By Olivia Waldriff [1]
TRENTON – More than 100 people gathered at Duncan Memorial Community Gardens to get involved in the fight against the organization they believe is behind what they say is extreme flooding along Lake Ontario.
The crowd watches as Sarah Delicate shows videos of the Canadian representative on the IJC board saying things like “this is just what nature has done to us.” Photo by Olivia Waldriff, QNet News
The city of Quinte West and United Shoreline Ontario [2], a grassroots organization who’s main objective is getting Plan 2014 revoked or reviewed, held a rally on Wednesday to protest the International Joint Commission’s [3] Plan 2014. The IJC regulates water levels in bodies of water that lie between Canada and the United States, including Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.
Since Plan 2014 was adopted three years ago, water levels in Lake Ontario have reached record highs in 2017 and 2019, and Sarah Delicate, the president of United Shoreline Ontario, says 2020 is going to be no different.
“We will not be washed away,” said Sarah Delicate during an interview with QNet News. Photo By Olivia Waldriff, QNet News
During a presentation Delicate said Plan 2014 does not take into consideration the residents along the shoreline but instead works in the interest of shipping.
“We’re here today to say that’s not working for us … and we’re looking at a 2020 year that’s going to be devastating,” she said.
Delicate said before 2017 she didn’t even know Lake Ontario was regulated, but after the flooding at her home became so extreme she began to look further into how water levels in Lake Ontario were regulated. She said that time was so stressful she lost 10 pounds and her hair began to fall out.
The high water levels have caused significant property damage for many others as well, including Eben James, an attendee at the rally and the owner of Trenton Cold Storage [4].
“We’ve had shoreline erosion. We’ve had flooding … and even as a private citizen I’ve had the problem of shoreline erosion as well,” he said.
Another affected by flood is homeowner Joanne Owens.
“Both in 2017 and 2019 we were flooded out. Our land was flooded by three feet. The first year our house was flooded, in 2019 we were more prepared for it so we weren’t flooded in the house … but our front lawn was just … destroyed,” she said.
Owens added that the work it takes to manage flooding is hard on her and her husband.
“It took so much manpower and we’re old. We don’t have the strength to do the sandbags, bagging sandbags in the rain, in the wind and you can hardly see what you’re doing and you’re just throwing the bags down and hoping it doesn’t get in the house. So yeah, it was terrible, just devastating,” she said.
“I’m hoping with this (rally) and the one to Ottawa on the weekend we will gather some support from Trudeau … and get a solution to this problem,” said Joanne Owens. Photo by Olivia Waldriff, QNet News
Many seem to think the best solution would be to revoke or seriously review Plan 2014.
“Plan 2014 needs to either be severely amended or abandoned all together,” said James.
“They have to create a new plan … they have got to get this thing lined up and better balanced so that they are not drowning the shoreline,” said Delicate
“I’m hoping they (the IJC) will repeal 2014, I’m hoping if they won’t repeal it they’ll look at how they can change it or modify it or rectify it to reduce the flooding,” said Jim Harrison, mayor of Quinte West.
In September Harrison as well as mayor of Belleville, Mitch Panciuk, mayor of Brighton, Brian Ostrander, mayor of Prince Edward County, Steve Ferguson, Greater Napanee mayor Marg Isbester and Tyendinaga Reeve Rick Phillips gathered in Trenton to issue a joint statement on Plan 2014. Their idea was to get all municipalities along the shoreline to sign a letter that would go to the IJC, asking them to review the plan.
“We got responses back … one of the responses indicated that there were not very many concerns. Well right, in 2017 we all thought it was one of one, but instead it happens again so now we are very concerned. So, I did this (the rally) to prove to them … that we have legitimate concerns … and that they need to look at what they’re doing,” said Harrison
(From left to right) Quinte West Mayor Jim Harrison, Greater Napanee Mayor Marg Isbester, Belleville Mayor Mitch Panciuk, Prince Edward County Mayor Steve Ferguson, Brighton Mayor Brian Ostrander and Tyendinaga Reeve Rick Phillips. Photo by Olivia Waldriff, QNet News
Delicate is passionate about the revocation of Plan 2014 and has been spreading awareness throughout different municipalities all year.
“It’s about using the only power that we have as constituents which is the power of our voice, right, to make sure that we are heard,” she said.
At the rally many politicians attended including the six leaders that met in September and Bay of Quinte MP Neil Ellis, who said he was planning on taking Delicate’s research with him to a meeting he was having with the IJC.
Neil Ellis was one out of many MPs who attended Wednesdays rally. Photo By Olivia Waldriff, QNet News
When asked if what would happen if the IJC continued to be hesitant about reviewing or revoking Plan 2014, both organizers of the events laid out next steps.
“I will go after the politicians, the MP’s that are directly related to this. We’ll do whatever we have to do to get to the prime minister to let him know that this is not acceptable, this is a health issue, this is a safety issue … let’s get something done,” Harrison said.
“Our next step is a public march on Saturday November 23, we will be meeting at the IJC offices (in downtown Ottawa) at noon and we will be marching to Parliament Hill,” said Delicate.