Dear editor:

In the July 11 edition of The Lake Report, Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa stated: “In the St. Davids area on that day, they experienced three-and-a-half inches of rain in less than an hour and that’s almost a 500-year rain event.”

The in-ground infrastructure, he said, is simply not built to manage that volume of water in that short period of time.

“It was definitely problematic, but I would not say that’s because of over-development,” he added.

Well OK, it was almost a once-in-a-500-year event and not a one in 500-year storm, but why quibble about 50 or a 100 years?

I believe that mayor Zalepa’s message, through implication, was that it was an event that perhaps we wouldn’t see in four to five lifetimes.

Well, it seems opinions from other sources differ significantly. “Definition of 100-year storm ‘seems to have flown right out the window’: Toronto official,” according to Globalnews.ca.

Toronto’s city manager, Paul Johnson, stated the amount of rainfall that fell on that July morning exceeded estimates from Environment Canada.

“I don’t even know why we continue to talk about 100-year storms any more because that definition seems to have flown right out the window. We’ve had three of them in the last 11 years,” he said.

It appeared by mayor Zalepa’s quotes in The Lake Report that he was trying to calm the masses and continue to champion real estate developers keen on profiting from the attractive aspects of Niagara-on-the-Lake. 

So, he appears to deny that climate change is here, denies that there is an infrastructure problem, denies that there is a water drainage problem caused by development in places like St. Davids and denies further development approvals will exacerbate the problem.

Town staff and councillors have been made aware of flooding in St. Davids for over a year. Pictures and videos have been sent to them and presentations have been made.

These rain events have occurred several times this year alone accompanied by flooding and are not one in an almost 500-year cycle.

Pictures of the Vineyard Estates reservoir that is supposed to regulate water flow into Four Mile Creek (at maximum capacity coincidentally with the flooding in St. Davids) were sent to councillors and staff indicating that a high-density development like Tawny Ridge would not be able to adequately drain the increased water and the rapidity of water flow into the Vineyard reservoir. 

In 2021, an engineering study requested by Brett Ruck, the supervisor of environmental services and superintendent of irrigation and drainage, clearly indicated there was a drainage problem in Four Mile Creek which is fed by, among other areas, St. Davids.

Nevertheless, council continues to approve developments that will contribute to the flooding on Four Mile Creek as well.

How much more evidence does council need to conclude that there is an infrastructure problem and that the existing infrastructure cannot accommodate further development in St. Davids, amongst other places?

Tawny Ridge was approved subject to specific conditions that had to be achieved beforehand.

One of them was a hydrological study to confirm that the existing infrastructure was capable of handling the increased water flows.

This hydrological study, which should reflect the reality of rainfalls in St. Davids and then some, is to be reviewed by staff and signed off on as to veracity, accuracy, credibility and reality. 

Liability disclaimers with regards to the data that any conclusions are based on within the hydrological study would by definition invalidate the study.

If the Tawny Ridge developer can’t provide a hydrological report that says, unequivocally, that the infrastructure is adequate (which everyone knows isn’t), then the Tawny Ridge project should be declined by council.

St. Davids sewage is pumped to Niagara Falls. And, we know that the sewage capacity in Niagara Falls is at its maximum.

Niagara Falls has recognized it has an infrastructure problem and is the reason for a $400 million expansionthat will take several years to complete.

Even today, without the addition of new developments in St. Davids like Tawny Ridge, sewage is being released into the Niagara River (an environmental hazard) and has been for years.

I wonder if boaters and swimmers would enjoy those downstream waters as much if they actually knew all of this?

Shouldn’t the town be concerned about the liability and insurance issues the municipality might incur, or the personal liability issues resulting from decisions that placed people’s property in danger of being damaged?

Everyone in the decision-making process had prior knowledge that the infrastructure was inadequate to handle any new developments that increased water drainage, so would they be personally liable?

I’ve asked several people on council and staff to provide an update on Tawny Ridge and it appears as if there is a gag order in place.

Gienek Ksiazkiewicz
St. Davids