Residents of Ahuntsic-Cartierville distraught over recurring flood incidents
Streets of Ahuntsic-Cartierville, flooded beyond belief. Residents, fed up with the repetitive inundation during heavy rains, challenge the City of Montreal to do better. They demand action on the sewer system and stormwater management, arguing that climate change is no excuse for inaction.
On August 30, 2023, the city experienced heavy rains, overwhelming Louis-Hébert Park, a green area bordering the Prairies River. Water pummeled through the manhole cover, flooding the nearby streets and seeping into several homes along Boulevard Gouin Est. Some residents nicknamed the park "Louis-Geyser Park" due to this chronic issue.
Brigitte St-Pierre, a long-time resident, experienced damage to her home in both 2023 and 2024. Insurance covered the costs, but she worries that future catastrophes might jeopardize her coverage. "Will we be able to continue insuring ourselves if such events keep happening?"
Potential Solutions
It's not about sewage backup or water from the nearby Prairies River; it's about the underground infrastructure failing to handle stormwater during heavy rains, explains neighborhood resident Eric Laty. Boulevard Gouin Est, located within a basin, transforms into a sea when nature unleashes its fury. Residents claim the recurring overflow problems began after infrastructure work under the roadway in 2021.
The group of residents, representing about 30 homes, has appealed to the borough mayor's office, even attending the November 2022 borough council meeting, but have yet to receive concrete commitments.
The residents propose several solutions, including improving the underground network to increase its capacity to handle rainwater, creating a rain garden in Louis-Hébert Park, and installing a pipe at the manhole exit to redirect excess water to the Prairies River.
Financial Constraints
The City of Montreal stresses that significant investments are required to increase the capacity of its underground network to withstand torrential rains. However, the city argues that it lacks the financial resources to completely eliminate the flooding risk.
During a city council meeting in September, Saint-Leonard residents who experienced frequent flooding voiced their concerns, demanding improvements to the Langelier collector and the construction of a new retention basin. City officials conceded that even the realization of such costly projects would not prevent heavy rains that accumulate up to 150 mm in a day.
Residents of Ahuntsic challenge the city's claims regarding the impacts of the 2021 infrastructure work under Boulevard Gouin, arguing that the reconstructions reduced the capacity of the infrastructure.
The issues in the area are causing immense stress and financial burden to residents. Some homeowners have spent over $100,000 on corrective work, explains Eric Laty. "People are no longer daring to go away in the summer because they fear more episodes of heavy rain."
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- Considering Nature-Based Solutions for Stormwater Management: Cost-effective approaches like rain gardens, bioswales, and permeable pavements can help cities manage stormwater and mitigate flooding. Interdisciplinary cooperation, citizen engagement, and tailored solutions are key components for effective implementation. Examples of successful implementations include New York City's Green Infrastructure Program and Singapore's network of green spaces and artificial wetlands.
- Given the persistent flooding in Cartierville, particularly on Boulevard Gouin Est, residents are advocating for environmental-science-informed policies and legislation to address climate-change-related issues.
- The residents in Cartierville argue that the city's sewer system and stormwater management should be prioritized, as they believe the recent flooding is due to inadequate infrastructure to handle heavy rains, which is a notable aspect of climate change.
- When comparing the region's flooding history before and after 2021, some Cartierville inhabitants suggest that the infrastructure work under Boulevard Gouin might have reduced the infrastructure's capacity to handle stormwater.
- The science community and those affected by flooding across various cities, like Ahuntsic-Cartierville and Saint-Leonard, are concerned over the lack of adequate funding for climate-change-mitigation projects, such as increasing the capacity of the underlying infrastructure to withstand heavy rains.
- To alleviate the recurring flooding problems, residents of Cartierville propose innovative solutions like improving the underground network, creating a rain garden in Louis-Hébert Park, and installing a pipe at the manhole exit to redirect excess water to the Prairies River.
- As frustrations rise, general-news outlets highlight disputes between residents, city officials, and politicians over the financial constraints of addressing climate change and its impacts, such as frequent flooding, while also discussing potential funding sources and atypical solutions, like nature-based stormwater management.
