Local politicians, environmental groups, and physicians are sounding the alarm following the Ontario government’s move to proceed with the construction work on a Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) system across from Ontario Place, which, critics argue, could have devastating health effects on those who swim, paddle, and gather in the area.
Grassroots organization Ontario Place for All denounced the provincial government’s decision to move ahead with the controversial sewage plan, arguing that the work could allow raw sewage to be discharged into the water along the lakeshore.
Construction began after the Ford government passed the polarizing Bill 5, which the group says removes the requirement for public consultation on this type of infrastructure work.
“This is another example of how the current Government of Ontario is changing the law to make this project easier for them and to avoid public consultation and transparency,” said Ann Elisabeth Samson, Co-Chair, Ontario Place for All.
“When this CSO proposal was made public last year on the provincial environmental registry, the system was overwhelmed with public comments. Rather than actually respond meaningfully or share their plans with the public transparently, the province added a provision to the controversial Bill 5 to allow themselves to avoid the step of the environmental registry for Ontario Place. It’s amazing the lengths they will go to to facilitate this unpopular project.”
The province plans to reroute a combined sewage pipe that currently empties into Lake Ontario so that it discharges behind an existing breakwater into the West Channel.
Ontario Place for All says over 2,000 public comments were submitted to the province’s environmental registry, criticizing the government’s proposal to redirect the sewer system to “accommodate Therme’s plans all at the expense of taxpayers.”
According to the City of Toronto’s website, some older areas of the city, which had their sewer systems built as long as 100 years ago, have combined sewers, meaning there is only one pipe that carries both sewage and stormwater.
While combined sewers carry all contents, including rain and sewage, to water treatment plants the majority of the time, during periods of heavy rainfall, the volume of stormwater that enters might exceed the system’s capacity. This means that some of the combined sewer flow (which includes a mix of stormwater and sewage) must be diverted untreated into rivers, creeks, and Lake Ontario.
CSO discharges contain harmful bacteria, oils, pesticides, and pathogens, as well as nutrients that can increase algae growth. As a result, the City has embarked on a multi-billion-dollar plan to reduce the impact of combined sewers on water quality and combined sewer overflows.
Local politicians also denounced the Ford government’s decision to proceed with its plan.
“This is a shocking abuse of power,” said MPP Chris Glover. “The Ford government changed the law so they wouldn’t have to listen to the public, and now they’re moving ahead with construction that puts raw sewage right where people interact with the water. Families deserve clean, safe beaches — not sewage dumps to support a $2.2 billion taxpayer-funded foreign megaspa at Ontario Place.”
Physicians are also calling on the provincial government to consider the potential health impacts of the plan.
“Allowing raw sewage into this part of Lake Ontario will make people sick,” said Dr. Samantha Green, family physician and President of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment.
“People who do come into contact with the water after rainfall events will experience diarrhea, vomiting, skin infections, and eye infections. The Ford government is bypassing an environmental evaluation that exists to protect the health of Ontarians. This is irresponsible and dangerous.”
When asked about the choice to place a public beach next to a sewer outflow, a Therme Group told blogTO in 2023 that, “the combined sewer outflow is a piece of City infrastructure and questions about its impact are best directed to them,” adding that the “proposed brand-new public beach will be a highlight of the 16 acres of park space we are creating on the West Island.”
The province has maintained that the plan will not degrade water quality in the area.