Help could be on the way for Hillman Marsh
Conservationist Wayne King had tears in his eyes Thursday when professional geo-scientist Pete Zuzek made him aware funding could be on the way to help resolve the erosion of Hillman Marsh.
“It's exciting for me,” said the Leamington local, who used to swim in the marsh as a kid. “I've been working on this for a lot of years. To hear there's possibly something in the pipeline — it was exceptionally good news.”
Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA) CAO Tim Byrne says the government has been listening.
“There has been funding that we've been made aware of that could be coming forward,” he said.
A welcomed development after King, a member of the Leamington Shoreline Association, sounded the alarm earlier this week over a decimated Hillman Marsh. He shared pictures of dead fish along the shoreline which he says resulted from a combination of low water levels and the severe weather event before Christmas.
“We've been fighting against high water thinking lower water wouldn't be a problem, it would be good for us but it turned out to be bad,” he said.
The barrier beach that once protected the marsh was destroyed by high lake levels and high winds.
“That was a treeline that was probably 75 feet wide, very heavily treed,” said King, pointing to what used to be a barrier on the east side of the marsh which has effectively turned the marsh into a bay of Lake Erie.
King worries about the lake levels rising further causing erosion and a breach on the south side of the marsh.
“Leaving this berm over here now exposed to the wave action,” said King, pointing to a berm he says protects about 7,500 acres of farm land and roughly 500 homes and businesses. The berm is about a hundred feet wide.
Zuzek first visited south east Leamington 25 years ago. He says the barrier beach system and the marsh eco-system are past the tipping point.
“They’re at a point where there is no returning back to a positive state without significant human intervention,” he said.
Zuzek applauds the resiliency of King, ERCA and the Municipality of Leamington.
“The efforts by everyone to pursue a long-term solution is absolutely critical to maintaining Hillman Marsh and to shore up the dyke infrastructure that protects the farm land below lake level,” he said.
Byrne says ERCA and the Municipality of Leamington have been asked to resubmit a proposal making a request for $18 million through the federal government’s Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation fund (DMAF) to help remediate the area. The fund is part of a 10-year national program that will see $2 billion invested in projects that help communities better withstand natural hazards.
“Hopefully we'll be granted those moneys that ourselves and the municipality of Leamington can undertake this work to protect that eco-system, that wetland and help protect residents of south east Leamington,” he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Baby boom amongst nurses leads to maternity ward closure in Listowel, Ont.
The emergency room at Listowel’s hospital is open today, but come summer, their obstetrics unit will be temporarily closing its delivery rooms.
Humboldt Broncos bus crash survivor qualifies Canada for Paralympics in rowing event
Former Humboldt Broncos goaltender and bus crash survivor Jacob Wassermann has qualified Canada for a rowing event for the 2024 Paralympic games in Paris.
Krispy Kreme doughnuts coming to McDonald's in U.S., but not Canada
Canadians will be missing out on a sweet new partnership between McDonald's and Krispy Kreme, which will see doughnuts available at McDonald's locations across the U.S. by the end of 2026.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.