The Town of Fort Erie has initiated a Schedule ‘B’ Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (Class EA) to develop a solution to address the flooding in the Thunder Bay area, specifically in the Six Mile Creek subwatershed. The Town has retained Matrix Solutions to complete the Class EA project and an enhanced conceptual design.
Preliminary Study Area
The preliminary study area for the project is the Friendship Trail to the north, Neva Road to the west, Colony Road alignment to the east, Lake Erie to the south. The figure below shows the preliminary study area.
Study Purpose
Although the area is within the documented Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) 100-year riverine floodplain, it is suspected that the localized flooding occurs primarily due to seiche effect from the Lake. The Town and residents have experienced flooding over the past decades, and more recently elevated lake level and wind gusts caused significant flooding on October 31, 2019, November 15, 2020, and December 2022 (Winter Storm Elliot).
The Process
The Class EA aims to achieve the following:
- Define the study area
- Describe the existing conditions in the study area
- Develop and evaluate solutions to address private property and municipal roadway flooding
- Determine a feasible solution
- Identify methods to avoid or minimize impacts
Upon completion of the study, Matrix will prepare a Project Report for submission to the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, which will be available for public review for 30 calendar days.
Information will be collected in accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. With the exception of personal information, all comments will be part of the public record.
Public Meeting No. 2 (past)
| Date / Time | Monday, June 24, 2024 at 5 to 7pm |
| Meeting Place |
Crystal Ridge Library, 89 Ridge Road S, Ridgeway https://www.fepl.ca/branches |
| Purpose |
The information provided will summarize the study updates since the last public meeting, which include an analysis of Lake Erie water levels, an investigation into the hydraulics and hydrologic conditions in Six Mile Creek, a Level of Service investigation, and supporting study investigations (environmental, archaeological, geotechnical and hydrogeological). The project team will also summarize the alternative solutions and preliminary evaluation criteria being considered as part of the study. No decisions have been made on preferred solution(s). Public Meeting #2 is your opportunity to provide input to this decision. |
| Format | The meeting will be an open house format. There is no formal presentation planned. Attendees will be encouraged to provide feedback on the study. Specifically, we will be looking for feedback on the evaluation criteria and category weightings, as well as input to refine the long-list of alternative solutions prior to evaluation of the alternatives. Notification of additional public meetings will be provided through newspapers and postings on the Town’s website. |
Public Meeting No. 1 (past)
| Date / Time | Thursday, December 14, 2023 at 5 to 7pm |
| Meeting Place |
Crystal Ridge Library, 89 Ridge Road S, Ridgeway https://www.fepl.ca/branches |
| Purpose | To introduce the project, describe the Class EA process, and obtain feedback from residents regarding flooding issues within the study area. |
| Format | The meeting will be an open house format. There is no formal presentation planned. Attendees will be encouraged to identify and describe flooding events or concerns within the study area. These notes will be transcribed to maps by the project team. The maps will then be used to develop a detailed summary of flooding concerns to inform the study. Notification of additional public meetings will be provided through newspapers and postings on the Town’s website. |
| Presentation / Display Boards | https://letstalk.forterie.ca/40376/widgets/167852/documents/120687 |
