Taking high water level concerns to Ottawa

A top-level Quinte area delegation met Wednesday with Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and Global Affairs in Ottawa, calling for action on the high water levels in Lake Ontario.

The delegation included Quinte West Mayor Jim Harrison and Deputy Mayor Jim Alyea, Prince Edward County Mayor Steve Ferguson and Belleville Councillor Bill Sandison.

They expressed concern about high water levels and called for funding for municipalities and shoreline owners hit by the flood damage.

The Quinte area on the Lake Ontario shoreline has been hit hard by flooding the last few years.

Alyea tells Quinte News they stressed to the federal government that Ontario should get a representative on the International Joint Commission that controls the water flows.

Mayor Harrison says Global Affairs has direct contact with the IJC and the Board of the St. Lawrence Seaway Authority.

He tells Quinte News, “They’re the ones that deal with the International Joint Commission, a federal organization. We need them to look at how they’re functioning. How they can do things better for the people along the shoreline. That’s what we need.”

Harrison says he’s very worried because the Lake Ontario water right now is higher than it was in 2017.

Quinte West Councillor Jim Alyea, (File photo: David Foot / Quinte News)

Alyea added, “They have assured us they are going to look into some of the concerns we have and also (look into) the management of the water levels. Also, in regards to maybe looking to see if maybe they can secure some funding to help municipalities and even shoreline owners with any future flooding problems and future repairs that they might need.”

Alyea says the Lake Ontario water level right now is 20 inches higher than it should be at this time of year.

He added, “We feel now with the shipping shutdown on the St Lawrence and no severe sub-zero weather right now it would make sense to pull it down as much as they could before the main runoff starts in another four to five weeks.”