Erie Shore Drive residents 'devastated,' asked to leave homes in case of dike breach

Residents and cottage owners of Erie Shore Drive in Chatham-Kent are "angry and disappointed" over a state of emergency that was declared Friday afternoon. 

The municipality is worried a dike along the road will breach, resulting in significant property damage and harm to people.

"It's no worse or better than it has been down here for several months now," said property owner Terra Cadeau. "So we're all pretty shocked and trying to understand what has happened here, and why all of the sudden there is a supposed emergency that is resulting in giving homeowners nine days to relocate."

The municipality asked residents who live on the road between house numbers 17982 and 18416 to leave the area, and to stay away for six to eight weeks.

Cadeau, who is also the president of the Erie Shore Drive Property Owners Association, is very worried for the year-round residents of the area.

"They're devastated. They don't have any place to go," she said. "They don't have the financial means just to pack up and walk away from their entire life, knowing that they have a mortgage on a piece of property that is in fact useless."

Cadeau said homeowners were told an engineer's report found there was a 5 to 40 per cent chance that the dike will breach. She has not seen the report, and said the safety measures are a bit much, considering the chances there won't be a breach.

"We are completely turning people's lives upside down, and quite honestly, many folks will be financially ruined as a result of this," she said. 

'Safety first,' says mayor

It was that engineer's report that prompted Mayor Darrin Canniff to declare a state of emergency last Friday. 

"Ultimately, it boils down to safety," said Canniff. "When you get a report from an engineer that says there is an imminent possibility of a failure that would devastate all those cottages and homes along there and risk lives — that's what we are facing right now."

The municipality has closed the road, and urged residents to voluntarily leave. The municipality will vote Monday night on whether or not to pass a bylaw that would see part of the road permanently closed, effective March 9. According to council documents, "no emergency or municipal services, including emergency service vehicles would be provided to properties abutting this portion of Erie Shore Drive."

Council is also seeking to waive by-laws that would slow down purchases made by the general manager of infrastructure and engineering of the municipality, to stabilize the road. 

Canniff said staff are working around the clock to find a reasonable solution to the situation that won't keep people from their homes for too long. 

"We are completely devastated as well, and I can't imagine what they're going through," said the mayor. 

Buying out those properties was an idea discussed at a meeting Friday between municipal officials and the public, but with rising lake waters, the mayor said this may not be feasible, though no "long-term position" has been taken.

"It's been the same for a while now... Mother Nature is fighting us here, we're facing water levels that are going up, and going up more after that, which will increase the chance of a breach," said Canniff. 

For now, the municipality will work to make the dike safe enough for homeowners to return to their properties. 

Cadeau said she and others will not be able to access their properties to ensure protection is maintained or to deal with any flooding in the meantime. 

She's worried her insurance will be cancelled, and because of that, her mortgage may be recalled. 

On March 3, two public meetings will be held at the Erieau Fire Station at 780 Ross Lane — one between 2 - 3 p.m. and another between 5 - 6:30 p.m. Technical staff and case managers will be made available to the public.