City of Pickering - Pickering Waterfront

The City of Pickering sits on the shores of Lake Ontario a short boat ride from the Scarborough Bluff's and downtown Toronto to the west and the Port Whitby Marina to the east. Lake Ontario, the 14th largest lake in the world, is the smallest of the Great Lakes. The City of Pickering's location on the shores of Lake Ontario not only provides some spectacular scenery, it has contributed to Pickering's fascinating history and now creates some outstanding recreational and business opportunities.

Many people know of the Ontario Power Generation plant in the eastern portion of the City's waterfront, particularly with the recent installation of one of North America's largest wind turbines at the site. This 117-metre turbine (measured from the ground to the highest blade tip), called the Pickering Wind Generating Station, can produce enough emission-free energy to supply the annual electricity needs of about 600 average Ontario homes.

The Pickering Waterfront is home to an outstanding series of public spaces including the Petticoat Creek Conservation Area, Rotary Frenchman's Bay West Park, Bruce Handscombe Park, Progress Frenchman's Bay East Park, Millennium Square, Beachfront Park, Homeplace & Alex Robertson Park and Pickering's Waterfront Trail.

The waterfront is home to one of the most unique ecological assets of the entire Great Lakes system. Frenchman's Bay is one of a series of large coastal wetlands along the north shore of Lake Ontario. Due to its size, the diversity of vegetation communities and a long list of significant features, the Toronto Region Conservation Authority have designated Frenchman's Bay as an Environmentally Significant Area. Frenchman's Bay extends over some 85 hectares and about 55 hectares of open water. The Bay is separated from Lake Ontario by a barrier beach some 900 metres long and about 50 metres wide with a dredged access for boats travelling to any one of numerous marinas located within the bay. Strong winds are recorded blowing across the barrier beach that can result in short term basis water level fluctuations up to 30cm. These winds are also responsible for providing some of the regions best wind surfing and kiteboarding.

The City of Pickering is consistently working towards the Vision of the Mayors Task Force, which was articulated in the Pickering Waterfront 2001 document. "The Pickering Waterfront should create a distinct sense of Place. This sense must be nurtured by not only our heritage and unique natural setting, but also by what the waterfront represents to Pickering residents and visitors of all ages and abilities."

Public areas along the waterfront:

Also visit the Frenchman's Bay Watershed Rehabilitation Project website, and the Waterfront Regeneration Trust website.