'We’re having to do more': City of Saskatoon opens new storm pond
With last June’s intense rainfall event in many parts of Saskatoon, city officials are basking in the success of one of its newest storm ponds and have officially opened the community park space associated with it.
The new dry storm pond in W.W. Ashley District Park, which serves as a newly developed park and sports field during dry weather, officially opened Tuesday.
Officials said residents in the surrounding Haultain and Queen Elizabeth neighbourhoods can rest a little easier knowing there is less of a likelihood of their properties flooding during intense rainfalls.
“Even the rainfall in June was pretty unusual because it flooded this part of the city but there was almost no rain in the north so we’re having to do more and fortunately we have a lot more sophisticated data to track rainfall and track the different rainfall in different neighbourhoods,” Mayor Charlie Clark told CTV News.
The dry storm pond has already proven to be a success because during that June storm, it prevented flooding in an area of the city that historically experiences floods, according to Clark.
That June 20 rainfall which fell in just a few hours, filled the inner bowl of the park with about two metres of rain according to Russ Munro, Director of Saskatoon Water.
“That amount of water would be the equivalent to six Olympic-sized swimming pools,” he said.
The park, which is the first of nine to be completed by 2027, also provides accessible walking paths and retains recreational space and green space when not containing storm water.
A similar project in Churchill Park will be completed next fall. Then in early 2023, construction will start on a dry storm pond in Weaver Park and six more Flood Control Strategy (FCS) projects will be built between 2024 and 2027. Flood Control Strategy | Saskatoon.ca
The Federal Government has contributed $21.6 million towards Saskatoon’s FCS through the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund.
Once the FCS projects are completed, the City anticipates seeing a substantial decrease in the amount of neighbourhood flooding in the top 10 highest risk areas of Saskatoon.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn’t over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball’s highest scorer Caitlin Clark’s first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
U.S. vetoes a widely supported UN resolution backing full membership for Palestine
The United States has vetoed a widely backed UN resolution that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for the state of Palestine.
Bayer recalls hydraSense baby product over 'potential contamination'
Bayer announced Thursday it is recalling two lots of its hydraSense Baby Nasal Care Easydose due to a potential contamination.
N.L. gardening store revives 19th century seed-packing machine
Technology from the 19th century has been brought out of retirement at a Newfoundland gardening store, as staff look for all the help they can get to fill orders during a busy season.
Cat found on Toronto Pearson airport runway 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.