Calling these "exceptional and challenging times," Windsor's mayor is urging the federal government to speed up its application for $27.1 million to deal with springtime flooding.
The city made the application last year. The money, along with $53.4 million in municipal funding, will go to five key projects to mitigate flooding, particularly in the east end of Windsor.
Mayor Drew Dilkens made the request in a letter to Minister of Infrastructure and Communities Catherine McKenna pointing out the city declared a climate emergency last November.
The money will go towards upgrades at the St. Rose Pump Station, capital improvements at the Ford Pump Station, St. Rose Avenue sewer upgrades, the installation of a landform barrier on Riverside Drive, and sewer infrastructure.
Praising the federal government for its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dilkens wrote, "the City of Windsor is currently in the horrible position of facing the prospect of a second, serious emergency, as water levels in the region are simply too high to ignore."
The Essex Region Conservation Authority estimated water levels on Lake St. Clair were 20 centimetres above the previous record high set last year.
Dilkens pointed out rising levels on the Detroit River are already causing flooding shoreline flooding in East Windsor, putting "thousands of homes, businesses, and residents at risk."
Last year, Windsor received $32 million in funding under Phase One of the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund.