Shoreline residents growing concerned as spring approaches

LEAMINGTON - Cotterie Park resident and Leamington Shoreline Association representative, Wayne King is nervous after watching neighbouring shoreline residents in Erieau be evacuated from their homes recently.

King believes that a breakwall needs to be built to protect Hillman Marsh, which has eroded into the lake.

“We began developing this story after taking drone video of the Hillman Marsh breach on February 12. The shocking photos and video showed the 150-metre breach had more than doubled in size even though we have not had significant northeast wind events that typically affect our shoreline,” he said.

The Municipality of Chatham-Kent recently declared a State of Emergency ordering the residents of Erie Beach (near Erieau) to evacuate the area by March 9 to accommodate berm repairs. “Our hearts go out to those affected,” stated King.

King explained that the Point Pelee/Leamington Peninsula issue is similar to the Erie Beach situation, but perhaps not as critical at this point because this area has not been faced with northeast winds, whereas the Erieau area has been battered almost repeatedly by strong west-southwest winds this winter.

“For us, April normally brings powerful northeast storms and when that happens, we will be in the same, if not worse, position. A Road 1 clay berm breach will flood 1,200 acres of farmland, 33 homes and put many lives in danger in the East Marsh Drainage Scheme,” stated King.

“If nothing is done, it is not a matter of if, but when, a breach will happen and we fear this will happen in the next few months with the high water levels and spring northeast winds,” he added. King believes the problem stems from allowing the Hillman Marsh to remain natural.

The Essex Region Conservation Authority oversees Hillman Marsh Conservation Area.

The Municipality of Leamington has been working with a consulting company on a Flood Plain Mapping study that will be released on March 30, 2020.

A series of meetings have been held, with the March 30 meeting now being postponed due to the Coronavirus scare. King and municipal representatives met with Ontario Premier Doug Ford and provincial representatives on the issue late last year, however there are no programs or funding available for mitigation. Any provincial or federal programs are reactive to disasters, not designed to be proactive or preventative.

The municipality could initiate repairs under the Municipal Drainage Act, but the repairs would cost millions and would be apportioned to the property owners in the drainage scheme.

The Leamington Shoreline Association represents 500 property owners in the Municipality of Leamington. Located on a 10km stretch of shoreline from Wheatley Harbour to Point Pelee National Park, including 7,000 acres of farmland and 850 acres of Hillman Marsh Conservation Area wetlands. The Association was formed by residents after devastating storms in April 2018 battered the shorelines resulting in $2.5 million property damage.

This drone photo (above) taken on February 12, 2020, shows the breach along the eastern shoreline of Hillman Marsh, with homes visible in bottom left corner. The Google Maps photo below, shows the breach as much smaller in recent years.