City Council / Conseil
Meeting date / Date de la réunion : 11 October 2023 / 11 octobre 2023
Notice of Motion / Avis de motion
Moved by / Motion de: Councillor Carr
Seconded by / Appuyée par: Councillor Brockington
WHEREAS August 10, 2023 saw significant flooding throughout the city; and
WHEREAS the City has an Emergency Management Plan designed to provide an enhanced and co-ordinated level of planning and readiness to better respond to the needs of the community during a major emergency; and
WHEREAS the City is experiencing an increasing number of extreme weather events, and with the ongoing climate change emergency the frequency is expected to continue to increase; and
WHEREAS in Canada, flooding is the most common and costly natural disaster, causing approximately $1.5 billion in damage to households, property, and infrastructure annually, with residential property owners bearing approximately 75% of uninsured losses each year; and
WHEREAS under Canada’s Emergency Management Framework, municipalities have a role in leading local response and recovery; and
WHEREAS the provincial Auditor General’s November 2022 report found that municipal assessment and reporting on stormwater infrastructure and flood resilience is not standardized, with potential impacts on long-term planning and funding decisions; and
WHEREAS the Province and the City have already taken steps to improve our understanding of the impacts of climate change and to help municipalities prepare and protect communities, including public infrastructure; and
WHEREAS the Province, through Ontario’s Flooding strategy, states that local governments hold the primary responsibility for identifying and managing flood risks; and
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT staff ensure that ottawa.ca provides clear information on, and the appropriate way to report, different types of flooding events; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the City’s website have a centralized location for flood resources including flooding preparedness and mitigation methods, updates on ongoing studies, and updates to infrastructure.
Be IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT Staff review and report back to council with findings on improvements that can be made to preventative flood and water management programs including the compassionate grant program and the residential protective plumbing program; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that staff explore a system for better data sharing, communication, timely response, and coordination in relation to major weather events, their impacts on infrastructure, and communicating with affected residents;
French translation will be posted shortly.