The Scarborough Bluffs are the most distinctive natural feature in our area, stretching along our shoreline for more than 14 km and reaching heights of up to 90 metres. They are part of the escarpment that originally formed the shoreline of Glacial Lake Iroquois, back towards the end of the last ice age, approximately 12,000 years ago. The layers of sand and clay in the Bluffs exposed after millennia of erosion, gave scientists a unique look at the geological record going back some 70,000 years. The eroded materials have gradually been washed out into the lake and are responsible for the formation of the Toronto Islands. With the urbanisation of Scarborough in the 1950s, homes began to encroach toward the edge of the ever eroding Bluffs, as home builders were tempted by the breathtaking views over the lake. The inevitable result was the endangerment of those homes built too close to the cliffs. In response to the concerns of those homeowners, millions of dollars have been spent and many more continue being spent to prevent the erosion process with methods such as landfill, the construction of berms, and the planting of vegetation, with the aim of replacing parts of the rugged Bluffs with gentle slopes. No doubt this will be a comfort to some, but a loss for others.
References:
Wikipedia Scarborough Bluffs
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarborough_Bluffs
Bluffs Girl / The Wild Bluffs Geology and Conservation in the Bluffs: A Brief History (Dec 1 2011)
http://thewildbluffs.com/geology-and-conservation-in-the-bluffs-a-brief-history
Jeff Green / The Toronto Star April 22, 2013 Scarborough Bluffs: $6.5 million erosion prevention project offers hope to those living on the edge
