environmental assessments

Waterfront Toronto is working to create a world model for urban space, one that supports environmental and economic sustainability. Many of our key projects are subject to the Ontario Environmental Assessment Act, which provides for the protection, conservation and wise management of the environment in Ontario.

The protection of the environment is generally described as including air, land and water; plant and animal life, including humans; and social, economic and cultural conditions. Environmental Assessments (EAs) are designed to identify and understand the effects of proposed projects on the environment, and to assess and, where possible, mitigate those effects.

The EA provides an organized information-gathering and decision-making process that is accountable, logical and reproducible. Most importantly, the EA process requires that the public be consulted, in order to give people an opportunity to have input into the decision-making process.

The EA process helps us revitalize our waterfront responsibly for everyone by:

  • Allowing projects to receive input from a wide variety of sources, including the federal, provincial and municipal levels of government, stakeholders and the public
  • Identifying potential problems prior to construction
  • Promoting good environmental planning practices
  • Improving community acceptance
  • Better protecting the environment
two types of environmental assessments

Class Environmental Assessments

Most of Waterfront Toronto’s EAs are Municipal Class Environmental Assessments prepared with the City of Toronto as a co-proponent. They generally relate to the provision of new infrastructure such as water, sewers or transit. Municipal Class Environmental Assessments are projects that have predictable and mitigable environmental effects. These EAs follow a prescribed planning and approval process.

Current examples are the Queens Quay Revitalization Municipal Class Environmental Assessment and Lower Don Lands Infrastructure Municipal Class Environmental Assessment.


Individual Environmental Assessments

Projects undergo individual Environmental Assessments (EAs) when a more detailed and in-depth process is warranted. This is the case when there is a significant possibility of substantial environmental effects, or when there is sufficient uncertainty in the outcome and effect on the environment to warrant more detailed study. Individual Environmental Assessments have two stages:

  • The preparation of the Terms of Reference (ToR); and,
  • The EA study.
terms of reference

The Terms of Reference (ToR) are the “blue print"  for the EA study. They describe the reason for undertaking the study, the scope of work to be completed, the study timeline and the manner in which the public will be consulted during the study.
The public and stakeholders are consulted during the preparation of the ToR which must be approved by the Minister of the Environment prior to the commencement of the EA study.

the EA study process

The EA study must be completed in accordance with the approved ToR. This includes the provision for public input at key decision-making stages in the EA study.

Typically the EA study will use a variety of approaches such as, news paper ads, newsletters, web sites and public meetings to inform and engage the public.

The completed EA study is submitted to the Minister of the Environment for public comment, detailed technical review and consideration for approval.

A current example is the Gardiner Expressway and Lake Shore Boulevard Reconfiguration EA.

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Ontario environmental assessments

For more information about the Environmental Assessment process in Ontario please visit:

federal environmental assessments

Certain Waterfront Toronto projects are subject to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act when Federal interests are affected. For the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency visit:

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