Kingston to receive $20.2 million for shoreline, sewer projects

On August 28, 2019, MP Mark Gerretsen alongside Mayor Bryan Patterson announced $20.2 million in funding for flooding and shoreline projects in the city of Kingston.

Funding, being provided through the federal Gas Tax Fund, is being allocated to two projects in the city. Over half of the funding, $10.4 million is being allocated to the ongoing efforts to separate the combined sanitary and storm water sewers in the downtown core, with goals of reducing the number of people whose essential services are impacted by high waters and weather-related flooding.

A further $9.8 million is to build 2,140 meters of sloping rock along the shore and repair a further 1,052 meters of existing shore wall. These changes are to provide protection from shoreline erosion and protect municipal infrastructure along the shores of Lake Ontario and the Cararaqui River, such as streets, sidewalks, and below-ground piping.

“It is important to invest in infrastructure and our communities to protect our people, to protect our economy, and to protect the way that you live,” Gerretsen said during the presentation at Macdonald Park. “This will help offset the effects of climate change and reduce the risk of urban flooding for people living and working in Kingston.”

“Kingston has this great treasure of all of this waterfront, but it’s also many areas of vulnerability,” Paterson added, noting that it is a positive for the city “To be able to have this kind of investment and to be able to strengthen our shorelines to ensure that we have continued access to the waterfront for the public.”

The city will be supplementing this funding with a further $15.6 million in investment to the sanitary and storm water sewer separation project, and $14.7 million towards shoreline strengthening.