Applications/Project Proposals will be submitted to the Ontario Government. The Ontario Government screens the application to ensure compliance with their mandatory requirements as well compliance with federal program guidelines. Only those applications that are complete and comply with all program guidelines will be submitted to the federal government for funding consideration.

Intake 6 was announced November 9, 2020 with an application submission deadline of December 1, 2020. Eligible projects must begin in 2021-2022 fiscal year (April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022) and be completed by March 31, 2022.

Discussion:

In 2017 the City was awarded funding under the National Disaster Mitigation Program (NDMP) in the amount of $99,250 towards the Grand Marais Hydrology Assessment. This represented 50% of the total eligible project costs, $198,500.

As noted above the NDMP Intake 6 program was opened on November 9, 2020 with a submission date of December 1, 2020. Based on current projects which meet the criteria of the grant and are able to be assembled into a submission by December 1, 2020 the “Vulnerability & Risk Assessments for the West Windsor Area (Flood Risk Study along the Detroit River, West of Ambassador Bridge)” is being recommended for this grant application.

This is a study to quantify the risk to the area along the Detroit River, and inland, from the Ambassador Bridge to the City Boundary. The study is to include a review of LiDAR elevations and undertake field verification, as necessary. A detailed action plan will be prepared to address the risks.

A similar study, the East Riverside Flood Risk Assessment, was completed by Landmark Engineers Inc. in 2019. The findings were incorporated into the Sewer and Coastal Flood Protection Master Plan (SMP) by Dillon in 2020. The SMP also identified the need for an assessment of the risks and evaluate the need for coastal flood protection measures for the area west of the Ambassador Bridge.

Variability in water levels in the Detroit River has left the City of Windsor with the complex engineering challenge of how to protect residents, properties, and municipal infrastructure located near the Detroit River. The current water level trend remains near to coinciding to that of the historic high water levels set in 2019. The study is to include analysis of the sewer system connected directly to the Detroit River and public consultation with respect to the vulnerability and risk of such flooding and recommended solutions. Given current water levels it is best to complete this study as soon as possible.

The estimated cost to complete the project is $400,000, resulting in a grant request of $200,000.

To mitigate the risk of the project not meeting the grant timelines, Administration intends to issue and RFP for this work in February 2021. Recommendations are also included