City has spent more than $720K on waterfront flood repairs with more to come

Hamilton hasalready spent more than $720,000 to fix damage caused by flooding along the city's waterfront in 2017 and 2018.

But 2019 has proven to bewet and windy yet again, withLake Ontario hitting its highest point in recorded historyand furthercostly repairs are anticipated. The full extent of additional costs won't be clear until the water recedes to more normal levels.

Popular pathways have been shut down and parking lots flooded.

An update to council dated June 13 outlines all of the efforts over the past two years and outlines what work is planned for the future.

It details temporary improvements to the Bayfront Trail that saw aggregate added along the shoreline and asphalt pathways in 2018. That work came with a price tag of $225,000.

The city has also spent about $22,000 to hire aconsultant to review the condition of the floating bridge and channel, but it hasn't yet sought recommendations on dredging the waterway.

Directionto raise the asphalt pathway running from Princess Point to the fishway above the water level also hasn't been followed yet. The report points to"limited staff resources and ... prioritization of higher risk erosion area work."

During recent flooding sandbags were used as a temporary measure to protect the area and staff say they intend to meet with theMinistry of Transportation and the Royal Botanical Gardens to come up with a plan to raise the path "above the highest water level to date."

The parks department has also spent about $5,000 to install gates and fences for trail closures.

Confederation Beach

Confederation Beach is another location that's suffered damage from wind and water in recent years.

Following flooding along the West Beach Road in 2017, the city funded $250,000 in repairs. Now staff are aiming to completeanother $135,000 in fixes to once the water recedes.

Erosion near the old boat launch was also addressed in spring 2018, with about $60,000-worth of repairs completed near the shoreline.

Several sections of the beach-side path have been damaged in years past. A portion north of the Beaches Snack Bar eroded in 2017. It suffered again in 2018 when waves and wind caused part of the pathway and stone walls to collapse.

"We haven't had complete loss of anything we've done," explained Andrea McDonald, senior manager of parks and cemeteries for the city."We've just had to go in and make some of the areas more robust."

In this case that meant $160,000 in repairs, which were completed in 2018.

Some wrecked sections will have to wait to be fixed.

Damaged pathway near The Lakeviewrestaurant will see $350,000 in shoreline protection work funded by the federal governmentthrough the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF). That's set to be completed in 2020.

McDonald said she's encouraged by the DMAF funding because it will allow the city to be proactive, not just reactive, to flooding.

More repairs planned for fall

The upcoming fall will be a busy time for staff too, with $143,000 in repairs to the path near Hutch's on the Beach and another $235,000 in repairs planned for the trail near Wild Water Works.

Following three straight years of flooding, McDonald said staff are grappling with a new normal that includes higher water levels.

"We understand that the conditions have changed," she explained. "We're going to have to be proactive with our shoreline, with how how plan for waterfront assets and bear in mind the new reality."