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Saskatoon’s most flood-prone areas are getting some much-needed help.
The federal government is contributing $21.6 million to a flood-control strategy through the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund.
It will be spent on new stormwater infrastructure in the form of dry ponds, underground storage and new storm pipes.
“Extreme weather is becoming more severe, more frequent, more damaging and more expensive because of climate change,” said Ralph Goodale, the federal minister of public safety. “By investing in the infrastructure that protects our neighbourhoods, businesses and families, we are building communities that can withstand future disasters and thrive for generations to come.”
Saskatoon’s older neighbourhoods, in particular, will benefit.
Mayor Charlie Clark said short, intense rainfalls over the past 10 years have led to flooding in some of the lowest-lying areas of the city — areas like the Haultain neighbourhood.
“It’s to the point where people who live in those neighbourhoods, they go through a summer and they don’t feel like they can leave for vacation because they don’t know if another one of these storm events is going to happen,” Clark said.
In August 2017, there were two events that led to basements being flooding near First Street and Dufferin Avenue.
“The stormwater system that was designed in the 1960s in many cases in some of theses areas get overwhelmed and the water from a whole large area floods out onto the street,” Clark said. “It’s city infrastructure that’s not keeping up to the current climate dynamics.”
According to some homeowners, flooding has been a problem since 1974.
Clark said the city will be excavating a field at a park in the neighbourhood so that it can take on excess stormwater.
He said with modelling and engineering and some of the upgrades to technology, city staff has been able to come up with a solution.
“We’re going to be excavating the field by W.W. Ashley Park so that it becomes a lower area that can take on the stormwater,” Clark said.
At the same time, the city is going to upgrade the field at Aden Bowman Collegiate so that there is no loss of community green space.
Work is expected to begin this year.
The city is also receiving money for upgrades to its wastewater treatment plant and drinking water storage capacity.