By Mike Anderson
The GIFN Fixed Link Project, a 2.6 km long combination of bridges and causeways linking Georgina Island to the mainland, could get the go-head from the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) this month.
According to Project Manager Michael Jacobs, who hosted a virtual information session last December, WSP Canada Inc, the engineering firm hired by the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation (GIFN), was slated to submit the Detailed Project Description (DPD) in late January, but that has been extended into February.
Once the DPD is reviewed and posted to the IAAC’s online registry, Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault, the federal minister responsible for IAAC, is expected to make a final decision on the project within 10 days.
Guilbault could green-light the project, determining it is in the public interest, or he could request a full impact assessment, adding another two years to the project’s timeline.
The Fixed Link Project, first announced by GIFN in 2022, is the largest infrastructure project ever proposed for Lake Simcoe.
It would provide some 200 GIFN band members who live on the island with a safe, reliable all-weather passage from Georgina Island to the mainland, eliminating the need for ferry service and a winter ice road.
The project scope has changed significantly over the past year following input from band members, the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA), environmental groups, shoreline residents, and the IAAC itself, which requested a replacement ferry option be included in the DPD.
The original design called for two causeways, each 500 to 1,000 metres long, with a 1,500-metre bridge section in the middle.
The new design, from north (Georgina Island) to south (mainland), includes a 190-metre causeway, a 731-metre low-level bridge, a 494-metre causeway, and a 1,240-metre high-level bridge. In addition, an 800-metre roadway will connect the fixed link to Black River Rd.
Jacobs says the new design will improve water flow, reduce sediment, and have less of an impact on the lake’s ecology.
However, it comes with a hefty price tag.
According to Jacobs, with only 25% of the final design completed, the cost is now estimated to be $450 million. Most of the funding comes from the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB), which has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with GIFN.
The option of purchasing a replacement ice-breaking ferry will be included in the DPD. This could be a significantly cheaper solution, although GIFN has not provided a cost estimate, and Jacobs has repeatedly stated that this is not GIFN’s preferred option.
Despite modifications to the original design, critics of the project, including some band members, environmental groups, and local residents, are still calling on IAAC to delay approval until a full impact assessment is completed.
GIFN opted not to submit the project for a full impact assessment to expedite construction.
Instead, WSP produced a series of detailed studies, including ecological and coastal engineering assessments, for public review.
GIFN argued that the existing Aazhaawe ferry was nearing the end of its lifecycle and that a solution was needed sooner rather than later.
However, GIFN’s plan to avoid a full impact assessment didn’t sit well with several resident groups, including the Lake Simcoe South Shore Residents Association (LSSSRA), which argues that the project needs more vetting before it can go forward.
“This project is longer than the Gordie Howe Bridge, it will cause multiple adverse environmental effects, and mitigation has not been identified. It will cause adverse impacts to species at risk and their habitat, and it will cause adverse impacts to Federal lands and will adversely impact Canada’s ability to comply with environmental obligations,” Lee Simpson, LSSRA’s president, told the Post.
“We hope that in order to protect Lake Simcoe, the IAAC will support our request for a full assessment of this project.”
To view updates and review WSP studies, visit the GIFL project website: www.gifixedlink.com (https://www.gifixedlink.com/)
To submit comments or questions, visit the IAAC project website: www.iaac-aeic.gc.ca. (https://iaac-aeic.gc.ca/050/evaluations/proj/83539).
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