as a sustainable resource to create a greenspace that will connect the community back to Lake Ontario, project leaders say.

Lakeview Village, a large new mixed-use community, and the Jim Tovey conservation area are being developed on the site that was once home to the Lakeview Generating Station. It was shut down in 2005, complete with the controlled demolition of the iconic smokestacks known for decades as “The Four Sisters.”

This is one of two new pedestrian bridges that have been built as part of the Jim Tovey Lakeview Conservation Area. (Photo: Credit Valley Conservation)

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