Despite a plea from residents along a flood-prone area of Erie Shore Drive, Chatham-Kent Council is moving forward with a plan to abandon shoreline protection structures and seawalls along the Lake Erie shoreline.
During a special meeting on Thursday, council voted in favour of a recommendation to move forward with a preliminary engineering report that details a plan to relocate the existing drainage system (Burk Drainage Works) and construct a new dyke on the north side of Erie Shore Drive. The report indicates the plan would help prevent wave activity from overtopping the surface and new drainage features, including storm sewers and a pump, would help discharge floodwater on Erie Shore Drive back to the lake. The estimated cost of the project is $8,948,000.
Council also voted in favour of a recommendation to abandon all groynes (shoreline protection structures) and seawalls that are currently part of the drainage system. This would formally relieve the municipality of any responsibility for future maintenance and repair under the Drainage Act.
Erie Shore Drive Property Owners Association President Terra Cadeau said she’s disappointed in the outcome.
“The fact of the matter is, the solution they’re going with… it abandons the property owners along the shore and the road,” she said. “Which means the property owners are on their own. It’s unfortunate.”
During a deputation to council ahead of the vote, accused the municipality and council of failing to maintain the seawall and groynes along the shoreline.
“Chatham-Kent has never repaired or improved any of the shoreline work that they are responsible for, since their construction,” she said “As the seawall and groynes continue to fail due to the lack of maintenance by the municipality, the property owners of Erie Shore Drive have had no choice but to take it upon themselves to implement measures to protect the embankment with their own resources.”
Cadeau stressed that the seawall and groyne system are “instrumental in protecting the shoreline.” However, the engineer’s preliminary report refutes their effectiveness.
“The existing groynes and seawalls have greatly deteriorated and serve no useful purpose,” the report stated. “Repairing the groynes and seawalls to the standard set out in the current by-laws would not provide the degree of flood protection desired by the lakefront owners.”
The property association has also submitted an application under the Drainage Act pertaining to the repair of the current drainage system and shoreline protections, which is currently before the Court of the Drainage Referee.
As such, Cadeau asked council to defer moving forward with the preliminary report until the matter before the court has been settled.
While a motion to defer the report’s recommendations was ultimately defeated, council passed an additional motion to lobby upper levels of government for funds for shoreline protections along Erie Shore Drive and related engineering reports.
“I really appreciate the councillors from our ward and their efforts to attempt to at least acknowledge the need for shoreline support,” said Cadeau.
Erie Shore Drive has experienced repeated flooding over the years due to high water levels and increased wave activity. In February 2020, significant flooding prompted a state of emergency and the closure of the road. Residents were then told to leave their homes between March and April over concerns the dyke could fail.