An earlier aerial view of the site of the Jim Tovey Lakeview Conservation Area on track to open in Mississauga’s south end this spring. (Photo: Credit Valley Conservation)

With the opening of a new conservation area in Mississauga just a few months away, those in charge of the major restoration project on Lake Ontario’s shoreline say crews are busy ensuring native trees and shrubs take root and survive for generations to come.

On track to open to the public in May, 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.

“While the trees and shrubs at Jim Tovey Lakeview Conservation Area rest through winter, our restoration work continues. Crews are at (the conservation area) ensuring every planting project is set up for long-term success,” Credit Valley Conservation officials said in a recent post to social media.

“To support long-term forest health and resilience, we closely track survival and establishment, infill with replacement trees and shrubs as needed, and apply a range of protective measures to reduce wildlife browse and herbivory impacts. Since 2017, tens of thousands of native trees and shrubs have taken root across this newly built conservation area, helping to create healthier habitats and a more resilient shoreline for years to come.”

A recent look at the Jim Tovey Lakeview Conservation Area in Mississauga. (Photo from Credit Valley Conservation X video)

Another recent endeavour saw the local conservation authority install a surveillance camera on one of the trails on the site in an attempt to capture images of all animals 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 CVC said. “Now that the trail cam is set for winter, we can’t wait to see which species are exploring the landscape … stay tuned!”

The new $59-million conservation area is named for the late Mississauga city councillor who worked to bring the project to fruition.

Among other 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.”

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.

 

Built on a previously degraded section of shoreline, 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 Cons


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