To protect against the hazards of shoreline erosion, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) — in partnership with the City of Toronto — is currently undertaking maintenance work along Lake Ontario within Humber Bay Park East.

However, locals are expressing concern for one part of the multi-year revitalization project, which specifically concerns the resurfacing of the gravel and rubble beach at the waterfront park. 

According to the TRCA, record high lake levels in 2017 and 2019, as well as severe winds from an April 2018 storm have exacerbated the damage on the beach, with much of its original protective material having washed away over time. 

As a result, the scope of work for the project includes replenishing the beach with new cobblestone, which was officially delivered to the shoreline earlier this year and spread out across the beach. 

Local residents began expressing concern about the "grapefruit-sized rocks" almost immediately, arguing that the new material has effectively eliminated any possibility of the community enjoying the once-sandy beach. 

In response to the change, some even launched a petition to call upon the TRCA and the City of Toronto to conduct a comprehensive reassessment of the current measures in place and to explore alternative methods to protect the waterfront park from erosion without impacting the beach-going experience.

Protect Humber Bay Park East Beach from overdevelopment. Give us our beach back! https://t.co/3uIZ478O57 via @CdnChange

— Vivien Slezak (@SlezakVivien) February 29, 2024

"During the planning and community engagement stages of the project, residents were assured that the Humber Bay Park East Beach (a beach that existed between the eastern and western headland) would remain an enjoyable and accessible space for the community," the petition, which has already garnered over 500 signatures, reads. 

"We understand the importance of erosion control measures to protect the park, but we believe that the current approach is excessive and has altered the landscape in a way that contradicts the assurances given during the community consultations. The beach, if you can still call it so, is effectively covered in these large stones, losing all of its recreational value that the community cherished very much." 

The petition goes on to propose that above the waterline, smaller pebbles or gravel be used instead of the current stones, along with a gradual slope that will "significantly contribute to a safer and more enjoyable beach experience for residents, especially for the children and people with mobility issues in our community."

In response, a city spokesperson told CBC Toronto that it plans to use pea gravel when it resurfaces another beach in Humber Bay Park West, but the finer material is "not cost-effective" for the east beach due to its size. 

However, the spokesperson said that the east beach will be organized in a way so that it creates a "flatter surface" for local residents to enjoy. 

Construction on the revitalization project first began in 2021 and is anticipated to be completed by fall 2025.