Cudmore Creek: Dump Site to Wetland – ontherecordnews.ca

Report on the Cudmore Creek Wetland and Trail Restoration Project

Introduction

The Cudmore Creek Wetland and Trail project, officially opened in October after nearly a decade of planning, represents a significant advancement in urban ecological restoration. This report details the project’s objectives, implementation, and direct contributions to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The initiative, led by the City of Toronto’s Urban Forestry Division and the Toronto Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), transforms a previously degraded site into a functional wetland, enhancing local biodiversity and community resilience.

Project Background and Strategic Alignment

Historical Context and Transformation

Located in the Don Valley, the site was previously an informal gravel parking area resulting from a sewer main break in the 1990s. The restoration, which began construction in October 2023, has successfully converted the area into a thriving wetland ecosystem featuring native vegetation, walking paths, and scenic outlooks connected to the Crothers Woods Trail Network.

Funding and Governance

The project was executed as part of Toronto’s comprehensive Ravine Strategy, a long-term plan to protect and restore over 300 kilometres of urban ravines. This initiative demonstrates a multi-level partnership, aligning with SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

• Lead Agencies: City of Toronto Urban Forestry Division, Toronto Region Conservation Authority (TRCA).
• Funding: A $1.52 million investment from the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, a joint federal and provincial fund.

Contributions to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 15: Life on Land

The project’s primary objective was the restoration of terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems, directly addressing the targets of SDG 15.

• Habitat Restoration: The creation of a wetland habitat from a degraded site promotes the conservation and restoration of a vital ecosystem.
• Biodiversity Enhancement: The reintroduction of native species has already shown positive results, with the return of tadpoles, frogs, ducks, and other waterfowl, contributing to halting biodiversity loss. A significant number of native trees, shrubs, and aquatic plants were installed to support this goal.

SDG 13: Climate Action & SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

The Cudmore Creek wetland serves as a model for nature-based solutions to climate change, strengthening resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards.

1. Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation: As described by project lead Cheryl Post, wetlands function as natural “sponges.” This capability is critical for mitigating the impacts of climate change, directly supporting SDG 13.
2. Flood Control: The wetland absorbs excess water during heavy rainfall, reducing urban flood risk.
3. Drought Management: It slowly releases stored water during dry periods, helping to regulate water availability.
4. Water-Related Ecosystem Protection: By restoring the wetland, the project protects and restores a critical water-related ecosystem, a key target of SDG 6.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

The initiative enhances the urban environment, making the city more inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable, in line with SDG 11.

• Accessible Green Public Space: The project provides a safe and accessible connection to the Crothers Woods trail network, improving community access to natural spaces for recreation and well-being.
• Urban Resilience: The wetland’s role in flood mitigation strengthens the city’s resilience to natural disasters.
• Ecological Design in Urban Planning: The project exemplifies a new model of ecological design, which, according to expert Brendon Samuels, holistically integrates human needs with the needs of the natural world, anticipating future climate conditions in urban planning.

Challenges and Future Outlook

Site Complexity

The project team successfully navigated a highly complex site, which is situated near a transportation right-of-way, major sewer infrastructure, a Metrolinx rail crossing, and a hydro tower. This success demonstrates the feasibility of ecological restoration even in challenging urban settings.

Long-Term Ecological Development

Experts emphasize that ecological restoration is a long-term process. The design anticipates future climate scenarios, including more frequent and severe flooding. The maturation of native vegetation over the next 20 years is expected to further enhance the site’s structural integrity, limit erosion, and improve water management, ensuring its sustained contribution to Toronto’s environmental health and sustainability goals.

Analysis of the Cudmore Creek Project and its Connection to Sustainable Development Goals

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
   • The article focuses on the restoration of Cudmore Creek into a functioning wetland. Wetlands are critical water-related ecosystems. The project’s emphasis on restoring the site’s natural water processes, as described by Cheryl Post who notes it “has always sort of wanted to be a wetland,” and its role in managing “water hydrology across the city” directly connects to the goal of protecting and restoring freshwater ecosystems.
2. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
   • The project is an urban initiative led by the city’s Urban Forestry Division as part of Toronto’s long-term “Ravine Strategy.” It aims to make the city more sustainable and resilient by transforming a degraded urban space into a valuable natural and recreational area. The project provides a “safe and accessible connection to the Crothers Woods trail network,” enhancing public access to green spaces within the city.
3. SDG 13: Climate Action
   • The article explicitly links the wetland restoration to climate change adaptation and mitigation. Cheryl Post states, “From a climate lens, wetlands provide a lot of mitigation to flooding.” The project is presented as a nature-based solution to address the increasing frequency of “flooding and extreme weather” in Toronto, thereby strengthening the city’s resilience to climate-related hazards.
4. SDG 15: Life on Land
   • The core objective of the Cudmore Creek project is ecological restoration. The article states the project was designed to “restore and enhance wetland habitat” and “improve species diversity.” The planting of “native species” and the observed return of wildlife like “tadpoles… ducks and other waterfowl and frogs” are direct contributions to halting biodiversity loss and restoring terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 6.6: By 2020, protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes.
   • The entire project is a direct implementation of this target. The transformation of a gravel-filled area, previously damaged by a “sewer main break,” into a “functioning wetland” is a clear act of restoring a critical water-related ecosystem.
2. Target 11.7: By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities.
   • The project’s design includes creating “walking paths that connect directly to the Crothers Woods Trail Network.” This improves public access to the larger ravine system, turning a previously informal and potentially unsafe parking area into an organized and accessible green public space for recreation and enjoyment.
3. Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.
   • The article highlights the wetland’s function as one of nature’s “sponges,” which helps to “mitigate some of the flooding impacts of climate change and drought.” By restoring the wetland, the city is strengthening its natural infrastructure and adaptive capacity to handle extreme weather events like “heavy rainfall.”
4. Target 15.1: By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements.
   • The project’s goal to “restore and enhance wetland habitat” is a direct action towards this target. It involves restoring the ecosystem’s health and services, such as water regulation and providing a habitat for wildlife.
5. Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species.
   • The project actively reverses habitat degradation. It also aims to “improve species diversity” by planting a “significant amount of trees, shrubs, and aquatic and herbaceous plants,” all of which are “native species.” The return of wildlife is an early sign of success in halting local biodiversity loss.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Area of ecosystem restored
   • The project involved the transformation of a specific site from a gravel-filled area into a “functioning wetland.” The physical area of this restored wetland serves as a direct indicator of progress for Targets 6.6 and 15.1.
2. Increase in biodiversity and return of native species
   • The article explicitly mentions that “tadpoles… ducks and other waterfowl and frogs [are] already starting to come into the site.” The presence and count of these species can be used as a qualitative and quantitative indicator for Target 15.5, measuring the success of habitat restoration and the improvement of species diversity.
3. Number and survival rate of native plants
   • The article states that a “significant amount of trees, shrubs, and aquatic and herbaceous plants were all planted on the site.” Monitoring the number and survival rate of these native species is a key indicator of restoration success under Target 15.5.
4. Improved public access and connectivity
   • The creation of “walking paths that connect directly to the Crothers Woods Trail Network” is a tangible outcome. An indicator for Target 11.7 could be the length of new accessible trails created or the number of people using this new connection to access the ravine system.
5. Mitigation of local flooding
   • The article implies that the wetland will reduce flooding. An indicator for Target 13.1 would be the measurement of the wetland’s water absorption capacity during heavy rainfall events or a reduction in reported flooding in the immediate downstream area.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: ontherecordnews.ca