Pointe-Claire launches $6.8M flood defense plan as residents brace for more rain

With rain in the forecast and residents still recovering from June 20 flooding, Pointe-Claire is moving fast on water defense.

The City of Pointe-Claire has secured a $6.8 million provincial grant to fund 11 climate-resilience infrastructure projects over the next two years. The first priority is transforming the soccer field on Saddlewood Avenue into a sponge park that will hold up to 3.77 million litres of water — equivalent to one-and-a-half Olympic-size swimming pools.

Meanwhile, residents are taking their own measures. One homeowner installed barriers on two of three basement windows at a cost of around $10,000 out of pocket. Another has added a second sump pump to prevent water from entering his property. "People are nervous," said Pointe-Claire Mayor John Belvedere. "There's anxiety out there, which I get."

To ease that burden, the city expedited a financial assistance program originally scheduled for September. The offer: up to $5,000 to add a sump pump and French drains to make homes more water-resilient. About 7,580 residents have already applied since the program launched last month.

Still, longtime resident Roy Halpin remains cautious about whether the fixes will hold during heavy rain. "I think the jury is still out," he said. "We'll see next time we get hit hard if it reacts well. But it's underneath that's the problem, it's not surface."