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Planning and Conservation

Posted May 2013

Update: Highland Creek Sewage Treatment Plant Biosolids

Get involved in the Environmental Assessment process

For the last 35 years, the Highland Creek Sewage Treatment Plant (HCTP) has been disposing of the sludge solids (biosolids) removed from the wastewater on-site, before the clean treated water is returned to Lake Ontario. The existing sludge incinerators are reaching the end of their life and need to be replaced.

Between 2002 and 2009, the City undertook an Environmental Assessment to determine what should be done to dispose of biosolids for the next 20 years.

The EA recommended that the existing incinerators be replaced with updated equipment, and that state-of-the-art air pollution control systems be installed. However, City Council elected not to accept the recommendation, voting to shut down the incinerators and truck the sludge off the site, to be spread on agricultural land or placed in landfill. This would have involved the movement of three to five odorous sludge trucks per day, along 7 km of local streets through the Highland Creek area, and past residences, schools and shopping centres.

Community members living near the HCTP consistently expressed concern with any option that would involve the daily trucking of biosolids through a predominantly residential community. Public meetings were held, and several local community members expressed their concerns to the City and the Ministry of the Environment [MOE] with Council’s final decision. Acceptance of the BMP [Biosolids Master Plan] by the MOE was delayed as a result.

In late 2012, City Council’s Public Works and Infrastructure Committee received a report from staff that called for a new environmental assessment to be conducted on the Highland Creek Treatment Plant. This puts to a close a previous decision by City Council that overrode a staff recommendation to upgrade the incinerators and authorize the trucking of sludge.

City staff has now prepared the terms of reference for the new Schedule B environmental assessment. Proposals will be received from consulting engineers by the middle of May. The new environmental assessment will begin shortly thereafter and will again review all methods of biosolids disposal from the plant.

This reveals that efforts to get City Council to reconsider its decision were successful. However, our community must stay vigilant, as there will be future public consultation meetings as part of the new environmental assessment.

It is essential that we continue to advocate for the best solution at the Highland Creek Treatment Plant. We must support an option that is based on sound evidence-based research and decision-making, and is supported by the community. We urge you to participate in the process.

To stay informed about the HCTP Environmental Assessment, email CCRA at
planning@ccranews.com to be added to our email list.

Paul Lewkowicz

Posted Feb 2013

Highland Creek Treatment Plant Update

City staff has reported that it is in the process of preparing the Request for Proposal (RFP) to hire a consultant to undertake the Schedule B Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Highland Creek Treatment Plant. City staff has said that they hope to have the RFP go out to prospective consultants by February. The EA will take approximately 9 months to complete and will again review all methods on the future of the plant (trucking of sludge, upgrading incinerator, etc.).

French Catholic School Update (29 Meadowvale Rd.)

As many residents may have noticed, the French Catholic School being built by the Conseil scolaire de district catholique Centre-sud is nearing completion. The school, known as Ecole élémentaire catholique dans l’Est de Toronto, is expected to open in September 2013 and was constructed using funds provided by the Ministry of Education in 2007. The school will host up to 250 students from Kindergarten to Grade 6. Contact 416-393-5421 for information on how to enrol your child. The website for the school is http://eecte.csdccs.edu.on.ca/wp/.  

Departure from CCRA Executive

As noted in the President’s Report, I am departing from the CCRA executive as I am moving outside of the community. I wanted to thank the CCRA executive and volunteers for their dedication and hard work in advocating for our community and helping to preserve and improve our neighbourhood’s positive character. I would also like to thank Centennial residents for your continued engagement and support. The positive response to the CCRA’s efforts with the Highland Creek Treatment Plant master plan and other important community issues was impressive and admired by politicians and residents from other neighbourhoods.

Centennial Scarborough is one of Toronto’s most beautiful neighbourhoods and is referred to by many as a jewel in the city. Having grown up in Centennial, I can attest to that! I would encourage residents to become further engaged in our community and support and/or volunteer with the CCRA. It is a rewarding and worthwhile experience that will make you even more proud to live here!

Posted Dec 2012

Highland Creek Village Study

On November 6, Scarborough Community Council voted 6 to 3 in favour of an amendment from Councillor Ron Moeser to approve the Highland Creek Village Study staff report. Councillor Moeser’s amendment called for lower densities ranging from a minimum of 2 stories to a maximum of 6 stories as compared to the original staff recommendation of 2 to 8 stories.

Community Council also passed an amendment from Councillor Mike Del Grande to direct City staff to study the angled parking spaces on the north side of Old Kingston Road between Morrish Road and Lawson Road and provide a plan for more parking spaces greater than the number of angled parking spaces that may be affected by the study’s recommendations.

The CCRA gave a written submission and spoke at the meeting in support of lower densities and in opposition to road network changes that would result in the removal of the Lawson Road Bridge and provide for access to Highway 2 from Meadowvale Road. The CCRA spoke to the need and its support of revitalization in Highland Creek Village but that any development should be carried out in a way that is consistent with the character of the neighbourhood and surrounding neighbourhoods. We spoke to the need for alternatives to high density and concerns about traffic impacts to our community.

The plan will be implemented over the long-term (20 years), with a transportation environmental assessment being conducted on areas most affecting our community such as potential traffic and road network changes (including the removal of the Lawson Bridge and access to Highway 2 from Meadowvale Road).

The plan received approval by Toronto City Council on November 27, 2012.

For more information, please visit http://www.toronto.ca/planning/highlandcreekvillage.htm.