Introduction

Proponent

Corporation of the City of Quinte West

Location

City of Quinte West at the entrance to the Trent-Severn Waterway at the mouth of the Trent River

Type

Other

Reference number

11100

Contact

Environmental Approvals Branch

Current status

Environmental assessment: approved, March 26, 2014

Project summary

The purpose of the undertaking is to determine an appropriate location to situate and develop a new municipal marina facility near the entrance of the Trent-Severn Waterway.

Project history

Environmental assessment: approved
Date submitted: June 21, 2013
Expiry of public comment period: August 9, 2013
Expiry of public comment period for ministry review: November 29, 2013
Decision date: March 26, 2014

Terms of reference: approved
Date submitted: November 18, 2011
Expiry of public comment period: December 18, 2011
Decision date: March 27, 2012

Environmental assessment

The City of Quinte West initiated the environmental assessment (EA) process to determine an appropriate location to situate and develop a new municipal marina facility near the entrance of the Trent-Severn Waterway. The proposed undertaking is a continuation of efforts by the City to promote the retention and use of waterfront lands for public access and the enhancement of existing ecological and fish habitat within the Trent River estuary.

On March 26, 2014 the Minister of the Environment, with concurrence from the Lieutenant Governor in Council, approved the City of Quinte West’s Environmental Assessment for a Proposed Municipal Marina. The approval is for the construction and operation of a new municipal marina to be located at Bayshore Park, on the west side of the Trent River estuary, adjacent and directly accessible to Trenton’s downtown core. The proposed marina will include 380 boat slips for both seasonal and transient use a demand for which was identified in the Bayshore Park Marina Market Study and Concept Design. The proposed location is intended to provide for new public waterfront access and the completion of existing gaps in the City’s waterfront trail network. The proposed design of the new municipal marina consists of:

  • a floating breakwater system to minimize impacts on fish habitat
  • a floating dock arrangement with concrete anchors to minimize impact of anchoring systems on the environment
  • a combination of hard and natural shoreline treatments to provide environmental enhancement while maintaining the physical integrity of the shoreline

Terms of reference

A terms of reference (ToR) for the Quinte West Municipal Marina project has been submitted by the Corporation of the City of Quinte West, to the Minister of the Environment for approval under the Environmental Assessment Act (EAA). The ToR sets out the work plan for preparing the EA, and its required public consultation process. As per Section 6(2)c of the EAA, the EA will be prepared in accordance with the general requirements of Section 6.1(3) of the EAA.

The City of Quinte West wishes to develop a marina facility with associated parkland, waterfront access, and marina centre at the entrance to the Trent-Severn Waterway at the mouth of the Trent River. This proposal will:

  • address a growing need for additional boat slips in the area
  • provide jobs and economic income for Quinte West
  • improve the overall appearance of the City of West Quinte by creating a visually appealing and functional amenity at the beginning of the Trent-Severn Waterway
  • improve the public access, and aesthetics of the shoreline
  • offer opportunity for ecological enhancement

The overall purpose of undertaking this study is to complete an EA of the various alternative locations for a marina development within the study area, and to identify the potential effects (positive and negative, direct and indirect, short term and long term) for each alternative.

The study will also propose mitigation measures intended to minimize or avoid potential negative effects.

The results of the EA will be used as part of the decision-making process that will determine if the project should proceed, and if so, which alternative location within the study area may be preferred. This proposed undertaking is a continuation of efforts by the City to provide a more balanced downtown core offering multiple services to residents and visitors, in a more integrated and accessible format, as well as its mandate to provide for, and establish continuous public access along its waterfront, in accordance with good and sensitive management of environmentally sensitive lands.

The study area is located within the downtown core of Trenton, Ontario, on the Bay of Quinte, at the start of the Trent-Severn Waterway. The study area encompasses Trenton’s downtown core and undeveloped lands, both on the east and west shores of the estuary. This provides for a range of locational alternatives to be considered during the EA process, as well as the related environments that may be impacted by the alternatives. The study area has not been enlarged to encompass other locations at this time, due to the significance of the Trent River estuary and the proximity to the downtown core, for the purpose of the undertaking.

On March 27, 2012, the Minister approved the City of Quinte West’s ToR for the proposed new municipal marina project. The approved ToR sets out the City’s framework and requirements for the preparation and review of the EA for the proposed undertaking.