By Pepper Parr
August 7th, 2022
BURLINGTON, ON
I almost forgot.
Thursday of last week was the eighth anniversary of the flood.
At what point did the vehicle just stop.
It didn’t get a mention anywhere.
Lot’s of talk about Climate Change – which is basically the message the gods were sending us in 2014
I wonder how many people are still recovering from that disaster – and how many lives were changed forever because of the flood that devastated some neighbourhoods and left others bone dry.
My street was one of several in East Burlington that got hammered. Over three-quarters of the 43 homes were severely impacted. I have neighbours who had anywhere from 8-10 feet of water in their basements and crawlspaces. Several are still battling insurance companies trying to obtain compensation. A number of homes were so battled damaged they were razed to the ground and completely re-built. One of my neighbours sustained over $150K damage, and had to replace his furnace, water heater, and every appliance in his house. In one condo on Lakeshore Road all 43 cars in the underground parking lot were totalled.
What’s changed in eight years? Here’s what: 1) several long-term residents have moved. 2) a few have installed back flows and sump pumps; 3) oddly, a number have installed swimming pools and paved over their lawns, despite the fact that grass and trees are known to be contributing factors in flood reduction. Those of us who lived through this experience are now overtly mindful of weather conditions, and routinely monitor storm activity carefully, something we took for granted before.
The biggest challenge for area residents in future isn’t solely Climate Change. The possibility of significant intensification arising from proposed developments at Oval Court, Appleby Mall and Lakeside Plaza creates real possibility of downstream overland flooding for existing residents. The message for planning officials is that If it occurs again that $1 billion class action lawsuit filed against the Town of Oakville for permitting development on flood plains will serve as a nice template for legal action.