Windsor officials call on federal government to invest in flood prevention

Windsor city officials are calling on the federal government to help with the rising costs offlooding mitigation projects in Windsor's east end.

Windsor mayor Drew Dilkens, Ward 6 Coun. Jo-Anne Gignacand Windsor West MP Brian Massewant the federal government to invest money in the city'sDisaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund(DMAF) forcity sewers and water projects as part of Windsor's flooding and sewer master plan.

Windsor's east end floods frequently, causing property damage to residents'homes.

Ward 6's Riverside neighbourhood was the hardest hit by massive flooding in 2016.

Take a look back at the great flood of 2016

3 years ago

Duration 1:14

CBC Windsor looks back at the flood of 2016, which ravaged homes and neighbourhoods, changing the way we think about rain.

"The flooding and damages that affected so many people has certainly not been forgotten in Ward 6. Every time it rains,people call. Are the pumping stations fully functional? Are we going to be able to handle this amount of rainfall?" Gignac said at a press conference in Riverside.

The city's DMAF program was launched in 2018 to fund a series of mitigation projects, which includeenvironmental assessments, roadand sewer work projects, stormwater management,adding pumping stations in flood-prone areas and addressingdrainage and sewer capacityissues.

It is estimated to take until 2028 to complete.

Gignac said that after the 2016 flood was "declared a disaster and the federal government started talking to municipalities about disaster mitigation, the announcement of the funding in 2018 was very, very well received by the people of Riverside."

Windsor officials write to federal ministers for help

But rising inflation has caused the cost of the project to balloon over its original 2018 projected budget of around $90 million.

Currently with inflation, Dilkens said the project will now cost around $176 million to complete.

Masse wrote to Minister of Infrastructure and Communities Dominic LeBlancon Tuesday, asking for the federal government for financial assistance with Windsor's DMAFprogram.

"The City of Windsor has been prone to flooding due to be a low-lying area surrounded by water and subjected to intensified rainfall," he wrote to LeBlanc.

"Without the additional federal funding the projects will take significantly longer to complete, leaving residents exposed to more serious property damage and more costly measures to mitigate the effects of climate change."

CBC News contacted Infrastructure Canada about Windsor's request for additional funding. The agencysaid that the city is responsible for any cost escalations under the agreement signed.

In an interview with CBC News, Masse said with the city's 2023 budget coming up the rising cost of the DMAF program needs to be addressed now. He said he has raised the issue in the House of Commons because he said it has to be a ministerial decision.

"Let's not fool around with this and fight over it, let's just get it done."

Dilkens sent a letter to Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland on Thursday.

Ifthe federal government doesn't meet the cost of inflation on the project,the difference will be passed onto residents through sewer surcharge costs, Dilkens said at the Riverside press conference.

In his letter to Freeland, Dilkens said the agreement with the federal government in 2018 outlined that the city would pay 60 per cent of the costs and the federal government would pay 40 per cent.

With inflation, he wrote, the DMAF project will cost an additional $61 million on top of the $57 million already sunk into the project, which means the federal government will need to pony up around $26 million on top of the $32 million it agreed too.

"The costs have dramatically changed and we can't cover this alone," Dilkens said.

But he said reaching out to the federal government behind closed doors hasn't led to a solution.

"The response has not been favourable, which is why we are here today saying we need the federal government to act," Dilkens said at the press conference.

Windsor can't pull out of the DMAF program, because if it follow through with the work, Dilkens said the federal government may revoke the $32 million it has already put toward the project, which Dilkens said, "would just make the situation even worse."

But pulling out of the project isn't an option to begin with. Gignac saidwithout all of the projects being completed, none of the work done so far will fix the flooding issues.

"Unless we get that money, it means that residents here are going to see their taxes increase and the debt load of this city increase too."

Masse said he wants the federal government to show the city the respect it deserves by addressing the inflated cost and the importance of the project to the people of Windsor.

"It's good work, it's worthwhile work. It creates jobs, it's a good investment and we don't have any time to lose."