Flooding — still the number one topic at the latest ward meeting in Windsor and it seems the city's message on the issue is being well received.
About 200 people packed the Constable John Atkinson Memorial Community Centre for the Ward 5 meeting — councillor Ed Sleiman's ward — on Tuesday night.
Many residents were interested in getting more information about the city's newly beefed up Basement Flooding Protection Subsidy Program. The city is now covering 100% of backwater valve installations up to $2,800.
There were no angry outbursts during the meeting and many of the residents seem to be generally satisfied with how the city has responded to the worst flooding event in Windsor's history.
"I found the response really well," says Nestor Klem, a Ward 5 resident happy with what he heard from Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens.
"I think they're doing what they can do. We got 8 inches of water in 24 hours, like [Dilkens] says there's no sewer system in the world that can handle that kind of water," says Klem.
Ward 5 residents Joe and Florence Brunette had their recreation room ruined by the flooding and say it's been a slow process to fix the problem.
"I tore everything out, it's just there," says Joe Brunette. "A very slow process with the insurance and the adjustors coming."
Brunette's wife, Florence, agrees with her husband.
"We have called plumbers, but they haven't called back — I guess because they're so busy."
Windsor's Ward 5 constituency meeting held at the Constable John Atkinson Memorial Community Centre on September 19, 2017. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
Dilkens again gave a presentation on his 8-point plan to deal with flooding in the city, urging residents who install backwater valves to not leave them forgotten.
"Make sure that you maintain it, it's very simple and easy to do, to give yourself a fighting chance," says Dilkens.
The mayor telling the Ward 5 residents the city is looking at following the practice in LaSalle of requiring sewage ejection pumps to be installed.
"Highly effective, but they're about $3,800 each — so it's not cheap and we want to make sure that in a retrofit it makes sense for homes in Windsor."
The next ward meeting is for Ward 9 at Roseland Public School on September 27, followed by the Ward 3 meeting at the Central Public Library branch on September 28.
The Ward 9 meeting running from 7pm - 9pm while the Ward 3 meeting is scheduled from 6:30pm - 8:30pm.