LASALLE, ONT. -- LaSalle resident Marshall Grey, 76, says this year’s water levels are becoming the highest he’s seen since moving into his waterfront home 50 years ago.
“I’ve seen the highs and the lows - 1971 was the worst. This is now equal,” says Grey.
He’s in the process of adding two and a half feet of soil to his land to prevent flooding in the future. “I want to eventually...re-grade that with grass,” he explains.
The region remains under a flood watch, as water levels for Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie remain near the all-time record highs set in 2019.
LaSalle Mayor Marc Bondy says there's not much that can be done besides residents elevating their homes.
“We can’t lower the water levels so at a great expense they would have to raise their homes. There’s no money available to do that, whether that’s through the municipality, province or federal government,” says Bondy.
Neighboring communities are facing similar problems.
Last week, Chatham-Kent joined the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, a group of over 90 communities from Ontario, Quebec and the United States seeking billions of dollars in federal aid for shoreline and water infrastructure projects.
Bondy says funding is needed, but the issue in LaSalle isn’t going to be an easy fix.
“Other municipalities have shoreline erosion. We don’t have that problem, it’s more that the water levels (are) too high.”
A flood watch for all shoreline areas, including Pelee Island and islands within the western basin of Lake Erie, remains in effect until August 4.
