Consultation
Initial design work was presented to the Ministry and ORCA for consultation. Comments were received in late 2019 indicating general concurrence and provided guidance for required work to be move forward. Since that time, the following has occurred as suggested by the Ministry, ORCA, or identified as an issue of concern through Indigenous engagement:
- Engagement activities with Indigenous Communities
- Rationale for Schedule Determination for Class EA
- Archaeological Study
- Natural Heritage Study
- Salt Management Plan
Indigenous Community Engagement
Indigenous community engagement was initiated in 2020 and has been on-going since that time. Cambium Indigenous Professional Services was retained to assist with facilitating the engagement. Five engagement sessions have been held to date.
The Indigenous communities that were initially contacted were Curve Lake, Hiawatha, Alderville, and Mississaugas of Scugog Island. Curve Lake and Hiawatha participated with the on-going engagement.
Engagement sessions have been used to present information and receive feedback on issues of concern. The sessions have also been used for the Indigenous community members to provide insight and Traditional Knowledge, such that an Indigenous lens could be applied to the project.
Rational for Schedule Determination for MCEA Class EA
The City determined the project is a Schedule A/A+ undertaking according to the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment process and therefore could proceed to implementation. However, the City decided to pursue additional indigenous and local community engagement which will occur through to the end of 2022.
Archaeological Study
The study area contained evidence of archaeological potential. The location of the study area within 300 m of the Otonabee River and within 300 m of a registered Pre-Contact Indigenous archaeological site indicates potential for locating Pre-Contact Indigenous archaeological material. A Stage 2 archaeological assessment was determined to be required in order to identify and document any archaeological material that may be present.
Based on the results of the Stage 1 background investigation and the subsequent Stage 2 test pit survey, the study area is considered to be free of archaeological material. Therefore, no additional archaeological assessments are recommended.
Natural Heritage Study
The proposed stormwater management facility is located adjacent to the Otonabee River, which forms part of the Trent-Severn Waterway and is under the management of Parks Canada Agency. As such, an Aquatic Habitat Assessment (AHA) was completed in 2020 to document existing aquatic habitat conditions in the Study Area, provide an assessment of potential impacts, identify permitting and approval requirements, and recommend suitable avoidance and mitigation recommendations and best practices. As part of this exercise, a Vegetation Inventory and Community Classification was also completed.
A background review and field investigations were conducted. The nearshore area of the Otonabee River fronting the Study Area provides moderate quality habitat for fish. Under high water conditions in the spring, the dense ground cover in the riparian swamp community likely also provides highly valuable spawning habitat for Esocids. As such, the portion of the Study Area below the high water mark (i.e., within the floodplain) should also be considered direct habitat for fish. The current proposed undertaking includes the construction of a hardened outlet swale within the Otonabee River floodplain, which would result in the loss of direct fish habitat. As such, alternative locations or configurations for this built feature should be considered. As a result of these studies, the outlet originally considered in preliminary design work was realigned and adjusted as recommended.
Several mitigation measures were recommended which should be implemented as part of the detailed design, as well as during and post construction.
Through Indigenous Engagement, additional aquatic and vegetation work was recommended and completed including a four-season vegetation assessment through 2021/2022 and a Walleye Spawning Survey in 2022. This work built on the previous work completed.
Salt Management Plan
In 2001, Environment Canada released an assessment report stating that road salts are entering the environment in large amounts and are posing a risk to plants, animals, birds, fish, lake and stream ecosystems and groundwater. Environment Canada determined that a strategy was required to manage the release of road salt into the environment.
The City developed a Salt Management Plan in accordance with Environment Canada’s Code of Practice for the Environmental Management of Road Salts. The purpose of this document was to set out a framework for ensuring the City continuously improves the management of road salt use with its winter maintenance operations.
With the need to develop and implement the City’s Salt Management Plan, the trial of new materials, equipment, and technologies has provided positive steps towards reducing the City’s salt usage, while maintaining the same level of service the public has come to expect.
