High water levels have caused significant damage to the Mississauga’s shoreline, affecting more than a dozen parks in the city.
There have been unprecedented amounts of rain, according to the Mississauga’s Parks and Recreations director Laura Piette, which have led to record high water levels. Piette said the damage to the shoreline started on April 30, when large waves in Lake Ontario started crashing in.
“We’ve had up to three-metre waves when we get a good easterly wind going and that has resulted in some damage to parks,” she told CTV News Toronto on Thursday afternoon.
One park, J.C. Saddington, even had sinkholes around the fisherman’s boardwalk, said Piette.
City staff have already gone to about 14 or 15 of the affected parks to block off areas that are deemed unsafe to the public. The parks themselves remain open, said Piette.
“As we have more damage occurring, staff are going in cleaning up the site, fixing what we can. It really is just to alert the park users that they’re more than welcome to come down and use our waterfront parks, but to be aware that there are some areas that remain closed,” she said.
The water levels are declining gradually, which means city staff haven’t been able to do “more intense technical work” needed to complete the repairs, according to Piette.
City officials have warned residents to be cautious while visiting the parks and to keep pets or small children away from the water.
Here are some of the parks with areas that are restricted or blocked off:
• No public access to the lower promenade section of the park
• The main Waterfront Trail is open for public use
• No public access to the gravel parking lot
• Public access is also limited to part of the asphalt public parking lot. Limited parking spots are available
• Charter docks and public boat launch are closed with no public access
• No public access to the promenade adjacent to Snug Harbour
• All other areas of the park are open to the public
• Walkway connection below Lakeshore Road between JJ Plaus and Memorial Park is also closed due to high water levels
• No current disruption to public access
• No current disruption to public access
