MPP Dowie announces $20M for east Windsor stormwater infrastructure

Article content

Stormwater infrastructure in an east Windsor neighbourhood prone to basement flooding is receiving nearly $20 million from the provincial government for upgrades.

Article content

On Friday, MPP Andrew Dowie (PC — Windsor-Tecumseh) announced funding for the Pontiac Stormwater Pumping Station drainage area, the residential neighbourhood south of Sand Point Beach.

Article content

Article content

“I’m happy that we haven’t seen a flood in the last couple of years, but we know there will be a day when we will get another heavy weather event,” Dowie said during a media event at the pumping station.

Article content

Article content

“It’s vital that we be protected from that, and do what we can to protect people’s property. We cannot forget what’s happened in the past, and we have to keep improving.”

Article content

The funding comes from the provincial Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program’s Health and Safety Water Stream, $875 million to support access to safe drinking water, housing, job creation, and protection against extreme weather events across Ontario.

Article content

Two major storms in September 2016 and August 2017 caused massive flooding issues and insured losses totalling $300 million. Water-damaged items from east Windsor residents’ sopping basements lined curbsides following both storms.

Article content

In 2020, city council approved a multi-generational $4.9-billion sewer master plan, which includes trunk sewer replacement work funded in large part by the provincial funding announced Friday.

Article content

Article content

“There wasn’t one hand on successive city councils from 2010 (onward) who said this isn’t a priority,” said Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens.

Article content

Article content

“Everyone is seeing the change and the climate events that are happening.”

Article content

Article content

When the City of Windsor formed through the amalgamations of Windsor, Sandwich, East Windsor and Walkerville in 1935, and grew further in 1966 with the addition of Riverside and other lands, “we didn’t inherit the type of infrastructure that was meant to handle the type of growth that we’re seeing, or the type of weather changes that we’re seeing,” Dilkens said.

Article content

“We have to put together a city standard that actually allows us to meet the modern issues that we’re dealing with, but also allows us to grow. This is what this project does.”

Article content

The City of Windsor will contribute $7.6 million to the work through the East Marsh Drainage Redirection project, which includes:

Article content

Article content

Article content