A Chatham-Kent councillor is asking the municipality to take another shot at getting funding from upper levels of government to restore Rondeau Park Barrier Beach.
Erosion of the Barrier Beach has accelerated since the Erieau Pier was built just off the point of Rondeau Park, according to Chatham-Kent General Manager of Engineering and Infrastructure Services Ed Soldo.
Soldo warns widespread, catastrophic damage could occur to nearby homes, low-lying communities, and integral municipal infrastructure that are at risk if the barrier breaks and the waves are unleashed.
South Kent Councillor Anthony Ceccacci wants Chatham-Kent Council to send a letter to the provincial and federal governments asking for a fix, noting the "extreme importance of the matter" and stressing the "importance to many communities within Chatham-Kent."
Ceccacci said the barrier beach structure holds water and extreme wave action from significant acres of farmland, residential and commercial development, and protects important marine habitat and recreational water amenities.
He noted residents and the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority are concerned about the eroding Barrier Beach.
Soldo said the Rondeau Bay Barrier Beach is part of the Provincial Park and the coastal erosion issues and solutions fall under provincial and federal jurisdiction.
"It is recommended the provincial and federal government take the lead on an erosion protection strategy, working in collaboration with the local conservation authority and the municipality as stakeholders," noted Soldo. "The responsibility for design and mitigation of the barrier beach breach is not under municipal jurisdiction."
Soldo said the municipality has met with provincial representatives before on a number of occasions at the 2023 and 2024 Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference to highlight the need for action from the province and federal government.
He said the municipality also provided a letter of support to the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority for the Rondeau Barrier Beach and Wetland Restoration application, which was turned down for funding by the Government of Canada Great Lakes Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative.
The local conservation authority applied for funding from upper levels of government 2.5 years ago warning that if the current trend continues, millions of dollars in low-lying development along the Rondeau Bay shore could be subjected to severe erosion and flooding.
CK Council members will vote on the matter at their meeting Monday night.