b'SHORELINESKeeping Canadas Shorelines SafeBY CYNTHIA GRAHAM, OALA, CSLAC anada is nine per cent water. into these three bodies of water areapproved as part of the DMAF program Canadians boast about how wemany streams, rivers and waterfalls. $31.68 million with $12.7 million have 20 per cent of the worldsSo, to say that Hamilton is a shorelineof that from the federal government total freshwater resources.city is not an exaggeration. for shoreline protection projects to There is virtually no location in theOne of the most beloved trails in theaddress damage from recent storms country that does not have quick accessentire city runs along the shore ofand protect against future damage.to rivers, lakes or oceans. Hamilton Harbour. The trail boastsA major 2017 storm brought record-Across Canada, the Disaster Mitigation310,000 visitors a year for recreationbreaking water levels in Lake Ontario. and Adaption Fund (DMAF) has anand commuting and provides accessIn the Hamilton area, those levels important role in keeping the nationsto beaches, bluffs, wildlife habitat andpeaked at a daily average mean water shorelines safe.amenities along the way. elevation of 75.93 International Great In recent years, when high waterLakes Datum, or IGLD (a reference The fund was set up by the federallevels and extreme wave eventssystem by which water levels in government to help municipalitiessloughed off huge pieces of land,Great Lakes-St. Lawrece Basin are address and prepare for disastersflooded the low-lying areas and cutmeasured).happening in their communities. users off from their favourite trail, The following were damages This article looks at the work beingcity staff raised alarm bells. associated with the water levels: done in the City of Hamilton, as wellSupported by a forward-thinking as other projects in British Columbia,council, city staff worked to repair t hree sections of land were washed Alberta, Ontario, Quebec and thedamaged areas and initiated a largeaway along ConfederationAtlantic provinces where the DMAF isstudy of the municipally ownedBeach Park;making a difference. shoreline properties.sections of the trail by Bayfront Park were under water;CITY OF HAMILTON: The study 1was undertaken tothe shoreline trails were A SHORELINE CITY determine what future work would becompromised; andHamilton is blessed with over 22necessary to ensure that storms do a lake-viewing plaza, constructed inkilometres of shoreline fronting Lakenot wash away the waterfront access2012, was undermined when storm Ontario, the Hamilton Harbour and(something that all shoreline citiesculverts allowed water to wash out Cootes Paradisean incredible inlandstrive to attain). Hamiltons shorelinethe soils and aggregate under the marsh and lake environment. Feedingproject was one of the first to beconcrete platform.ONTARIO ASSOCIATION OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS 9'