| Cooksville Creek Flooding: TASK FORCE |
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The following updates have been received from: Cooksville Munden Park Homeowners Organization (CMPHO) CONTACT: CMPHO Co-President This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (905) 896-1868 TO BE ADDED to the e-mail update list contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Mississauga News article (August 25, 2010): City Hall angers flood victims. Excerpt: "On Aug. 4, 2009, a torrential downpour hit the city, leading to the flooding of Cooksville Creek. Some 200 homes were affected and dozens of homeowners incurred huge losses because their insurance claims were rejected or only partially approved. They claim damage to their homes – ranging from $5,000 to $100,000 – was the result of serious inadequacies with Mississauga’s bridges, creeks, culverts and storm drains, and they’re seeking compensation from authorities. Subsequently, the City set up a task force to address the issue. The City says there’s no easy fix since many of the affected homes are located on a flood plain." John Kinkead from the CVC gave a briefing about the June 27, 2010 storm event and subsequent flooding. Al Sousa (City Maintenance Project Manager) and Shawn Slack (Director of Customer and Business Services) addressed the municipal response to the June 27, 2010 storm and its aftermath (discussion on this was largely centered on e-mails received by the City and complaints from residents about 3-1-1 operators on June 27th). Discussion then moved to an update by This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (City Manager of Parks and Forestry) on ongoing activities such as woody debris management, creek maintenance and engineering study. The 2002 study, “The Cooksville Creek Remediation Plan” was referenced several times and it was suggested that some of its recommendations be given a second look. Jennifer Rose (Supervisor, Infrastructure Assessment for the Region) debriefed the task force on the success of the open house events and the "Basement Flooding Mitigation Program". Doug Inouye (Region of Peel Program Manager), under contract to the Region, gave a report on the drainage survey currently being conducted. Mr. Inouye requests that concerned residents contact him at the Region of Peel to get on the drainage survey list for a home visit and consultation. Call (905) 791-7800 ext. 4615. Catherine Blair (Emergency Management Coordinator for the City) was invited to give a presentation on the City’s Emergency management plan. Among the next steps agreed on by the task force are: 1. To have Joe Pitushka (Director of Engineering and Works) meet with citizen task force members to examine the drainage (i.e. storm water grates and culverts) in particularly sensitive areas; 2. To provide better communication between 3-1-1 operators, after-hours dispatchers and residents on flood-related calls, and 3. For Mayor This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to have a meeting with private property owners along the Cooksville Creek to discuss maintenance and improvements. Date of next meeting TBA. NEW WEBSITE: "The City's new 'Drainage and Flooding' website is now up and running (March 2010). It can be found at the following link: www.mississauga.ca/file/COM/drainage_and_flooding.pdf
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, P.Eng. Region of Peel website: Sewage Treatment: Wastewater Treatment and Collection January 13, 2010: The first meeting of the Task Force on the Cooksville Creek flooding was held at the City. In attendance were Councillors Nando Iannicca, Frank Dale and Carolyn Parrish, Mayor Hazel McCallion, representatives from the Region of Peel, Credit Valley Conservation and the Ministry of Natural Resources, city staff and select residents from the affected areas. The meeting was essentially about creating common goals/objectives and prioritizing them prior to the February 2010 report to Council, which will include more details. December 5, 2009: CMPHO President Roger Coote, along with residents from Lakeview, Cooksville and the Mississauga Valley area accompanied the Mayor, Ward 4 Councillor Frank Dale and City staff on a tour of the most affected areas of Cooksville Creek. Sections of the creek were discussed and anecdotes of the Aug. 4, 2009 flood shared. The tour began where the creek meets the lake at McMillan Park and ended in Mississauga Valleys Park just south of Burnhamthorpe Road. The Mayor was concerned about certain engineering issues along the creek and the impact of development in the Square One area. November 9, 2009: A Public Meeting (click for NOTICE) was held at Mississauga City Hall and included officials from Credit Valley Conservation (CVC), the Region of Peel and the City of Mississauga. Councillors
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(Ward 1),
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(Ward 4) and
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(Ward 7) attended along with Mayor
