Upper Stoney Creek’s Saltfleet wetland project ready to break ground

Construction of a two-pond wetland at the new Saltfleet Conservation Area in upper Stoney Creek that will help stem flooding below the escarpment is ready to begin and won’t cost as much as expected.

Hamilton Conservation Authority directors on Dec. 2 awarded the contract for the project to Hannon-based Oakridge Group Inc., whose bid of just over $2 million was $500,000 under the budget and the lowest among five competitors for the job.

When contacted afterwards, deputy chief administrative officer Scott Peck said work is expected to start at the First Road East conservation area by early January and be completed by the end of May, closing the park for the duration.

The wetland is the biggest of four wetlands the authority hopes to build as part of efforts to reduce flash flooding in lower Stoney Creek during big rainstorms — a project originally estimated to cost $15 million by a 2018 class environmental assessment.

“I’m certainly hopeful that this is a harbinger of future costs,” Peck said of the lower bill for the Saltfleet component, which will hold back an estimated 221,400 cubic metres of flood water — enough to fill about 88 Olympic-sized pools.

“Really, I’m just excited to get this wetland under construction and this is our focus.”

Peck said design work is underway for the next wetland near the corner of Green Mountain Road East and Fifth Road East, which will store an estimated 31,400 cubic metres of flood water.

He said the authority hopes to have the designs and necessary approvals for that project by the end of next year to allow construction to potentially start in 2023.

Brad Clark, councillor for the area, said he’s “over the moon” to see the Saltfleet wetland move ahead, noting the $2-million bill is in line with a request for funding from the Heritage Green Community Trust, which spends royalties from the Taro dump.

He said the trust, which already provided $2 million toward the purchase of the 72hectare Saltfleet property, is expected to decide on the request this month.

“There’s a lot of talk about climate change, but this is an opportunity where we can actually help to abate some flooding in lower Stoney Creek by holding the flood waters back,” Clark said.

“And then we get the added bonus of the natural heritage of the wetland and what that ecosystem will look like,” he said, noting the design will allow people to walk the perimeter. “It could be amazing.”

There’s a lot of talk about climate change, but this is an opportunity where we can actually help to abate some flooding in lower Stoney Creek. BRAD CLARK CITY COUNCILLOR