Properties along Erie Shore Drive. November 7, 2016. (Photo by Natalia Vega)Properties along Erie Shore Drive. November 7, 2016. (Photo by Natalia Vega)
Chatham

Seeking Protection For Erie Shore Dr.

The Municipality of Chatham-Kent will be looking for support from the provincial and federal government to help protect properties along Erie Shore Dr., just south of Blenheim.

During Monday night's council meeting, Councillor Karen Herman presented her motion regarding the flooding and erosion issues on Erie Shore Dr. (also known as the dyke). The motion passed in a unanimous vote.

Herman says residents have known about the issues for a number of years, but they haven't been able to fix them.

In 1998, engineering studies had been completed under the Drainage Act. The findings of that study included a cost estimate for the necessary shoreline protection work -- it came to a total of over $11-million.

A few years later in 2001, administration had been asked to meet with higher levels of government to look at potential grants, but at the time, no such funding existed.

Now, with concerns around the Great Lakes being so prominent, council will be going back to the federal and provincial levels of government to look for potential funding.

"If that dyke goes, so does so much more that we have invested in our community," says Herman. "It is now time to communicate to those levels of government that the uniqueness of this community needs them."

During council Mayor Randy Hope stated that in this situation, sending a letter wouldn't be enough - council would need to do more to get their points across.

As a result, council will also seek support from members of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA), local MP's, and MPP's to help the spread the word about Erie Shore Dr.

"We will ask them what they can do to communicate the agriculture wellness of Chatham-Kent and what could happen should there be a breach," says Herman. "I think it's very important to engage them."

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