Major Toronto Intersections Under Water After Massive Rainstorm, But Raising Taxes For Sewers BAD!!!
Toronto is recovering in the aftermath of heavy rains and flash floods that wreaked havoc across the region Tuesday night, showing the city’s aging sewer system’s vulnerability to sudden, extreme weather conditions. Some parts of the city saw 100 millimetres of rainfall in less than two hours during Tuesday’s storm, according to Jennifer Drake, an assistant professor in the department of civil and mineral engineering at the University of Toronto.
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Mayor John Tory told reporters at a campaign event in Scarborough on Wednesday that Toronto is committed to funding stormwater projects. He said the city’s water department is investing hundreds of millions of dollars in a “robust plan” for flood mitigation and stormwater sewer improvements, some of it prompted by warnings that climate change is creating more severe weather.
Critics of Mr. Tory, however, pointed to his move to shelve a proposed fee last year that would have taxed landowners on hard surfaces, such as parking lots, on their property, because these types of surfaces are most responsible for rain and snow runoff.
The money from the tax would have been used for stormwater sewer improvements. Cities in the Greater Toronto Area, including Aurora, Markham, Mississauga and Richmond Hill, have one in place, as do Ottawa, Kitchener and London.
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https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/toronto/article-flash-floods-reignite-debate-over-torontos-sewer-system/
