A new phase of Durham wetland restoration will create and improve more than 10 hectares of habitat in Whitby and Clarington with $1.51 million from Ontario’s Wetlands Conservation Partner Program.
Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority and Ducks Unlimited Canada announced three coastal-wetland projects at Lynde Shores Conservation Area in Whitby and completion work on the Westside Creek project beside the South Bowmanville Recreation Centre.
Whitby projects will create 9.4 hectares
The funding will directly support the creation of 23 acres, or about 9.4 hectares, of wetland at Lynde Shores. The work is part of a broader restoration and resilience plan designed to connect coastal habitats, improve marsh health and give wildlife more room to move as water levels and weather patterns change.
All About Durham previously reported on three restored wetlands, a boardwalk and a lookout that will be introduced during a free October 3 event. The new announcement is broader: it identifies additional provincial funding for the continuing Lynde Shores plan and links that work with a separate Clarington restoration.
Wetlands can improve water quality, store floodwater and provide breeding and feeding habitat for fish, birds, amphibians and other wildlife. The partners say the projects are also intended to strengthen the Lake Ontario shoreline’s resilience to climate change.
Bowmanville site will gain open-water habitat
At Westside Creek in Clarington, the project will create 1.3 hectares of new open-water wetland and rehabilitate another 3.9 hectares. The site is on municipally owned land next to the South Bowmanville Recreation Centre.
Clarington says the work will address historic ecological degradation and improve habitat and biodiversity. Public trails and lookouts may be considered in the future, but the announcement does not confirm a construction date for those visitor features.
The Westside Creek work is scheduled for completion by the end of 2026. Planning and restoration have also been supported by Durham Region and by the Canada Water Agency’s Great Lakes Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative.
The Lynde Shores and Westside Creek projects are distinct sites, but both are part of a wider effort to restore coastal wetlands along the Lake Ontario watershed. CLOCA and Ducks Unlimited Canada are working together on habitat design and implementation.
A free wetland opening event at Lynde Shores is scheduled for October 3 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The event focuses on completed visitor features and restored habitat; the newly announced program includes work continuing beyond that event.
