The reality is that extreme weather events, like July 16th’s ‘historic’ rainfall, are becoming our new normal. Fortunately, flooded basements and stranded residents don’t have to be, if we act swiftly.
The severe storm that flooded homes, subways, roadways, and knocked out power, is an important wake-up call for Toronto, and hopefully, a catalyst for action. We must re-centre the discussion on residents’ safety and actions to protect our homes and communities.
Put simply, we need to immediately reduce the amount of water that is running off hard surfaces (large parking lots, driveways and roofs) and into our city’s sewer and stormwater systems. With more intense and frequent rainfalls due to climate change, this run-off will continue to cause dangerous overflows and flooding, unless we rapidly implement some ‘upstream’ solutions.
Here’s the good news. We have viable solutions that will help the ground to soak up more stormwater. We can put in permeable pavement and green infrastructure, such as green roofs, rain gardens, and green space along our boulevards. We need to be smart about how we create and maintain public and private green spaces – which provide benefits like cooling, filtering the air, respite and recreational space – and use these assets to build a more flood-resilient city.
Toronto needs a more robust stormwater plan that includes solutions for all property types. City Council has directed staff to look into incentivizing homeowners to take positive measures on their properties, and looking into reducing run-off for large-scale industrial, commercial, and institutional properties’ paved surfaces. This is a step in the right direction, but there is also a question of fairness.
According to Toronto Water, just 1% of commercial property owners are responsible for 37% of paved surfaces in the City. In some cases, the biggest properties (e.g. commercial parking lots) pay nothing towards our stormwater system to deal with flooding, because they don’t pay a water bill. Other property owners who do pay water bills are currently paying to clean up others' stormwater mess. We must avoid a situation where public funds pay for a program that targets residential properties, while large commercial properties that contribute the most to the problem, pay nothing and do nothing. It’s time for these properties to pay their fair share, and start reducing their run-off.
Flooding is a public safety issue that impacts all Torontonians, but those whose homes flooded or overheated, or who got stuck in elevators or in vehicles on flooded roadways, felt the impacts acutely last week. Furthermore, the public has yet to hear how residents who are unhoused or precariously housed, seniors living alone, and residents using mobility devices, fared during the flood and power outage. Any of us could need help during an extreme weather event, but residents who experience systemic inequities are continuously put at the most risk. During large-scale emergencies, it is often neighbours and community workers who must provide immediate support, while first responders and emergency crews are stretched thin by thousands of calls. This highlights the need to involve communities in developing preparedness plans and implementing flood safety solutions.
In the past, the City and Province have failed to make flood safety a priority. Under former Mayor John Tory, stormwater charge discussions were shelved in 2017, and only re-opened by Council in 2021 without Tory's support. In 2022, the Ford government stripped the powers of Ontario's conservation authorities, which play a critical role in flood prevention in our region. We cannot afford any more set-backs. We urgently need a multi-pronged strategy to strengthen our stormwater management systems, invest in green infrastructure, and prepare our communities for climate emergencies.
When it comes to flood prevention, the message for our locally-elected officials is best conveyed by a familiar proverb: "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now."