Ducks Unlimited pond was included in Phase I of the Lorne St. flood control project along with a much larger pond south of St. James St.
Mayor Andrew Black says he’s happy the province has approved building a new $2.4 million aboiteau in Sackville’s industrial park to drain flood water into the Tantramar River.
“It’s the final step in completing one of the most ambitious and needed projects to protect downtown Sackville from major storms at a time when climate change will make them more likely,” Black said today. “I’m very pleased.”
The Tantramar mayor was referring to last week’s announcement that the provincial department of transportation and infrastructure (DTI) will install a new aboiteau in the dyke near Sackville’s main sewage lagoons.
“This project will replace the existing government-owned aboiteaux infrastructure with a new larger system to allow for the evacuation of inland flood waters captured behind the existing dykes that protect the town,” the announcement said.
It’s one of 73 projects worth a total of $47 million that the province is financing through its 2023/24 Climate Change Fund.
The $2.4 million is the last expenditure needed to complete the Lorne Street flood control project that began in 2017.
Aside from the latest announcement, all three levels of government have spent almost $13.9 million to protect Lorne Street and sections of downtown Sackville from fresh water flooding.
The project was designed in three phases:
Phase I aimed to stop flooding on Lorne Street by replacing and upgrading water, sewer lines and storm drainage systems as well as sidewalks, curbs and ditches.
Phase II was designed to retain storm water in a large 40,000 cubic metre pond south of St. James Street until it could be discharged into the Tantramar River at low tide. A second smaller pond, built and managed by Ducks Unlimited, also retains water. Both ponds serve as habitat for birds, animals and plants with walking trails around them for residents and visitors.
Phase III to be built in the coming months will feature another large retention pond behind the community gardens on Charles Street with culverts, pipes and ditches to carry stormwater to the new $2.4 million aboiteau in the Sackville industrial park. Walking trails will also be built around it. In addition, a retention pond is being built in the old Sackville quarry to control stormwater that flows down toward Lorne Street.
Tantramar Treasurer Michael Beal provided the following breakdown for the costs. He notes that the municipality did not need to borrow for its share of Phases I and II and will not likely have to borrow for Phase III either:
Sign beside the small pond north of St. James St. The pond also extends Sackville’s Waterfowl Park
Now what will Percy resort to ranting about?
Surely he’ll jump on the « fiscal responsibility » aspect of the project and claim that a local contractor and himself could have done it for a fraction of the price.
It takes a certain kind of cowardice to criticize another individual whilst hiding behind an alias. If you’re going to resort to nastiness at least have the courage to sign your own name to your comment.
Thank you Les! I’m happy to have Warktimes. If I want to read tabloid style remarks I go to the corner drugstore.
Amazing news from DTI that the long awaited undersized ‘bathtub plug’ will finally be discarded and a new supersized aboiteau will be installed instead. Better late than never for sure.
It is a time for our Town of Tantramar to celebrate as freshwater flooding will no longer be a concern, or a threat, for our low lying downtown Sackville area. Next, and final piece to the puzzle, will be the Chignecto Isthmus Salt Water Flood Mitigation Project.
It’s your move Premier Higgs as a decision has to be made by you before July 17th, if we are to receive Federal infrastructure money to help in the funding of this very necessary project.
As a great BONUS, when the Chignecto Isthmus Flood Mitigation Project is finally completed, hopefully within 5 years, then ALL aboiteau gates on the freshwater side would be removed (including Carters’ Brook) and any stormwater will have a continuous flow 24/7 to the then non tidal freshwater Tantramar River. The new triple gate system, to be constructed at the mouth of the Tantramar River, would guarantee this. .
There will be NO backing up of any water into our town and the ‘redundant’ holding ponds will be empty of water, other than what is flowing, unless they are dammed in the future to create stable flooded ponds.
The future looks good folks and this upcoming $200,000,000 Chignecto Isthmus project will undoubtedly make our town more attractive to developers, investors and potential citizens.
Rebuild or Retreat is going to occupy serious study of how to best attack the threat of flooding of coastal and river flood plains. Tantramar nakes a good place to start to plan what path to take to either protect and stay or promote relocation.Cost and predictability will play a deciding factor.
All that money and Lorne Street looks and smells like something out of a Mad Max film.