No. The concepts here only represent the options best suited to provide the area with long-term erosion protection. While high priority areas along the waterfront may require installing their recommended erosion protection option, low priority areas may not be changed at all.  

During analysis, beach areas (like Paradise Beach) along the waterfront were determined to be lower priority than parts of the shoreline with high or very sheer bluffs. This means that for the most part, beach areas will not have to be closed or changed to protect the shoreline from erosion damage. Some areas of existing beach may need to be addressed for long-term protection, but any work done will be weighed against environmental and social impacts, as well as feedback received from the public during this review process.  

For a timeline for the Environmental Assessment process, please see this page.

Any work along the shoreline will depend on how urgently erosion protection is needed and how much funding is expected to be available. Additionally, completing plans for the shoreline will require confirming designs and securing the necessary permits and official approvals.

Although vegetation can help address erosion issues in some situations, studies have shown that vegetation is not effective in what is called an open coast environment, where shorelines are exposed to full wave action. Coastal conditions in open coast environments like the Ajax Waterfront shoreline are too intense to be addressed with only vegetation. However, adding plant life as part of erosion protection plans may be considered during the detailed designs of some options, particularly when considering restoration activities. 

Areas were prioritized based on the impact of erosion to amenities and infrastructure. Some reaches have a higher erosion rate, but infrastructure is either not impacted or can be relocated further inland (like the Waterfront Trail). Some reaches have a lower erosion rate, but contain infrastructure that cannot be easily moved (like Rotary Park Pavilion).

Recommendations for each reach were made from a technical perspective and may change due to funding, feedback or other municipal considerations.

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While specific changes to the trail (e.g. realignment) will be considered during the detailed design phase, the focus of this project is to address erosion and flooding along the shoreline. Other amenities may be added to the detailed designs based on need and the Town’s available funding. 

Unfortunately, addressing flooding at Paradise Beach would require raising the area around it above flood water levels which would be prohibitively expensive and negatively affect access to the beach. However, exploring ways to improve drainage in the area could be incorporated into the detailed design phase of work. A ‘do nothing’ alternative is currently recommended for the beach as shoreline protection, with the potential for regular erosion-specific monitoring to formally document the condition. 

The concept options shown through this platform and discussed during the presentation are high-level with typical dimensions noted. Site-specific measurements will be determined through the detailed design phase based on the most preferred alternative. Significant deviations from the concept designs presented are not anticipated based on current study-wide site conditions.  

At this phase of the Environmental Assessment process, the concept options shown are examples and their dimensions are not yet tailored for the specific site. Once preferred options are chosen based on feedback, site specific measurements will be determined for each structure during the detailed design phase. While only basic dimensions are shown here, significant changes to structure shapes and sizes are not anticipated based on analysis of the study area conditions. 

Protecting sensitive species was an important part of the concept design phase. Species at Risk were considered during the concept design phase as part of the site-specific ranking to determine which concepts were recommended for the area. Measures to ensure Species at Risk are not negatively impacted will be further considered during the approval of detailed designs.  

Construction of these projects will be funded by the Town of Ajax. The total cost of implementing all preliminary recommendations is not realistic based on anticipated municipal budgets, therefore sites will be prioritized based on anticipated erosion rates, observed erosion rates, and available sources of funding. Some areas recommended as low priority sites may not be implemented at all, depending on site conditions. 

While the Do Nothing alternative is the least expensive of all the recommended options, there are still costs associated with maintenance and monitoring to ensure continued safe use of shoreline amenities.