Former industrial wasteland transformed into Ontario city's newest destination

After more than a decade of planning and construction, a huge new stretch of Mississauga waterfront will officially open to the public this weekend, as Ontario's latest conservation area.

The new Jim Tovey Lakeview Conservation Area will transform what was once an industrial and damaged section of shoreline into a sprawling 26-hectare natural destination along Lake Ontario.

The project, led by Credit Valley Conservation in partnership with Toronto and Region Conservation Authority and Peel Region, has been described by the City as one of the most ambitious waterfront restoration efforts in the GTA.

The conservation area features all the hallmarks of an outdoor greenspace, including newly built wetlands, meadows, forests, elevated boardwalks, over three kilometres of trails, plus public gathering spaces, some of which were designed in collaboration with the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.

Visitors will also be able to access a new section of the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail, helping connect Mississauga and Toronto's waterfront networks.

"This opening represents a transformative achievement in habitat creation and waterfront revitalization and reflects what's possible when partners and community come together around a shared vision," Terri LeRoux, Chief Administrative Officer, Credit Valley Conservation, said in a press release.

"Through years of collaboration, we have built a new shoreline that restores ecological function and creates a welcoming, accessible Lake Ontario waterfront for the community." 

The area is named after the late Jim Tovey, a longtime Mississauga councillor and environmental advocate who, for years, championed the revitalization of the Lakeview shoreline.

One of the project's most striking features is that the land itself had to be created. The conservation area was built using roughly two million cubic metres of clean fill sourced from Peel Region infrastructure projects, transforming the shoreline into a new habitat and public greenspace.

More than 42,000 trees and shrubs and over 76,000 wetland plants have already been added, while wildlife monitoring has recorded dozens of bird, fish, butterfly, and mammal species returning to the area.

And it's already drawing international attention. According to the press release, Ontario's newest conservation area has been recognized by the Society for Ecological Restoration for excellence in urban ecological restoration.

Jim Tovey Lakeview Conservation Area will open May 30 with a sunrise ceremony at 6 a.m. featuring storytelling, singing, and a sacred fire led by Métis firekeeper Raiden Levesque and the Eagle Spirits of Great Waters drummers.

Visitors can then take the opportunity to explore the trails, wetlands, lookout points, and Indigenous placemaking spaces.

Shuttle bus service will run from the Small Arms Inspection Building to Jim Tovey Lakeview Conservation Area on opening day. Visitors can park at the building located at 1352 Lakeshore Rd. E. in Mississauga, Ont.