With another season of rising water and flooding on the horizon, Conservative MPs are asking the Prime Minister to do more about increased flooding risks in Ontario.
Ontario Conservatives, including Chatham-Kent Leamington MP Dave Epp and Essex MP Chris Lewis, sent a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday requesting a comprehensive plan to deal with record water levels across all of the Great Lakes given the complex nature of the issue.
Epp said he wants to make sure the wheels are turning in Ottawa.
"Supporting the approach the municipality has been taking, they are the lead agency on this, and we're certainly not waiting for them to begin our investigation of potentially down the road where we might be able to step in and help. We've been actively investigating what potential programs are available," said Epp.
The MPs said they are very concerned about what's likely coming this spring and summer and added emergency evacuations pose a big financial and emotional toll on affected citizens. Epp said we are the mercy of mother nature and need to be prepared.
"We are preparing, the municipality will receive reports and then we'll look to see where we can potentially engage. Lots of residents call for action from the federal government and right now what we are waiting for is an action plan and that rightfully so needs to be developed locally," he added.
Last year, several communities in Ontario had to declare states of emergency as a result of severe flooding to activate resources from the provincial and federal governments.
“We believe it is essential for the federal government to have a fully detailed plan to prepare for what is becoming a likely risk of flooding this spring,” said Philip Lawrence, MP for Northumberland-Peterborough South. “Time is of the essence for the government to have measures in place to prepare for and to mitigate the inevitable flooding that is facing many communities across our province.”
The MP letter said water levels in Lake Erie have already increased 66 centimetres above average and constituents want to be assured that the federal government is fully prepared to deal with the rising water and provide the needed assistance for those impacted. A total of 123 homes along Erie Shore Drive and low lying areas on part of Erieau Road on the north shore of Chatham-Kent are under a state of emergency to construct and repair the dike because it could fail, resulting in catastrophic flooding.
“Conservatives share the growing concerns of hundreds of residents across dozens of communities that have been negatively impacted by record flooding last year and previously in 2017," said Eric Duncan, MP for Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry. "Our constituents must be assured that the government is fully prepared to deal with the rising water levels, and to provide the necessary assistance for those who will be impacted.”
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers branch in Detroit reported last week that Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, and Erie set new monthly records for February 2020. The Army Corps said late winter and spring is usually a period of seasonal rise on all of the Great Lakes due to increased rainfall and runoff and added water levels typically peak in the summer or early fall.
"We expect impacts to those along the coastline to increase as water levels now begin rising towards their seasonal peaks,” said John Allis, chief of the Great Lakes Hydraulics and Hydrology Office, Detroit District.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers urges those impacted by the high water levels in 2019 to prepare for similar or higher levels in 2020.
"The most recent six-month forecast of Great Lakes water levels still forecasts that water levels could peak very near last year’s record levels," they said.
