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Flooding in Laval. Water levels rising on the Richelieu. Flooding risk looms on the Chateauguay River...here’s my question: Why do we keep letting people build on floodplains, then come running to their rescue when the damn things flood?
Here’s the scoop, folks: the Environment Ministry publishes maps of floodplains. They have two lines, one marking the 20-year highwater mark and the other marking the 100-year level. That means that whoever builds there can expect the water to rise to the lower mark once every 20 years and to the high-water mark, every century. Maybe more, maybe less. It’s an average.
Used to be, you couldn’t build anything within the 20-year mark. Now you’re not allowed to build an inhabited part of your house within the 20-year mark. A garage is okay. Hundred year? Go ahead and build.
Now, the folks on the upper Ottawa, on the Gouin and Baskitong Reservoirs, say they haven’t seen that much snow in a century. The snowpack won’t melt until mid June at the latest. And already, the sluicegates in the Carillon dam are opening to let the water through. If folks are lucky, the water will break up the ice before more water pushes the breakup through their walls.
Ever seen a house carried away? I have. It’s not a pretty sight. So why are we continuing to let people build on floodplains? Because it’s a great water view, right? Lotta taxes and real estate commissions on one of those waterfront properties. |
