Public Comment Period on Intent to Make a Determination
Toronto - Build Boat Shed – HMCS Star

May 8, 2026 — The Department of National Defence must decide whether the proposed project is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects.

To help inform this decision, the Department of National Defence is inviting comments from the public on the project and its potential effects on the environment. All comments received will be considered public. For more information, individuals should consult the Privacy Notice on the Registry website.

Written comments must be submitted by May 27, 2026 to:
Rabi Gautam, Engineering Officer, Real Property Operations Unit
Mailing Address:  1 Yukon Lane, Toronto
Ontario, Canada, M3K 0K1
E-mail:  Rabi.Gautam@forces.gc.ca

The Proposed Project

The Department of National Defence (DND) proposes a project. Due to lack of space and the growth of the Naval reserves group at the His Majesty's Canadian Ship (HMCS) Star Site, the Divers and Bosman Groups were in need of a new facility to house their vessels along with offices for their daily operations and classrooms to conduct instructional sessions. These new facilities would also need to provide storage necessary for the user's daily HMCS rations and to store their equipment.

The current facility is located on the northeast corner of the Reserved Armed Forces Compound near the harbour side of the site. The structure is a single-story steel boat shed building and houses the local reserved Divers and Bosman Groups. Due to the existing size of the facility the users are currently only able to pull in one vessel at a time to do maintenance, to meet current standards the facility should have the capacity to house all of their vessels inside to protect from the elements.

The intent is to provide a new pre-engineered structure that would address some of the items outlined previously, specifically increasing the size of their current space and providing a two-story space for offices and classrooms due to the limitations of the site footprint.

The project activity includes demolition of the existing metal structure on site in preparation for the new facilities. Excavation and trenching are expected as work is designed to tie-into existing subsurface infrastructure. Asphalt parking areas will be demolished, and a new asphalt parking area is expected to be constructed. The removal and replacement of underground sewer and water utilities is also planned. Additionally, excavation and soil movement are expected for foundations, piles and demolition work.