Protecting People and Property: Ontario’s Flooding Strategy

Spring 2019 saw significant flooding across the province with high Great Lakes water levels continuing to stress the built and natural environment through the fall. In response to the widespread devastating impacts, we appointed a Special Advisor on Flooding to provide recommendations on how to increase flood resilience throughout the province.

In response to 2019 flooding, we sought significant input from the public and stakeholders:

• Stakeholders and the public were invited to provide their feedback through an online survey about how to help Ontarians better prepare for floods and respond to them when they happen. The survey was available from May 16, 2019 to June 28, 2019 and received over 1200 individual comments from 671 responders.
• Municipal, Indigenous and industry leaders were invited to participate in Listening Sessions with political leaders in Muskoka, Pembroke and Ottawa in May 2019 to learn about flooding experiences and to discuss how to better prepare for future flooding events.
• Ontario’s Special Advisor on Flooding met with municipal, conservation authority and industry representatives as well as local community groups in early September to hear firsthand about flooding experiences and ideas about how the province can become more flood resilient. Sessions were held in Ottawa, Pembroke, North Bay, Huntsville, Cambridge, London and Toronto.

All comments received during an engagement meeting or provided to the Ministry for the flood review were considered by the Special Advisor in writing his report.

We are responding to the Special Advisor on Flooding’s Report with a provincial Flooding Strategy. Protecting People and Property: Ontario’s Flooding Strategy takes into consideration the recommendations made by the Special Advisor on Flooding, public and stakeholder comments received through engagement, as well as additional opportunities identified by provincial ministries.

Protecting People and Property: Ontario’s Flooding Strategy outlines a comprehensive suite of actions under five priority areas that will help Ontario become more resilient to flooding and demonstrate/inform incremental improvements to Ontario’s existing policy and operational approach:

1. Understanding Flood Risk through updated floodplain mapping and increasing access to flood-related information.
2. Strengthening Governance through provincial policy to ensure local development is directed away from areas where flooding and erosion present unacceptable risks.
3. Enhancing Flood Preparedness through the use of state-of-the art science and technology.
4. Enhancing Response and Recovery by improving how we receive and respond to municipal requests for assistance.
5. Investing in Flood Risk Reduction by working with the federal government to increase investment in critical areas like mapping and infrastructure.

Protecting people and property is a shared responsibility – all levels of government, agencies and property owners have an important role to play. The Strategy contains eight high level actions, many of which are designed to mitigate the effects of flooding to people and property through enhanced education and awareness, data collection and mapping, flood forecasting and warning, disaster assistance programs and investment in infrastructure. These actions are supported by over twenty-five activities which will be implemented by several provincial ministries in working with municipalities, conservation authorities and other water management partners.

Ontario’s existing flood management framework has proven effective; however, improvements can be made. Implementation of the actions outlined in Protecting People and Property: Ontario’s Flooding Strategy will help to:

• reduce risks to public health and safety
• reduce property and environmental damage
• reduce economic losses and social disruption
• reduce public and private expenditures