August 19, 2024 – Parks Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada must decide whether the proposed project Nassau Mills Dam Replacement – part of water management at the Trent-Severn Waterway and located at Lock 22, approximately 750m north of Trent University within the boundary of the City of Peterborough, Ontario, is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects. Parks Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada will be assessing this project using a Detailed Impact Assessment.

The Site is accessible via County Road 32 (Nassau Mills Road). The coordinates of the structure are 44° 21' 58" N Latitude; 78° 17' 31" W Longitude.

To help inform this decision, Parks Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada are issuing this notice of intent to make a determination and inviting comments from the public. Comments on the proposed scope of assessment are invited from August 19 to September 18, 2024. The scope of the assessment is located below, and the full scoping document can be requested for consultation. All comments received will be considered public. For more information on the public nature of your comments, individuals should consult the Privacy Notice on the Registry website.

Although Parks Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada welcomes all comments, the public is encouraged to consider the following when reviewing the Detailed Impact Assessment materials:

• What aspects of the environment or cultural history of the area are you most concerned about?
• What impact to the environment or cultural history of the area are you concerned about?
• What knowledge do you have of the environmental or cultural history, potential impacts or potential actions that might help lessen impacts of the proposal?
• Why do you think the potential impacts you identified are important to raise?
• Are there any other projects that you are aware of that might contribute to any cumulative effects associated with the proposal?
• What opportunities can you suggest to increase the conservation gains of the proposal?

After reviewing comments on the proposed scope, a Detailed Impact Assessment will be forthcoming. A draft of the Detailed Impact Assessment will be available in November 2024. 

In order to submit comments on the Detailed Impact Assessment scope, contact:

Trent-Severn Waterway National Historic Site
P.O. Box 567
Peterborough, Ontario K9J 6Z6
Email: trentsevern@pc.gc.ca

Comments on the Detailed Impact Assessment scope must be submitted by September 18, 2024.

Project Summary: The project is a complete replacement of the dam by a newly constructed sluiceway dam with an expected service life of 80 to 100 years. The scope of work includes phased reconstruction of the entire existing structure downstream of the existing dam. Project activities include, but are not limited to, constructing cofferdams, replacement of the dam, sluices, new stop logs, new decks, operator safety features, railing for public safety, new floating safety boom, landscape and embankment works, commissioning, demolition of the old dam and site restoration.

Scope: The Detailed Impact Assessment will assess the impacts on fish and fish habitat, water quality, Species at Risk and Critical Habitat, vegetation, wildlife, Heritage Features, Archaeological Resources, and visitor experience. Through engagement, it will additionally assess potential impact to Indigenous treaty and/or Indigenous rights and interests.