Port council votes for municipal drain upgrade
The city of Port Colborne has provisionally adopted an engineer’s report which recommends making improvements to the Young and Hopf-Wagner municipal drains.
The drains are two parts of the same expanse of drain which extends from Niagara Falls to Port Colborne.
Henri Bennemeer, drainage superintendent for the city of Port Colborne, said the new report is necessary because the existing report for the Young municipal drain dates back as far as 1928 and there have been several changes to the drains since, including railway realignments and changes to municipal boundaries.
A report was prepared and presented to council on Monday night by Spriet Associates London Ltd. A summary of the report was discussed by Mike DeVos, an engineer with the company.
“The two drains are similar in nature in that they are an existing open channel,” he told council. “We are recommending that an excavation, creating a low-flow channel, be constructed within the existing channel, leaving the side-slopes of the banks where possible.”
The project, he said, is slated to cost $790,000 and is being spearheaded by the city of Port Colborne over a several-year period, aiming for completion by 2020.
DeVos briefly listed some of the aspects of the project, including clearing out sediment and building sediment pools to slow down re-accumulation, tree planting, replacing culverts and road crossings, and even changing the location of the drain on some privately-owned properties.
He said there have been requests from some landowners to move the drain, which can be done. DeVos said, however, the difference in cost will be left to landowner.
He noted as well environmental concerns are also being dealt with as part of the process. Spriet Associates London Ltd. has contacted an consulted the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority and the Ministry of Natural Resources to ensure they have the proper permits and authorizations to do the work needed. He said the MNR has also been consulted on what species to watch out for and what to do if they are found during excavating.
At present, he said the company has gotten the proper authorization, save for the pending application to the NPCA, but he has no concerns about it moving forward.
Monday’s council meeting was the only information meeting about the drain and DeVos said the appropriate information has otherwise been sent out to landowners who would be affected by the work.
Bennemeer said during the meeting that any further questions could be directed to him at 905-835-2901 ext. 213 or email henribennemeer@portcolborne.ca.