The Engineer Who Reshaped Toronto's Waterfront
When Peter Jones was growing up, he got to see a lot of the waterfront and what went into making it what it is today. Why? His dad, Jack Jones, was chief engineer for the Toronto Harbour Commission. His team designed and built the Ontario Place breakwater and the Tommy Thompson Park.
Peter got to see the powerful dredger, powered by a six-inch diameter extension cord, that spewed mud and fill onto what became the Leslie St. Spit. He also describes how his father’s engineering team quickly created the breakwater for Ontario Place, sinking three Great Lakes carriers to protect the marina and site. Architect Eb Zeidler, who designed the Ontario Place structures, was impressed by the precision of the engineering process!
A massive dredge used to deposit fill on the Leslie St. Spit.
The Ontario Place breakwater, made of old lakers, was a feat of precision engineering.
Jack Jones, chief engineer for the Toronto Harbour Commission, and his team transformed the waterfront.