The CBBCA has met with the Councillor and senior members of city staff to review the facts behind the Constance Bay and Buckham’s Bay drainage project and would like to clarify a number of misunderstandings.

First, the budget quoted in a recent EMC article refers to a package of drainage work across the area – including much needed work in Buckham’s Bay West, and is not a reflection of the level of effort for the work in the Bay. Buckham’s Bay West has had severe storm run-off issues that pose a significant threat to the roads and some homes  so we support the need to complete the project this year.

The Constance Bay portion of this project is primarily about preparing for a better, paved road in the near term.  The City will not waste money re-paving a road that does not have adequate drainage.  Water presence affects the quality and life expectancy of the road surface.  As an example of this, note that Kinburn Side Road has been paved to the highway except in the heart of the village, where the drainage solutions have yet to be approved.  Drainage proposals take time as they have to be approved by environmental regulators, MVCA, etc.

In the case of Constance Bay, the drainage issue is being addressed in a timely fashion prior to undertaking resurfacing the roads.

The goal, as stated in the village plan, is to have a wider, safer road with a paved hard shoulder. We are assured that nowhere will the planned ditches result in the paved road being narrower than it is at present, and when the resurfacing proceeds it is anticipated that the paved section will be wider as a paved hard shoulder will be laid.  In the meantime, the hard shoulder will be 1.5 meters in most sections, wider than it currently is.

The water access lanes will be serviced with culverts, but in order to reduce erosion at the outflow due to storm water, some short open ditch sections will be introduced.  It is difficult to see how this will have a significant impact on the access lanes.

While there has been considerable confusion on the approach and rationale for the CBay project we are comfortable the city’s second version of the solution is the right one, that the project is necessary to get the roads repaired, and that the end state will be aligned to the official Community Design Plan.

Ian Glen

President, CBBCA