Excavation of Port Lands starts in order to prevent flooding Toronto’s waterfront

A ground-breaking ceremony was held in the Port Lands on Wednesday to mark the start of excavation on a new river valley.

The event was part of the Port Lands flood protection project, which intends to help protect nearly 300 hectares of land from flooding.

The project, which comes with a $1.25 billion pricetag, also includes a plan to create a kilometre-long river valley and a new island on Toronto’s waterfront.

The cost of the project will be split between the federal, provincial, and municipal governments.

“This construction is going to be completed in 2023,” Mayor John Tory said. “You’re going to have a new shoreline, a new river valley, parks, and they are going to facilitate not only flood protection but also the new neighbourhoods and the new places to work …”