VISION FOR A COMMUNITY

The opportunity to develop a waterfront community is both exciting and unique. The waterfront resource and it's interface with a new emerging community has the potential to establish a theme which can be reflected in both design and layout and built form across the entire community. Efforts to establish a truly unique community have required a departure from the tradition of subdivision design and engineering standards.

The vision for the new community can be summarized as follows:

- a community which contains a common design theme from the waters edge to the outer limits of the restored harbour.

- a community which contains as its central focus, a village common area with an extended focus to an accessible waterfront harbour and marine park feature.

- the existing shoreline from Highland Creek to the easterly limits of the planning area (Chesteron Shores) to be modified by the placement of fill to regenerate a suitable land mass to allow for the development of the historical waterfront harbour (from 1834) and a linear park and heritage marina.

- a waterfront harbour extending outward from the terminus of Port Union Road encompassing a bay of water fed by the re-opened Adams Creek, to be developed to provide a waterfront attraction for pedestrian use and a focal point for communities identity based on its historical context.

- a pedestrian underpass and grade separation under the CN rail corridor will be

developed at the GO Station and the end of olde Port Union Road respectively, to facilitate access/linkage to the waterfront trail, the harbour, the marine park  and the village common all south of the existing CN main line.

- the waterfront heritage sailing harbour is to be developed in such a way as to accommodate the future development of activity centres which may include activities such as a fishing pavilion, restoration of fish habitat,  a food/convenience facility, seasonal and day berthing for boating, a water taxi terminal, and a staging area for performance and entertainment.

RECOMMENDATION

The dedication of lands south of the CN right-of-way for the waterfront area as public open space in combination with the development of a waterfront trail system and the re-establishment of the waterfront harbour (from 1834) are considered very strong elements in shaping a theme throughout the community. In addition, the establishment of a village common area would provide a central focus for the community and would provide the prime link between an economically viable waterfront, the Toronto Zoo, the Guildwood Inn and the housing community. Much has been said of the history of the historic Port Union wharfage and there would appear to be considerable merit in recognizing this historic maritime element within a new community.

The evolution of a conceptual vision plan put emphasis on the laying out of the public open space component and in particular, treatment of the waterfront. Critical to this task remains the prime requirement of penetrating the rail corridor, at least for emergency vehicle (fire trucks and ambulances) along with numerous pedestrian access points (GO station and at Port Union Road with a “walk-over” at Highland Creek. This also includes bridge access from the Guildwood Inn across Highland Creek to the new heritage harbour (to be built in 2000). The extent to which lake fill should be realized (similar to that at Bluffers Park) to support public use of the waterfront is determined by its historical land mass and is supported by the Ministry of the Environment both Federal and Provincial including the Federal Ministry of Fisheries and Oceans which has approved the regeneration of the landmass as it was in 1830’s. (Refer Environmental Study 2000). The linkage of the waterfront and the developing community is essential to the evolution of  this “unique” and “exciting” and “marvelous” new (regenerated) waterfront community.

The olde Scarborough Markham Pickering Wharf Company will live again. We encourage everyone to become a “Friend of the Harbour”. This marvellous new project represents a "community of interests" for everyone.

If you have any questions, comments, or ideas, please contact us via our "Contact Us..." link through our main page.