West End Beaches…

West End Beaches Stakeholders Association (WEBSA) has written a letter https://drive.google.com/file/d/1B_wT4GjiQs23yF6MLo6Ue_J068n1ojbH/view?… for your consideration.

The WEBSA Clubs are the Argonaut Rowing Club, the Boulevard Club, the Sunnyside Paddling Club, and the Toronto Sailing and Canoe Club for flatwater uses. For clarification, flatwater uses include outrigger canoeing, kayaking, dragon-boating, rowing, sailing, stand-up paddle-boarding, etc. The member clubs of WEBSA regularly use the west waterfront watercourse up to and including the Ontario Place West Channel (see Figure 1 in the letter). For some member Clubs we have been using this area for well over 100 (uninterrupted) years and our Club’s economic viability relies upon continued safe access to this area.

Addressing the ruptured CSO is a laudable goal, and we hope that it can be achieved with careful consideration of the needs of the existing non-motorized watercraft (the flatwater users) of the West Channel waterway.

Our comments / requests are:

1) That any in water work take place between the months of November and mid-March so as not to conflict with the present users of the West Channel.

2) If that cannot be accommodated, that any work or closures only take place during the off peak hours of 9:30 am to 4 pm in order to minimize the impact on the Flatwater Users.

3) That whatever in water structures remain in the water between mid-March and November (for example the proposed turbidity curtain) be located as close to the breakwall and seawall as feasible so as not to impact the useability of the water way and the safety of the Flatwater Users. (Note how close to the walls are the traffic patterns shown in Figure 2.

4) That remaining structures must be lit as the Flatwater Users train in the dark hours starting at 5 am and ending after 9 pm.

5) That our on water structure concerns generally do not relate to any temporary or permanent structures that are 1.5 to 2 metres below “seasonal low water levels” as our watercraft generally do not protrude very deep below the surface. In other words, any pipe, screen, etc. that is more than 1.5 to 2 meters below the surface is supportable as it will not impact the use of the West Channel by Flatwater Users.

6) That the land mass that has mysteriously appeared is removed by mid-March as it blocks off much of the safest water along the waterfront (see Figure 4, below). This is creating a dangerous “pinch point” in what was the safest part of the West Channel.

7) That the Pan Am Games’ Provincially paid-for wave attenuation (along the breakwall and seawall as highlighted in yellow on Figure 1) be reestablished to return this area to its original “Provincial legacy” of flatwater for non-motorized watercraft.

8) That we support the posting of water quality advisories, but object to “bans” on the use of the West Channel after storm events as our Clubs already have extensive health related protocols firmly enforced since COVID and the fact that we have been using the West Channel during storm events for over 100 years. WE KNOW HOW TO PROTECT OURSELVES and don’t require a ban. We can’t speak for the “in water users” and their health protocol requirements (for example, open-water swimmers, triathletes, and water-skiers. And,

9) That WEBSA be advised on the methods of testing and manners in which stakeholders such as ourselves would be informed of water quality results and proposed restrictions or warnings on water use, so that we can make our own informed decisions.

Blocking in any way, the West Channel during the months of mid-March through mid-November is a significant concern with economic impacts for the ongoing viability of our Clubs.

Lastly, we formally request to be notified of any future approvals that are being sought respecting a permanent solution related to relocating the interim CSO so we can share it with our membership to keep them informed about the possible dangers (health concerns, navigational issues, environmental impacts) associated with recreating in this area.

Thank you for your consideration, and again, we extend the offer to meet and discuss fully.