The Region of Queens has made good on a promise to work toward solutions for climate change related flooding.
Council voted to apply for the Flood Risk Infrastructure Investment Program (FRIIP) for the first time.
“The immediate issue that’s been identified is that climate change is causing elevations in water levels and tides,” says David Dagley, mayor of the Region of Queens Municipality. “Surge tides are certainly at a higher elevation than they have been, we have the flooding in the parking lot as everyone is aware.”
The province will pay for 50 per cent of a project including study work such as mapping flood prone areas.
That’s what Dagley says they’re aiming for so that they can have a study done and determine next steps.
“Subsequent to that, we would need to look at the actual engineering work, what is involved, how much that would cost, and that is the point in which we would start to have dollar figures.”
The fund also covers costs to find potential solutions for flooding with the municipality will look at as well.
The downtown parking lot has caused much of the Region’s woes.
It was built on infilled parts of the harbour and has seen higher flood levels and more frequent flooding in recent years.
The deadline to apply for the funding is April 26.
Dagley says they should hear back from FRIIP quickly.
