A project expected to help protect homeowners from flooding will receive over $32.7-million from the federal government.
Windsor-Tecumseh MP Irek Kusmierczyk, joined by Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion and Windsor's Mayor, announced the funding on Wednesday morning at the Lou Romano Water Reclamation Plant in West Windsor.
The money will go towards a new retention treatment basin, pumping station, and outfall sewer to reduce the impact of major storm events, including basement flooding. It would protect 62,000 homes in South Windsor, Sandwich Towne, and West Windsor.
The City of Windsor is contributing more than $55.8-million.
"For a community that has suffered two catastrophic floods, protecting our community from the damage of climate change has been my priority," said Kusmierczyk.
A flood in 2016 caused close to $108-million dollars in insurable damage, while a similar event one year later caused $124-million in damage, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada.
Once complete, the new basin will provide a buffer during storm surges and emergency backup service in the event of catastrophic failure at the plant.
The federal funding comes from the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund, launched in 2018. The ten-year program helped communities build infrastructure to better withstand natural hazards like floods, wildfires, earthquakes, and droughts. Originally, the fund contained $2-billion, but last year's federal budget added another $1.3-billion and extended the program to 12 years.