Colleen Jordan – Regional Councillor Wards 3 and 4 Ajax
Represent South East Ajax residents who reside at the mouth of the Carruthers Creek and I am a member of the Toronto Region Conservation Authority.
Today I am speaking regarding the lands designated for development in north east Pickering which contain the headwaters of Carruthers Creek.
On Friday of last week, the TRCA requested that all TRCA endorsed resolutions and staff reports that were provided as comments on the Regional Official Plan Amendment 128, Growing Durham, be resent to Durham Region to reiterate their concerns.
TRCA raised their concerns to Durham Region through the Authority endorsed motion of July 25, 2008. Specifically the Authority stated;
That the TRCA reaffirm its support for the Duffins and Carruthers Creek Task Force recommendation to take a precautionary approach to the upper Carruthers Creek watershed in order to protect and enhance the remaining environmental attributes and to prevent potentially expensive infrastructure remediation projects in the lower reaches of the creek in the existing downstream Ajax community
That TRCA believes that the designation or approval of a settlement area boundary expansion within a municipality is premature until all aspects of the provincial Growth Plan policy 2.2.8.2, including an environmental analysis, have been addressed.
That should the Region of Durham decide to consider future urban growth in the headwaters of the Carruthers Creek, an update to a watershed Plan for Duffins and Carruthers Creek be completed prior to the approval of the regional and local official plan amendment to redesignate these lands for urban uses.
That an update to a Watershed Plan for Duffins Creek and Carruthers Creek identify and inform opportunities for infrastructure remediation, natural heritage enhancement, maintaining water balance and flood and erosion protection measures within existing urban areas.
That a terms of reference for an update to a Watershed Plan for Duffins Creek and Carruthers Creek be developed by TRCA in consultation with the Region of Durham, the City of Pickering and the Town of Ajax and include modeling of potential downstream impacts within the Greenbelt, urban Ajax and waterfront lands.
Has any of this been done - No.
Why was the TRCA so concerned? Because the environmental analysis done for the Duffins and Carruthers watershed plan in 2003 was based on the assumption that the headwaters of the Carruthers would remain in their natural, agricultural state. The lands in question are some of the best farmlands in southern Ontario and the headwaters arise on a till plain south of the Oak Ridges Moraine and represent a significant recharge function. The 2003 study indicated that being small in size the Carruthers Creek does not have the same capacity to assimilate downstream impacts from land use change as larger watersheds.
The following statements taken from the July 2008TRCA staff report are from the findings of the 2003 Carruthers watershed plan.
The development of the Carruthers Creek watershed beyond the current urban boundaries requires caution, given the watershed sensitivity to ground water flow systems and a less robust terrestrial natural heritage system.
Very few opportunities exist through the normal development process to increase the natural cover in this watershed to the levels recommended by the Plan.
Without major changes in development planning, it is very likely that the health of Carruthers Creek will continue to decline.
On the basis of a number of ecological and watershed function metrics the carrying capacity of Carruthers is already stressed. TRCA recommended that a precautionary approach be taken to future planned development of the headwaters. As experienced in other urbanized watersheds the TRCA and watershed municipalities could be challenged in the future by a number of potentially expensive infrastructure/watershed restoration projects in the Carruthers Creek watershed should further development take place beyond the current urban boundary.
TRCA members have the experience of flooding and major infrastructure costs. To name a few; the Aug. 2005 Finch washout; Richmond Hill is spending over 6 million to deal with flood water and prevent washouts. Because the City of Toronto did not consider downstream impacts when approving development in the Highland Creek watershed, Scarborough Golf Club launched a successful lawsuit for millions of dollars against the City of Toronto for losses due to flooding and erosion impacts. Why do we think we are immune to these risks? Climate change and more frequent severe weather happenings likely raise the risk level. In fact the Province has designated Ajax, Pickering , Oshawa and Uxbridge to be a high risk for inundation.
In March 2009, when commenting on Growing Durham, the TRCA requested that the Province pay particular attention to the concerns from an environmental, flooding and erosion hazards perspective. In addition; they called for an analysis of the agricultural viability, land needs analysis, completion of a watershed plan and completion of the Durham Master WastewaterServicing Study.
Ninety three property owners in south east Ajax have recently been informed that the new TRCA flood plain mapping has expanded to include their homes. This brings it to a total of 323 homes impacted by the floodplain. Restrictions on what they can do with their properties are in effect. Understandably they have concerns regarding their investment in their homes. Ajax is in the process of beginning an EA in an attempt to find solutions to mitigate the problem of the looming threat of flooding
Where will the floodplain extend to if the lands in north east Pickering be developed? How large an area will be under the threat of flood and erosion if the headwaters are allowed to be developed? How many more residents, how many more businesses and how much more municipal and regional infrastructure will be under the threat of flooding? And how much will future Durham taxpayers have to pay to mitigate flood risks or deal with the disastrous effects of washouts and erosion?
Ajax is concerned. The Toronto Region Conservation Authority is concerned. Why isn’t Durham Region?