The City of Toronto is moving forward with several infrastructure improvements projects aimed at reducing flooding in the Rockcliffe-Smythe area. These improvements are designed to increase the capacity of local waterways and upgrade the sewer system, capturing, holding, and transporting more water away from homes and businesses.
The infrastructure improvements will be implemented in three phases.
The first phase of construction will focus on the widening and replacement of the Jane Street and Scarlett Road bridges over Black Creek. Construction to widen and replace the Jane Street and Scarlett Road bridges over Black Creek is expected to begin in 2026.
Timing for future phases of the planned improvements will be confirmed as project details are finalized. 
This project is funded in part by the Government of Canada. The Government of Canada has committed $129.3 million in funding through the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund, a Canada-wide program to support large-scale infrastructure projects and help communities better manage the risks of disasters triggered by natural hazards and climate change. The City of Toronto is providing the remaining funding.
A public meeting was held on July 21, 2025 to learn about the Phase 1 of the Rockcliffe Flood Mitigation Project, and hear updates on the status of the Black Creek Sanitary Trunk Sewer and Basement Flooding Protection Program projects. The meeting included a presentation followed by a Question and Answer period.
The City will replace both the Jane Street bridge and the Scarlett Road bridge over Black Creek. Each bridge will be constructed with a longer span to allow for widening of the concrete creek channel. A wider creek channel can carry more stormwater during severe storms, reducing the risk of flooding.
Development of designs for the bridges and surrounding area will consider opportunities for green space and public features outside of the channel.
There will be opportunities for public engagement as the Phase 1 design process moves forward.
Replacement of the Rockcliffe Boulevard bridge, construction of a Weston Road flood protection wall, and widening of the Black Creek channel from Jane Street to Alliance Avenue.
Widening the Lavender Creek culvert, removing Lavender Creek driveway culverts, and widening the Lavender Creek channel from Symes Road to Black Creek.
The City of Toronto is pleased to announce that artist Shanie Tomassini has been commissioned to develop public art as part of the Rockcliffe-Smythe area improvements. This project offers a rare opportunity to explore how public art can be meaningfully integrated into a space where urban infrastructure meets rich ecological life.
Shanie Tomassini’s sculptural work explores the cyclical and renewable potential of objects, sites and ideas. Rooted in sustainability, craftsmanship and ecofeminism, her practice hints at the sacred emerging from the mundane. She transforms materials through layered processes, reflecting on their evolution across time and space. Tomassini holds an MFA in sculpture from the University of Texas at Austin. Her solo exhibitions include presentations at the Clark Center (Montreal), the UMLAUF Museum (Austin), and Rad’Art (Italy). Her work has also been exhibited at Arsenal Contemporary (New York), Tenerife Espacio de las Artes (Spain), Patel Brown (Toronto and Montreal), the PHI Foundation (Montreal) and Artpace (San Antonio). She is a current fellow at the Darling Foundry studio residency (2023-2026).
You're Invited: Public Art Walkthrough at Black Creek
Date: Thursday August 21, 2025 at 6:30pm. We expect the walk to take between 60-75 minutes.
Meeting Spot: Haney Park, Toronto (West of Jane Street, North of Haney Avenue)
Artist Shanie Tomassini and landscape architect Mike Dartizio will lead a guided tour through key areas of the site, sharing the main themes of the projected artwork and inviting your thoughts. Your insights will help shape an artwork that honors the site’s layered histories. Come walk with us, share your voice, and help imagine what art in this unique landscape can become.
If you can attend, please RSVP on the Eventbrite event page. If you are unable to attend but would like to contribute, please consider taking the Rockcliffe Public Art Engagement Survey.
If you have any questions about the Public Art Strategy, please get in touch with Katriina Campitelli, Public Art Officer, City of Toronto at: publicartcompetitions@toronto.ca.
The Rockcliffe-Smythe area, located in the floodplain of Black Creek and Lavender Creek, is one of the most flood-prone areas in Toronto. Development in the Rockcliffe-Smythe area began after World War II, when it was common to build near rivers and within natural floodplains. Many properties in the area have experienced both surface flooding and basement flooding during severe storms due to riverine flooding and overloading of the City’s sewer system. Riverine flooding occurs when waterways, such as Black Creek, overflow their banks, flooding surrounding areas and overloading the city’s sewer system.
The Rockcliffe Riverine Flood Mitigation Project Municipal Class Environmental Assessment study was carried out to determine a riverine flood mitigation solution for the Rockcliffe-Smythe area. The study was completed in 2023 and the recommendations were endorsed by City Council.
The study recommended several infrastructure projects to minimize riverine flooding risk:
To address ongoing flooding challenges, the City of Toronto will be undertaking sewer system improvements to increase the overall capacity of the sewer system.
Basement Flooding Protection Program, Project 45-48
City basement flooding projects are prioritized for implementation to benefit the greatest number of priorities. Projects are prioritized based on a City Council-adopted $68,000 cost per benefitting property threshold. Projects with a cost estimate of less than $68,000 per benefitting household at the completion of preliminary design may proceed to construction. Projects that exceed the threshold are moved into the deferred project list for future consideration, after other projects the $68,000 threshold have been scheduled for implementation. Through the preliminary design process, the cost estimate for Project 45-48 will be updated and the cost per benefitting property will be reviewed.
Work will focus on sanitary storm sewer upgrades in Basement Flooding Study Areas 4 and 45. This project is part of a broader program aimed at reducing basement and surface flooding and improving stormwater runoff quality in this flood-prone neighbourhood.
This work will begin following the completion of the Rockcliffe-Smythe riverine work, ensuring a seamless transition and alignment with broader flood prevention efforts.
Black Creek Sewershed Long-Term Sanitary Servicing Project
This project will be implemented in two phases:
Phase 1 work will involve the construction of two trunk sewers, including a 13km-long Keele Relief Trunk Sewer and a 4km-long Jane-Downsview Relief Trunk Sewer.
Phase 2 work will extend the Keele Relief Trunk Sewer northward and implement additional upgrades for combined sewage system.
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