• Physical characteristics The Inner Harbour is a shallow body of water. Its average depth is 3.6 feet and it has been described as a submerged wetland. It is 1.6 km wide in the south narrowing to 0.3 km in the north. It receives surface drainage from a 930-km2 area and flushes about 76 times a year or about every five days on average. Although the Inner Harbour is located in the city, the municipality does not own the bed of the harbour. Transport Canada is largely responsible south of Belle Island, and Parks Canada largely responsible north of the island.
• Ecosystem and marsh The marsh dominates the northern portion of the harbour. A provincially and federally significant wetland, the marsh plays a major role in the spring and fall migration of waterfowl and terrestrial bird species. It is a swallow migration area that becomes a roost in July and August for tens of thousands of swallows. The marsh is home to several important plant, mammal, aquatic, reptile and amphibian species as well. What we lack is a current inventory of what is there and information on trends in the ecosystem.
• Sources of contamination The southwest shore was once heavily industrialized, and sources of contamination remain from that era. The shoreline housed a tannery and lead smelter, woolen mill, grist mill, brewery, shipyard, a battery manufacturer, scrap dealers, fuel depots, millworks, welders and sheet fabricating industries. Other sources of contamination include:
  • storm sewers that drain into both sides of the river. They drain large expanses of land and are a source of many contaminants. These contaminants include metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons that originate from such sources as vehicles.
  • a sewage overflow pipe on the west side. These overflows can cause sewage and bacterial contamination.
  • lead from the fuel of boats using the Rideau Canal and the area around HMCS Cataraqui
  • agricultural inputs, mainly north of Belle Island
• Water quality Existing studies suggest that water quality is good with respect to both federal and provincial guidelines, but we have significant information gaps, namely:
  • the studies are limited in number and geographical coverage
  • the worst cases have not been studied, for example, when there are high-flow stormwater discharges and sewage overflows
  • the influence of contaminated sediments is not understood

• Sediment contaminants of concern The inorganic contaminants of concern are chromium, lead, zinc and copper. The organic contaminants of concern are polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). All these contaminants appear to be located mostly to the south of Belle Island - in some cases up to a sediment depth of two metres. The area north of Belle Island is believed to be relatively clean.

  Here's what we don't know about these contaminants.

  We don't know the total extent of the contaminated sediments, nor do we know if, how, or to what extent they're being re-distributed or re-suspended. We have limited information on the effects of contamination on the ecosystem and we don't know if contaminants are present in a form and concentration that can be taken up by humans. As a result, we don't know, for example, whether it's always safe to swim in the water - it might be if the sediments aren't disturbed - and we don't know how much they move around when motor boats churn up the water. Should City Council plan for possible water sports or should this portion of the harbour be a harbour that is seen but not played on or in? Does council need to develop a recreation management plan for the Inner Harbour?

VISIONS FOR THE INNER HARBOUR'S FUTURE

We presented the results of the Data Compilation and Gap Analysis to a public workshop attended by representatives of 36 different organizations. The presentation was accompanied by a video tour that reminded participants of how the shore around the Inner Harbour is used today. It showed the following:

• In the southwest (where both water and land have been most affected by 150 years of industrial land use): The shoreline currently features a marina, some manufacturing, a park, the Woolen Mill office-restaurant complex, the rowing club, River Street pumping station, six combined sewer outfalls and more than 40 acres of undeveloped property including the old tannery. Sediment is highly contaminated in parts. According to available data, the surface water appears to be relatively clean.
• Around Belle Park and Belle Island: Belle Park, which is about 100 acres in size, was used as a municipal landfill from 1952 until 1974. The park now features a nine-hole public golf course. A footbridge leads to Belle Park Island, which is tree covered but little used. No garbage was ever deposited on Belle Island itself. The surrounding water is shallow.
• In the northwest and east: The northwest section features the marsh, which is the most biologically diverse wetland in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River basin area of southern Canada. It extends for more than one kilometre in length and is the site of rare flora and fauna and an important bird migration flyway. The northeastern shore is still mainly rural and includes a 17-acre city-owned property around the Pittsburgh library. The southeastern shore, now urban, provides limited public access to the waterfront. Some water and sewer outfalls are located here. The water is relatively shallow except for a dredged canal, close to the eastern shore, that allows boats to enter the Rideau System.

Having considered the results of the study and the summary of the current land uses, workshop participants offered their ideas and visions for the future of the harbour. We asked for the public's ideas a second time during the city's waterfront consultation. People, it turned out, feel quite passionate about their harbour. They called it "a visual joy," "a breathing space," "a blue/green lung" and "a jewel." In explaining why it was an asset rather than a liability despite the remediation challenges posed in some areas they talked about the value of having a body of water in the centre of the community. They said it had to be protected both environmentally and developmentally, but in a way that enabled more people to have better access. Development possibilities in the southwest, north and east were seen as being substantially different.

"It has potential for recreational, commercial and 'natural' development," said one workshop participant. "I'm not talking about waterfront real-estate development, but the intangible benefits of having a living, accessible water-mass within the city's boundaries."

The main themes that emerged from the public consultation are:

• Overall
1. Place a moratorium on all changes and development until a strategic plan for the harbour is in place.
2. Develop a strategic plan that encourages public access in an environmentally sustainable manner.
3. Develop a trail all around the Inner Harbour where planning opportunities exist, except through the marsh.
• Southwest area
4. Encourage mixed-use development on the old tannery's 40 acres.
5. Develop strong linkages that draw the public from downtown to the Inner Harbour.
6. Ensure Wellington Street is not a major artery if the extension goes ahead.
7. Address pollution problems caused by stormwater and combined sewer overflows and by boats.
• Belle Park area
8. Increase public awareness and use of the park for activities such as swimming, cross-country skiing, skating and sightseeing towers.
9. Reconsider use as a golf course.
10. Develop interpretive nature centre and link with downtown access.
• Northwest and eastern area
11. Limit motorized boat activity.
12. Develop non-intrusive recreational opportunities such as bird-watching, pathways.
13. Do not touch the marsh.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Based on these visions for a revitalized Inner Harbour, KEAF will rank the technical information gaps revealed in the Data Compilation and Gap Analysis report. The process will conclude with KEAF making recommendations on what council should do environmentally to reaclize the public's vision of the Inner Harbour's future. In this way, KEAF hopes it will help City Council achieve its goal, established in 2000, to adopt a comprehensive plan for the Inner Harbour.

Anyone wishing to contribute further ideas to the harbour's future, provide reaction to the themes already elicited by public consultation, obtain a copy of the Background and Summary of the Data Compilation and Gap Analysis or learn more about the public consultations, should contact:

Susan Powley, City of Kingston,
216 Ontario Street, Kingston, K7L 2Z3
Fax: 613-546-5232
Email: spowley@cityofkingston.ca