The iconic sign post and bench at Whimbrel Point in Colonel Samuel Smith Park won’t be harmed during the upcoming shoreline rehabilitation project, but they are likely to inaccessible for most of the next couple of years.

Welcome to ccfew.org

Citizens Concerned About the Future of the Etobicoke Waterfront (CCFEW) has been around since 1989, but this website was launched in October 2005 to improve communications with our members and other members of the community.  Back in 1989, Etobicoke was a city.  Now it's the south west portion of the City of Toronto.  We haven't changed our name though.  It's already long enough!  (We pronounce it “see few” to avoid tongue sprains.)

CCFEW was founded to fight development proposals in the former Mimico “Motel Strip”.  We spearheaded the fight to secure public access to this section of waterfront.  This resulted in reduced condominium densities, and the creation of Humber Bay Shores Park.

Our Objectives: 

1. To promote a healthy waterfront environment through preservation, rehabilitation and education.
2. To seek maximum parkland through the preservation of existing parkland on Etobicoke's waterfront, and the acquisition of additional waterfront lands for park purposes.
3. To promote meaningful citizen involvement in decisions affecting the environment.
4. To seek to ensure that any development or redevelopment is compatible with its surroundings in scope and scale.

While the specific threats and challenges change with time, these founding objectives remain relevant today.  Residential redevelopment continues to be an area of concern with increasing pressure for high density developments along the lakeshore.

Updates From Our 2023 Annual General Meeting

These are the bullet points from the “President’s Report” at our 2023 AGM:

Bird Walks continue to be very well attended and our most important form of public outreach.

Spring Bird Festival: 2022 was not an anomaly. We should expect and plan for festival attendance to grow every year. CCFEW’s role is becoming more that of a coordinator. Registration is now a thing of the past.

Long Branch Tree Festival: We were unable to attend in 2023 due to multiple infirmities, but the festival is already approved for 2024.

Road Ends: Miles Road Parkette was closed for most of the year, finally reopening at double its original size. Still more work to be done here replacing benches, gardens, etc. Still silence from the City regarding the status of properties at Third & Fourth Streets.

Etobicoke Creek Dam: “...it’s not so much the disagreement on cost as it is the cost itself. The design will be finalized very soon, but looks like it’s going to come in quite expensive. The good news is we’ve [TRCA] submitted a funding request in hopes of getting the project fully funded. We’ll keep our fingers crossed on that one, but in the meantime, we’re [TRCA] continuing down the road of finalizing our design, getting all our permits in hand in hopes of beginning to implement later this year or Spring 2025.”

Bonnar Creek Wetland / Stormwater Management Facility: no news

Development: In the climate of the housing shortage, developers can get almost anything they want. There are three major developments on or adjacent to the waterfront in various stages of approval:

1. The former Christies bakery site is in the final stages of approval for Phase 1. The first phase includes a new GO station at Parklawn. The transportation master plan associated with this development includes several new roads and road road alignments including the long-promised Legion Road extension. Parkland dedication associated with development is minimal at best.
2. Condo development beside Amos Waites Park still appears likely to take a chunk out of the park. Hearing pending at the Ontario Land Tribunal.
3. Condo application opposite Longbranch Park  This application proposes to replace the five 7-storey buildings with nine towers ranging from 12, 14 and 30 storeys. 548 rental units will be replaced by 2,021 units (mainly condos).