Toronto (September 6, 2018) – PortsToronto will begin removing the dilapidated pier in the East Gap harbour entrance from September 10 to November 16, 2018. The construction schedule will be Monday to Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Although PortsToronto does not own the East Gap Pier, which was built by Public Works (federal government) in the 1890s, it is undertaking the project to ensure a safe and navigable harbour. The project has been approved by Transport Canada (Navigation Protection Act and Port Authorities Operations Regulations), the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (Endangered Species Act), and reviewed by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (Fisheries Act and Species at Risk Act).
 
The entire pier is approximately 165m in length. The first phase of this project will remove the most northerly 123m of the pier, as the remaining 40m must remain intact so as not to destabilize the north shore of Ward’s Island. The East Gap pier will be removed with mechanical equipment, an excavator and jack hammer, via barge. Once loosened, the concrete rubble removed from the area will be transported to Tommy Thompson Park and used to reinforce areas damaged and/or washed away during the high-water/flooding experienced in spring 2017. To prevent rubble from entering the water, temporary silt curtains will be installed at both the removal site and the Leslie Street Spit for the duration of the project. The work is being completed outside of the warm water timing window to protect fish habitat.
 
PortsToronto is collaborating with various waterfront stakeholders including the City of Toronto, the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation community, Waterfront For All, the Toronto Island Community Association, and others to explore possible replacement options and a future vision for the area once the pier is removed. As a member of Aquatic Habitat Toronto, PortsToronto is undertaking this work which will improve and restore aquatic habitat in support of the Toronto Waterfront Aquatic Habitat Restoration Strategy and the objectives of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA 2012) and the Canada-Ontario Agreement on Great Lakes Water Quality and Ecosystem Health (COA 2014).