Staff Feature – Humber Bay Park East Project Background and Progress
December 22, 2022
November 2021: the Humber Bay Park East major maintenance project is about to kick off. After months of planning, budgeting, and preparation, Supervisor Rob Sgambelluri hands the reins over to Site Supervisor Paul Canzano and Senior Field Staff Alex Nagy. What happens next? Let’s check in with the team about their ongoing work.
Drone shot of completed stone work and restoration of northeastern headland in August 2022
Humber Bay Park East Project Background and Progress
The Risk Mitigation Major Projects (RMMP) team at Humber Bay Park East (HBPE) is tasked with restoring the park’s erosion control structures along Lake Ontario. These structures—the western and eastern armour stone headlands and the gravel beach—have deteriorated over time due to continued exposure to wave activity. With such significant shifting and loss of stone material, the backshore has been scoured and nearby trails have eroded, presenting a hazard to public safety.
A major maintenance project tackling 1.2 kilometres of shoreline demanded significant planning; RMMP collaborated with Erosion Risk Management, Project Controls and Contract Management to ensure tenders were ready to go, permits were in place and the team was well prepared to begin construction in November 2021.
Alex Nagy and contractors constructing slope of revetment on eastern headland
The project is currently in the first—and most important—of three phases. The team is rebuilding the slope of the revetment on the eastern headland; the core of the structure that will protect the bank from erosion. Using stone from the existing structure along with imported materials, the team have completed 535 of 575 metres of slope work along the eastern headland, with 225 metres of 2-5 tonne armour stone already placed and ready to withstand high wave action.
Completed revetment and restored backshore along eastern shoreline
Paul Canzano, Alex Nagy, and the rest of the team have expertly navigated the challenges that come with working on a project right on the lake that is subject to significant winds and wave action. When the forecast calls for strong waves, or when there is ice on the slope, the team pivots to different tasks to maintain productivity. And when the forecast calls for a clear day, there is never a shortage of local wildlife popping in to enjoy the view with the team, including deer, foxes, muskrats, snapping turtles, great horned owls and even a bald eagle or two.
Meet the Team
Rob Sgambelluri – Supervisor, Construction Services
Paul Canzano – Site Supervisor, Construction Services
Alex Nagy – Senior Field Staff, Construction Services
Rob Sgambelluri – Supervisor, Construction Services
Rob joined TRCA’s construction team at the beginning of 2008. In January 2019, after more than a decade of experience in a progressive series of roles in Construction Services, including lead hand, site supervisor, and senior site supervisor, Rob became RMMP supervisor. Having grown up near the park, the HBPE project holds special significance for Rob and he is looking forward to seeing it fully restored.
Paul Canzano – Site Supervisor, Construction Services
Paul joined TRCA’s RMMP team in 2018. After eight months with the trails crew, Paul joined RMMP as senior field staff, working on stream and shoreline restoration. In 2019 Paul was promoted to site supervisor and continues to lend his expertise to major creek and lake projects.
Paul’s Projects with TRCA:
- Pomona Mills Bank Stabilization Project
- Malton Channel Outfall Works
- Peel Village Sanitary Infrastructure Protection Project
- Scarlett Road Phase 2 Restoration Project
- Yellow Creek Emergency Works
- Royal York MC06 Maintenance Project
- Marie Curtis Minor Works
- Bolton Sanitary Infrastructure Project
- Bolton Berm Phase 1
- R&I Campus Improvements
- Long Branch Major Maintenance Project
- Humber Bay River Sanitary Infrastructure Project – Sinkhole Works
- Patterson Creek Emergency Works
- Patterson Creek Habitat Maintenance
- McMichael Canadian Art Collection Erosion Gully Project
- Humber Bay Park East Major Maintenance Project
Alex Nagy – Senior Field Staff, Construction Services
Alex joined TRCA’s RMMP team in 2020. After a few major maintenance projects and minor work, Alex moved on to a senior field staff role in 2021 and has been working at HBPE ever since.
Alex Nagy working on cap stone placement
Alex’s Projects with TRCA:
- Yellow Creek Emergency Works
- Royal York MC06 Maintenance Project
- Marie Curtis Minor Works
- Bolton Sanitary Infrastructure Project
- Bolton Berm Phase 1
- R&I Campus Improvements
- Long Branch Major Maintenance Project
- Humber Bay River Sanitary Infrastructure Project – Sinkhole Works
- Patterson Creek Emergency Works
- Patterson Creek Habitat Maintenance
- McMichael Canadian Art Collection Erosion Gully Project
- Humber Bay Park East Major Maintenance Project
Other dedicated TRCA Construction Services staff who have been integral in the implementation of the HBPE project include Dillon Gray, Alex Sartori and Michael Rhodes.
Michael Rhodes at work
The project is scheduled to be completed in late 2025, so there is still a hefty amount of work to be done, including adding a second layer of armour stone to both headlands to increase protection and infilling the significantly eroded shoreline, followed by beach renourishment and trail restoration. This is great news for us since we’ll be able to check in with the team over the course of the project and congratulate them on their amazing progress.
Slope stone work prior to installation of habitat features along southeastern headland