The City of Dollard-des-Ormeaux was supposed to host an information session about the flooding problem on Thursday, but the session was cancelled due to a class-action lawsuit filed against the city.
The cancellation has left the residents feeling angry and forsaken.
“Left alone, abandoned in the dark,” said Arlene Thompson-Maclaren of DDO.
Thompson-Maclaren has been flooded three times in the past 22 months, and each time she’s had to rebuild her basement. She was looking forward to the information session and was hoping the city would offer up better solutions.
The cancellation has made her feel like the communication between the city and its residents has been cut off.
“It makes no sense to me. It just doesn’t. And so whatever communication that we did have going with the city is now over,” said Thompson-Maclaren, who is not a supporter of the class action.
“We get it, it’ll never all go away, but instead of having four-and-a-half feet of water in my home, maybe I’ll get two or three inches. We’re trying to be realistic, we’re trying to be reasonable and ask intelligent questions to work with the city and that’s frustrating cause it’s like really dragging on.
“And here we are again, three times in 22 months, that’s a lot to handle.”
The class-action lawsuit, which is still awaiting authorization, has got the neighbourhood divided.
Glynis D’Souza, a neighbour of Thompson-Mclaren’s, is in favour of the class action: “I think if it takes a class-action lawsuit to get the city to step up, that’s what it’s gonna take. Because if not, we’re just sitting ducks.”
Over 1,000 Dollard des Ormeaux residents have joined in the class-action lawsuit, according to the lawyer representing them.
“I think people have the right to ask questions about issues that concern them and they have a right to look their elected officials in the eye and ask those questions, so I don’t think they should’ve cancelled that meeting,” said Jeff Orenstein.
Dollard-des-Ormeaux Mayor Alex Bottausci says the filing of the class-action lawsuit “has changed the context in which the City can communicate publicly” regarding issues of flooding.
“We understand that residents have questions and concerns, and we remain committed to re-engaging with the community directly when circumstances permit,” Bottausci told CityNews in a statement. “In the meantime, we will continue to communicate where possible while respecting our obligations within the ongoing legal process.”
Meanwhile the construction of an underground storm basin is underway on Tecumseh Street. The basin is supposed to hold up to 600,000 litres of water. It’s part of a $6.8 million provincial grant for flood-mitigation projects.
According to Jean-Luc Martel, a professor in construction engineering in École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS), the basin won’t fix all of the residents’ problems.
“To deal with all types of flooding events that you have, you will need massive investments and very large infrastructure dedicated for retention to really deal with some areas that receive a lot of surface water,” said Martel.
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