Flooded with fears
Sydney residents attend meeting on flood fixes
Residents affected by Sydney area flooding say they are fearful when it rains.
Citizens were given the opportunity to speak Saturday at a meeting held at Centre 200 as part of the application process for federal flood mitigation funding.
A recent $100,000 study paid for by the province found that no amount of engineering can completely subdue the problem, particularly in lowlying areas.
Coun. Ray Paruch, who represents flood-prone areas of Sydney, said much of today’s problems were caused by past mistakes involving poor planning.
Paruch told more than 100 people in attendance that he plans to issue to a Cape Breton Regional Municipality council motion to prevent future havoc by creating a no-development zone.
Paruch said the province owns much of the affected flood lands and suspects it will one day seek to unload the properties onto the municipality.
“It wasn’t very pretty for me when I saw people’s possessions — wedding pictures, heirlooms, family treasures — out on the front lawn,” he said.
Retired engineer Eric Parsons said government officials need to create a short-term fix but look ahead to the bigger picture.
“Not too long after any rainstorm you’re seeing water bubbling up through the manhole covers instantly,” he said.
Parsons said an immediate fix of Whitney Avenue is needed near a parking lot often used by church patrons.
Many others in attendance spoke of the need to remove debris and widen drainage systems.
“I can tell you this, in the rainstorm that we had two months ago you came within five feet of having another disaster,” Parsons told CBRM engineers.
Tom Penny, who lost his family home in the infamous 2016 flood that followed 225 millimetres of rainfall, delivered a similar message.
“I feel that we’re planning for yesterday, tomorrow. I think we really have to get to the point and do correct infrastructure.”
Members of the CBRM’s engineering department and private contractors from the firm CBCL Ltd. were on hand to answer questions from residents.
Saturday’s session was also attended by municipal politicians, including Mayor Cecil Clarke, along with provincial MLA Derek Mombourquette and federal MP Mark Eyking.
Mombourquette told the crowd that more than 700 applications were submitted for flood relief and $30 million was distributed, including half going toward infrastructure.
Jackie MacNeil, who owns a home on Canso Drive, said she lives in a flood zone despite being on top of a hill.
“Two months ago, I took on water, we had 15 mm,” she said. “Why do I take water if it’s low down Washbrook way? Why is it coming up our way?
“I’m nervous. You say ‘rain’ and I get a knot in my stomach. I say ‘Do I go to work?’ Do I stay home and lose a day’s pay so I can protect my house? It’s all I have.”
Victoria Fernandez, water resources engineer with CBCL Ltd., told the crowd the best solution to mitigate flooding involves adding berms and creating stormwater storage.
She said the plan is about maximizing space available in Mud Lake and Gilhomes Lake and by creating additional storage by placing berms in an area upstream of a nearby ballfield.
She said it’s the option that offers the most effective solution to the municipality’s problems.
“It’s not about isolated pieces of the puzzle — it’s a big puzzle,” said Fernandez.
“Whatever you do upstream, whatever happens upstream, affects downstream and things that happen downstream affect the upstream side.”
CBRM will apply for flood mitigation funding in co-operation with other municipalities in the province as the threshold to qualify for the federal program is $20 million.
The CBRM’s share of that funding based on project estimates is $3.5 million.