To ensure the safety and reliability of pipeline infrastructure, Enbridge Gas is replacing portions of an important 20-inch high-pressure gas pipeline along Lake Shore Blvd. in downtown Toronto. The project requires the replacement of approximately 4.5 km of pipeline and related facilities, which are part of Enbridge Gas’ Kipling Oshawa Loop (KOL). The component being replaced resides on Lake Shore Blvd. between Cherry St. and Bathurst St. in the City of Toronto.
The current pipeline, which was installed in the 1950s, continues to provide natural gas to a densely populated area. It also provides natural gas to critical customers, including hospitals, who count on a reliable, dependable energy source for their daily operations.
In 2019, Enbridge Gas identified three potential routes that would be technically feasible for the replacement pipeline. Each route option would run from Bathurst St. to Cherry St. and make several connections along the waterfront. The chosen route generally runs parallel to Lake Shore Blvd., Harbour St. and Queens Quay, and the pipeline is being installed within the municipal road rights of-way, where possible.
The identification of a preferred route option required input from multiple stakeholders, including the City of Toronto, the public, Indigenous communities, regulatory agencies, private interest groups and other interested/affected parties.
Component 2 of this project was completed in March 2022; as of May 2022, Phase 3 is under construction.
Project status/timeline
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Feasibility
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Environmental studies
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Regulatory review
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Regulatory approval
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Under construction
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In-service
Project status/timeline
-
Feasibility
-
Environmental studies
-
Regulatory review
-
Regulatory approval
-
Under construction
-
In-service
Project information
A Leave-to-Construct (LTC) application was filed with the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) in May 2020 and the notice of approval was provided to Enbridge Gas from the OEB on December 17, 2020.
Construction began in June 2021 and the pipeline is expected to be fully in-service in 2023.
Due to concurrent projects in the area and permitting timelines, Enbridge Gas split the project into four components.
- Component 1 – Cherry St.: The first component of this project involved the installation of 110 m of a 20-inch gas main along Lake Shore Blvd. East at Cherry St. Construction was completed in September 2021.
- Component 2 – Bathurst St.: The second component consisted of the construction of approximately 970 m of 20-inch pipe along Lake Shore Blvd. West from approximately Bathurst St. to Spadina Ave. Construction was completed in March 2022.
- Component 3 – Lake Shore Blvd.: Component 3 will consist of the construction of 3054 m of 20-inch pipe along Lake Shore Blvd. West, from approximately Spadina Ave. to Cherry St. This construction will begin in May 2022.
- Component 4 – Parliament St.: The final component will entail construction of a remaining 254 m segment along Parliament St., from Mill St. to Lake Shore Blvd.
