City begins planning flood protection measures for Abbey Dawn Road, Highway 2 and St. Lawrence Avenue

KINGSTON, ONT./ August 11, 2021 – The City of Kingston is beginning a Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (MCEA) to provide enhanced flood protection along Abbey Dawn Road, Highway 2 and St. Lawrence Avenue. The City has hired BT Engineering Inc. (BTE) to undertake design as a Schedule B project through the MCEA process, which is a planning process for municipal infrastructure legislated by the Ontario Environmental Assessment Act. The MCEA Study will determine the design and staging for the enhanced flood protection measures and consider their effects on the natural, social and cultural environments.

Abbey Dawn Road, Highway 2 and St. Lawrence Avenue have been significantly impacted by changing water levels in the St. Lawrence River and the Madoma Marsh, including overtopping by high water and wind events. Flood protection measures for each roadway will include some combination of raising the road elevation, installing new or larger culverts, and shoreline upgrades. Lookout features from the City’s approved Waterfront Master Plan on St. Lawrence Avenue and Abbey Dawn Road are also included in the scope of work for this project. Over the coming months, the City and BTE will:

• Inform residents of the proposed flood protection measures.
• Receive feedback on the preliminary design concepts, including proposed lookout features from the City’s approved Waterfront Master Plan.
• Prepare a required Environmental Study Summary Report to be submitted to the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.

Public consultation opportunities

• Register to attend an online public open house on Wednesday, Aug. 25 at 7 p.m. There will be a 20-minute presentation followed by a Q&A session. Watch the meeting on the City’s YouTube channel where it will be closed-captioned, live-streamed and available for viewing after the presentation.
• Give feedback on the preliminary design concepts from Aug. 25 to Sept. 8 at 4 p.m. Comments can be submitted online at Get Involved Kingston, over the phone by calling 613-546-0000 or by mail. To submit comments by mail, call 613-546-0000 to a request paper comment form and a postage-paid envelope to return the survey to City Hall.

This City of Kingston project is sponsored in part by the Government of Canada with an investment of over $9.8 million for City-wide shoreline upgrades through the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund program.