The Honourable John Gerretsen
Minister of the Environment
12th Floor, 135 St. Clair Avenue West
Toronto, Ontario
M4V 1P5

Fax: (416) 314-7337

Dear Minister Gerretsen:

Re: Carp River Floodplain Development in the City of Ottawa

I am writing to respectfully request you act to prevent development of the Carp River flood plain in the Kanata West area of the the City of Ottawa.

From recent coverage by the CBC and the Ottawa Citizen, I have learned that 28 hectares of floodplain development has already been approved by the City, Mississippi Valley Conservation, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of Transportation. I have also learned that if this floodplain development proceeds, it will threaten the Highway 417 bridges and increase flood risk to existing development in the area.

I had thought that development of floodplains was a thing of the past and that we in Ontario had learned our lesson after Hurricane Hazel wrought such damage in Toronto in 1954. But so far, this doesn't appear to be the case for Kanata West and the Carp River.


Allowing development in floodplains increases risks to the lives and property of Ontarians so please put a stop to this floodplain folly by ordering the Carp River Restoration project be subject to Part II of the Environmental Assessment Act.

Yours truly,