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, who chaired the meeting. The Council Chamber was packed, with nearly 300 residents in attendance. The PowerPoint presentation from the Public Information Meeting on Nov. 9, 2009 is available on the City's website: The Mayor committed that the next report to the community will be made available in February 2010. Meanwhile, a TASK FORCE including the various government jurisdictions and citizen reps will be created to ensure a coordinated approach, adequate and ongoing communication with the community and the creative ability to address the challenges as outlined at the meeting. Mississauga News article (Nov. 12, 2009): "Task force to address flooding issues". Excerpt: "The City of Mississauga is setting up a task force to look at, among other things, a flood strategy that will prevent the overflowing of the city’s creeks. A torrential downpour on Aug. 4 led to the flooding of Cooksville Creek, and dozens of area homeowners incurred huge losses because their insurance claims were rejected or only partially approved. The City agreed to the task force – comprising residents, City officials and consultants – following an open house on the issue Monday." Mississauga News article (Nov. 4, 2009): "Flood flack hits City Hall". Excerpt: "The meeting was called after members of the Cooksville-Munden Park Homeowners Association made deputations to council in September on behalf of the 100 or more homeowners who have filed insurance claims against the City of Mississauga." A Letter of Notification was sent to local residents by the Mayor on Sept. 23, 2009. September 9, 2009: There was a CMPHO Deputation (including video and still pictures) to the General Committee (GC) of Mississauga Council, on behalf of the residents affected. An 18-page Corporate Report on the flooding has been prepared by staff: August 2009 Storm Events Update. Mayor This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it stated creek and river management is a City-wide issue with other creeks such as Sheridan Creek and Etobicoke Creek subject to the same concerns. Mississauga News article (Sept. 9, 2009): "Flood victims seek compensation". Excerpt: [CMPHO Co-President Roger] Cootes, armed with more than 200 petitions, video footage and photographs of the damage caused by the flooding of Cooksville Creek, wants the City to look into what he said are “serious inadequacies” in the maintenance of Mississauga’s bridges, creeks, culverts and storm drains. ... “It would help if the City put in place a flood strategy and make the best use of its emergency departments. Management of storm water run-off for all new development has to be updated to reflect the changing lay of the land as well as changing climate.” NOTE (1): Use the following links to the MCAP (Municipal Property Assessment Corp.) "Request for Reassessment" forms to claim lower taxes due to devaluation of homes in the flood plain or for those who cannot sell due to damage or the flood issue. Click for 2009 or 2010. NOTE (2): Click to access an editable Claim Report on the City's website. Residents who were flooded on August 4, or August 8/9 or August 20, 2009 should complete a claim form for each occurrence and return it to the City's This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Address information is on the form. Click here to see an actual form filled out by an affected resident (personal details removed for privacy). NOTE (3): Residents may also find the Handbook for Reducing Basement Flooding useful, as posted on the City's website. August 12, 2009: A Public Meeting was held at St. Hilary's Anglican Church in Cooksville, by local residents affected by recent flooding. Click here for the Flyer. Approximately 80 people were in attendance. Photos and video of the flood were collected. Resident File Claims forms were distributed and people were encouraged to record their personal stories and to relay them to their appropriate city councillor (assistance has been offered to those who might have difficulty filling out the forms). A contact list was generated: others are welcome to join it. The community indicated a desire for another meeting to be held as soon as possible to include public officials (e.g. City of Mississauga, Credit Valley Conservation, Peel Region) and those residents who were unable to be at this first public meeting. BACKGROUND: The August 4th rain storm (@ approx. 4-7 p.m.) flooded many basements and caused severe erosion of both the creek banks and property lines, both east and west of the creek from Dundas Street south to the Lake, as well as the Mississauga Valley area south of Burnhamthorpe to the CNR line. We would like to hear from residents affected in any area. The crest was a high as 12 feet above normal around Mineola Gardens and the crest north of QEW at Camilla Park south approximately 8 feet above normal and covering the pedestrian bridge. We would like to gather digital photos or links so we can put together a DVD and then present it to Credit Valley Conservation, the Region of Peel and City of Mississauga staff. Do not send photos at this time, but please contact us if you have any information that would help document the flooding experienced, and please plan to attend the next Public Meeting . |