Master Drainage Plan - Notice of Second Public Information Centre

In an effort to better understand local drainage systems, the Town has undertaken a Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (Class EA) to identify and address drainage deficiencies within the Town limits.

Part of this process is to offer interested persons an opportunity to review the project, share information and provide comments on the project.

Background
The Town retained GM BluePlan Engineering Limited in 2019 to prepare a Master Drainage Plan and to start a planning process to identifying and addressing drainage deficiencies.

Process
This process follows Phases 1 and 2 of the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (Class EA) and is intended to follow Approach #1 of the Master Planning process (Appendix 4, MCEA Manual 2023), which involves creating a Master Plan.

Project Overview
The Town of Saugeen Shores has a complex system for surface water drainage, which includes:

overland sheet flow,
natural water courses,
municipal drains, tile drains, ditches, culverts, and storm sewers

As well, with recent and planned land development, certain areas occasionally experience some drainage related issues.

Drainage within the Town primarily flows either to the Saugeen River or to Lake Huron. The Study Area is bound by the municipal limits and is subdivided into the following main Drainage Study Areas, as shown on the Key Plan:

Area 1: Southampton North of the River
Area 2: Southampton South of the River
Area 3: Port Elgin
Area 4: Rural Areas

The Master Drainage Plan (the Plan) is a living document and will help identify and plan individual projects consistent with a comprehensive drainage strategy to help make better decisions. This system-wide approach strategically assesses options to better address the Town’s drainage needs and to plan drainage undertakings within the Study Area.

Further, the Plan identifies specific projects that can be implemented with suggested timelines. It includes the development and assessment of alternative solutions to address the deficiencies identified within component
catchment areas (or subcatchments), providing a Recommended Solution(s) for each area.

The intent is:

to complete a broad level of assessment that identifies projects that are exempt (or eligible for exemption) from the Environmental Assessment Act, and
to support projects that require more project-specific investigations to fulfill the requirements for Schedule B or Schedule C projects.

Public Consultation
The first Public Information Centre (PIC) for this project occurred on December 16th, 2020. As part of the initial consultation, the Master Drainage Plan (Version 1) was circulated for review and comment. This version included drawings containing specific drainage information and a set of preliminary recommended solutions to the drainage issues and future drainage needs.

The Town is holding a second PIC to provide the public with an opportunity to review the Master Drainage Plan (Version 2), as updated, and to present and receive feedback on the recommendations.

Date: Wednesday October 4th, 2023
Time: 5 pm to 7pm (Public open house followed by a presentation at 6 pm)
Location: Rotary Hall at the Plex, 600 Tomlinson Drive, Port Elgin.

For a copy of the Master Drainage Plan (Version 2) -- along with the latest project updates and background information -- click HERE. As well, residents can access a copy of the Master Drainage Plan at the Town office.

Comments
Interested persons are encouraged to provide written comments to the Project Team by October 20th, 2023. Please contact one of the Project Team members below if you would like to receive future project notification, or if you require further information or accommodations.

The Project Team will incorporate the new information into the Master Plan before presenting it to Council.

With the exception of personal information, all comments will become part of the public record.

Contact

Jamie McCarthy, C.E.T.,
Supervisor, Development Engineering Services
The Town of Saugeen Shores
339 Concession 6, Box 820
Port Elgin, ON N0H 2C0
jamie.mccarthy@saugeenshores.ca
Tel: 519-832-2008 Ext. 146

John Slocombe, P.Eng.
Project Manager
GM BluePlan Engineering Limited
1260-2nd Avenue East, Unit 1
Owen Sound, ON N4K 2J3
john.slocombe@gmblueplan.ca
Tel: 519-376-1805

This Notice first issued on September 19th, 2023. All personal information included in a comment or request (i.e., name, address, phone and property location) is collected, under the authority of Section 30 of the Environmental Assessment Act and is maintained for the purpose of creating a record that is available to the general public. As this information is collected for the purpose of a public record, the protection of personal information provided in the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) does not apply (s.37). Personal information submitted may become part of a public record that is available to the general public unless it is requested that personal information remain confidential.