An earlier aerial view of the site of the Jim Tovey Lakeview Conservation Area in Mississauga. It’s on track to open to visitors next month. (Photo: Credit Valley Conservation)

After a delay of nearly a year, a huge new waterfront conservation area in Mississauga’s south end will open to the public in a matter of weeks. 

Expected to “transform a once-industrial shoreline into a vibrant natural space along Lake Ontario,” the 64-acre Jim Tovey Lakeview Conservation Area is on track to open to visitors on Saturday, May 30.

The massive undertaking 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 substantial project.

A spokesperson for CVC confirmed to INsauga.com on Monday the new $59-million conservation area, named for the late Mississauga city councillor who worked to bring the project to fruition, is on schedule to welcome the public on the last Saturday in May.

An opening celebration to mark “a landmark project that’s been more than a decade in the making” is planned that day from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Admission is free.

The spokesperson added more details about the grand opening will be available in the coming weeks.

Expected to be an environmental “gem” in the southeast corner 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.

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)

Built on a previously degraded section of shoreline, the 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 new conservation area are being developed on the site that was once home to 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.”

Among the relatively recent developments at the conservation area site was the placement of two new pedestrian bridges last 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.”

Credit Valley Conservation officials said earlier those who visit the large natural area once it opens to the public will enjoy a number of stunning sights and peaceful surroundings, including:

Scenic trails along the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail.
Accessible boardwalks through wetlands and natural habitats.
Beautiful views of Lake Ontario.
Wildlife-watching opportunities to see birds and other species.
Meadows, wetlands and forests restored for nature.
Connections to nearby parks and the waterfront trail network.

 


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