The following letter was sent to Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa and members of town council. A copy was forwarded to The Lake Report for publication.
I would hope that all areas where there was significant water incursion, and/or flooding where no stormwater drains exist, that these sections are put on a development plan to improve stormwater management.
If the costs of these improvements far exceed the financial resources of the town, then requests for financial assistance be forwarded to the Ontario government.
I assume that we did take aerial photos of the municipality on the day after the deluges and/or have detailed record of every basement that was flooded and every agricultural property that was destroyed.
Concession 4 and Line 2 was under a foot of water and many properties in the adjoining subdivision were inundated with water. Even on Bianca Drive.
To add storm water ditches, culverts, drainage so this doesn’t happen again is a major investment. If it not done, then it will be impossible to get flood insurance in NOTL.
We are probably talking $20-30 million to upgrade and install storm water management. Some of the concessions and Four Mile Creek will require some major work. Something that NOTL would not be able to do alone and would require provincial assistance.
I hope that the province agrees.
Malcolm Newton
NOTL
