To ensure the safety and reliability of pipeline infrastructure, Enbridge Gas has replaced portions of a vital 20-inch high-pressure natural gas pipeline along Lake Shore Blvd. in downtown Toronto. The project involved the replacement of approximately 4.5 km of pipeline and related facilities, that form part of Enbridge Gas’ Kipling Oshawa Loop (KOL). The majority of the pipeline is located along Lake Shore Blvd. between Cherry St. and Bathurst St. in the City of Toronto.
The pipeline provides natural gas to a densely populated area of downtown Toronto, including critical customers such as hospitals and Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, that depend on reliable energy sources for daily operations.
In 2019, Enbridge Gas identified three potential routes that were technically feasible for the replacement pipeline. The identification of the 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.
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 July 2020 and the notice of approval was provided to Enbridge Gas from the OEB on Dec. 17, 2020.
Construction began in June 2021 and the pipeline was fully in-service in September 2023. Restoration work will continue in 2024.
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 natural 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 pipeline along Lake Shore Blvd. West from approximately Bathurst St. to Spadina Ave. Construction was completed in March 2022.
- Component 3 – Lake Shore Blvd.: The third component consisted of the construction of 3054 m of 20-inch pipeline along Lake Shore Blvd. West, from approximately Spadina Ave. to Cherry St. This construction was completed in December 2022 and the associated service connections and tie-overs were completed in August 2023.
- Component 4 – Parliament St.: The final component consisted of the construction of a 254 m pipeline along Parliament St., between Mill St. and Lake Shore Blvd East. Construction was completed in September 2023.
