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“Building a river in the middle of a major metropolitan area
isn’t something you get to do every day. It required us to
completely rethink traditional civil execution.”
Instead of relying on traditional dock
wall tiebacks, which would have been
extremely invasive and schedule-heavy,
we designed a load relief platform. That
single innovation optimized our overall
performance and kept us moving forward
safely without compromising structural
integrity.”
Beneath the site’s surface, EllisDon navigated a dense web of utility constraints.
The team installed more than 20,000 metres of storm and sanitary sewers and over
1,000 metres of upgraded watermains.
Utilizing advanced trenchless methods—
including micro tunnelling, Horizontal
Directional Drilling (HDD), and jack-andbore techniques—engineers threaded vital
utility corridors deep beneath active urban
infrastructure.
Furthermore, EllisDon closely coordinated with Hydro One to integrate
high-voltage underground cables, overhead transmission lines, and 昀氀ood protection landforms without interrupting electrical power to the city.
Before the new river could be opened or enabling infrastructure
installed, the site’s toxic legacy had to be confronted. Over a
century of heavy industrial use had left the ground severely
contaminated.
Rather than trucking vast quantities of hazardous waste o昀昀-site
to distant land昀椀lls, a sustainable, on-site soil and water treatment
regime was established.
Groundwater encountered during excavation was similarly
intercepted and treated in specialized on-site 昀椀ltration plants to
meet or exceed Lake Ontario’s strict environmental water quality
standards before being released.
“The sustainability aspect of our soil management strategy
was a huge point of pride for our team,” Manning explains. “By
treating and reusing 80 per cent of those 1.4 million cubic metres
on-site, we eliminated thousands of heavy truck trips through
downtown Toronto.
“That drastically reduced our carbon footprint, cut down on
community disruption, and kept massive amounts of waste out
of regional land昀椀lls. It was a massive win for both the environment and project economics.”
RENEWCANADA.NET
Enabling future growth
While 昀氀ood protection was the primary catalyst for the project, its
goal was enabling the future growth of Toronto. By eliminating
昀氀ood risks across 174 hectares, the project unlocked new island
communities, now known as Ookwemin Minising.
To connect this newly formed island with surrounding city
districts, EllisDon oversaw the installation of four signature steel
bridges. These striking structures enhance transit, vehicular, pedestrian, and cyclist mobility across the newly formed waterways.
Underneath the public realm, a fully integrated civil backbone
was constructed to support future mixed-use development, including a new sanitary sewer network and pumping station connecting
in directly to the Ashbridge’s Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Public spaces, such as Biidaasige Park, were designed with Indigenous-inspired elements, embedding cultural history directly into
the urban landscape.
“Infrastructure isn’t just about concrete, pipes, and steel; it’’
about creating the foundation for human connection and community growth,” Manning emphasizes. “What we built in the Port
Lands wasn’t just 昀氀ood protection for today—we laid the essential
groundwork for entire new neighbourhoods, housing, parks, and
commercial districts that will serve generations of Torontonians to
come. It completely unlocks the potential of our city’s waterfront.”
Lessons learned
Delivering a multi-faceted project required seamless collaboration
among hundreds of EllisDon sta昀昀, Waterfront Toronto, municipal
agencies, and thousands of skilled tradespeople.
Re昀氀ecting on the lessons learned from the project, Manning
highlighted the critical importance of early stakeholder alignment,
adaptive problem-solving, and integrated construction management when navigating mega-projects.
“A project like the Port Lands reinforces that when you align
technical expertise, strong stakeholder partnerships, and a shared
vision for sustainability, you can solve seemingly insurmountable
urban challenges,” says Manning. “It proves that cities don’t have
to choose between 昀氀ood protection, environmental remediation,
and urban growth. You can achieve all three simultaneously.”
Today, the Port Lands Flood Protection and Enabling Infrastructure project stands as a global benchmark for sustainable urban
redevelopment. By transforming a polluted industrial footprint
into a vibrant, resilient, and connected waterfront, EllisDon has not
only protected Toronto from the climate risks of tomorrow but has
unlocked a thriving new era for the city’s urban core.
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