Here's what Sussex to build next in its fight to keep floodwaters out
Social Sharing
If you stand in the trees and brush between Trout Creek and Kurtis Carter and Kassandra Chudiak's home in Sussex, you can hear water rushing by.
Once a selling point for the couple, who moved into their Meadow Crescent house from Ontario three years ago, proximity to the creek is now the reason Carter has bought a backup property in another part of New Brunswick.
"I really hope this helps," he said of the town's latest flood-control projects. "But at the same time, I still need to have a contingency."
Years after creating a final flood risk mitigation plan, the Town of Sussex recently got the green light from the federal government to begin building multimillion-dollar channels and another berm to divert water around the downtown into the Kennebecasis River.
Like other residents and business owners in town, Carter and Chudiak have had to become experts in dealing with floods in their basement, sometimes as high as four feet, or about 1.2 metres.
And while they're hopeful about the next big steps in the town's flood plan, the couple are still waiting to see how those plans will hold up against water levels that rise almost yearly.
WATCH | Next steps in flood mitigation in Sussex 'all about diverting':
3 major flood-mitigation projects moving forward in Sussex
4 hours ago
Duration 3:50
After getting the green light from the federal government, the Town of Sussex is moving ahead with projects to mitigate the flooding that residents face every year.
"I think it's long overdue," Carter said.
"I think that they're doing what they think is best. Mother nature is going to do what she wants, and we're just kind of along for the ride."
In Carter's backyard are bits of orange tape tied to trees. He believes these represent where a mounting berm is going to be built to contain water from the creek, which swells in heavy rain.
It's first of three major infrastructure projects the town believes will be difference-makers for protecting Sussex from future flooding disasters.In 2019, the municipality built a berm behind the Gateway Mall downtown.
It's a large barrier made of dirt and natural elements. Placed along riverbeds and creeks, it can contain overflow that would otherwise spill onto roads and other areas where it isn't wanted, said Jason Thorne, the chief administrative officer.
It's "basically where the Kennebecasis River rejoins Trout Creek to the western end of town," he said of the first berm. "[It] has proven extremely valuable and a critical first step."
A second berm will be built this summer, Thorne said, along the section of Trout Creek that backs Carter and his partner's community, and it will extend toward Sussex Corner Elementary School.
According to the master plan, the berm will have an average height of 2.3 metres, and span more than 700 metres, with a trail built along the top of it.
The total cost of the barrier, including the cost of buying necessary properties around it, is estimated at $2.5 million.Part of the berm will be built on school property, Thorne said, so the project needs to be completed by the fall in time for the students' return to school.
"That's to protect a neighbourhood that has been greatly impacted by flooding events over the course of the last number of years," he said, referring to Sussex Corner, which is now part of the town.
"We know that some people, unfortunately, with some weather forecasts, don't sleep at night. So it does have very serious impacts."
Channels to divert overflow into Kennebecasis
Also in the pipeline are two large channels, which will be dug in key areas of the municipality to funnel water from smaller waterways into the Kennebecasis River north of town.
"Specifically, this project is all about diverting a certain percentage of the waters that normally flow through the core of our community and that problematic portion," Thorne said.
One channel will direct water from Parsons Brook in the southeast corner of town into the larger Trout Creek, which passes straight through the municipality and is the main source of flooding downtown. It's expected to be about two metres deep.
The Trout Creek diversion channel will be closer to three metres deep and will connect Trout Creek northward with the Kenebecasis River.
Crossing several roads and a major highway, the Trout Creek channel is by far the bigger job with an estimated cost of $16 million. The Parsons Brook channel is estimated at $1.8 million
Another reason the green light from Ottawa is a milestone, Thorne said, is that it reduces the timeline for completion of the project by up to three years, and could save the municipality as much as $250,000.
The entire plan, including the two channels, is scheduled to be complete by 2028, and it's a "really critical … project for us to put behind us as a community," he said.
A federal agency that assesses the impact that large projects will have on the environment has helped to streamline the process for the municipality moving forward.
Part of the approvals surrounding the mitigation project demanded the town submit a report outlining the ways diversion channels might impact local environments and species.
The federal government held open houses with residents and Indigenous groups and decided no further research into the impact was needed. This means the town won't need to pay for an in-depth federal assessment.
Thorne said the town still has a list of permits to obtain to be able to build the berm and channels, and it's already bought certain properties and homes it needs to access the areas where those projects will be built.
Carter hopes he and Chudiak will be able to stay,a nd he wants the town to hold community information sessions soon than later so people can better understand how the projects will affect them and their properties.
"I think it's the start of something good," he said. "My hope is that we're able to use more of the land here that we bought and not worry about it getting all kind of washed away."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
8 hours ago
- CTV News
Warnings of ‘danger' as Ontario is set to face extreme heat: Phillips
Senior Climatologist David Phillips urges people to remain safe during the upcoming heatwave in Ontario as many may not be climatized to the hot weather.
CTV News
8 hours ago
- CTV News
Parts of Sask. could receive up to 80 millimetres of rain this weekend
Areas of Ontario and Quebec have rainfall warnings on June 19, 2025. (Pexels) A rainy weekend is expected in parts of Saskatchewan, with up to 80 millimetres of rain possible in some areas by Saturday night. Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) issued a rainfall warning for a portion of west central Saskatchewan around 3:30 p.m. on Friday. According to the warning, showers will begin late Friday evening and overnight before turning into heavy rain on Saturday morning. The weather agency says the heavy rain will continue during the day but will taper off in the evening. As of Friday afternoon, the warning covered areas including Kindersley, Eston, Rosetown, and surrounding regions. ECCC warns heavy downpours may lead to flash flooding and water pooling on roads, advising residents to stay alert and monitor forecasts here. ECCC As of Friday evening, parts of west central Saskatchewan were under a rainfall warning. (Photo source: Environment and Climate Change Canada) Increased runoff In an advisory Friday afternoon, the Water Security Agency (WSA) said the large amounts of rain is likely to increase runoff into the South Saskatchewan River, as well as other bodies of water between Lake Diefenbaker and the western border. WSA advises people to take precautions around lakes and rivers, making sure to be aware that water levels can change quickly and without warning. WSA asks the public to check local conditions before venturing on or near bodies of water and says it will provide updates as necessary.
National Post
9 hours ago
- National Post
Second death confirmed in Banff rockslide: 'Neither preventable nor predictable'
A rock slide in Banff National Park claimed two lives on Thursday, including a senior woman from Calgary. Article content RCMP and Parks Canada officials said Friday afternoon that their search for victims went on through the night and into the morning at Bow Glacier Falls. Article content Article content The first death was confirmed to be a 70-year-old woman from Calgary, Jutta Hinrichs, while the second hiker's body was recovered early Friday morning. That person had not been identified by Friday afternoon. Article content 'RCMP are notifying their next of kin and no further information is available at this time,' the agencies said in a joint statement. Article content Article content 'At this time, there are no additional persons reported missing and no additional unidentified vehicles at the trailhead located at Bow Lake.' Article content Officials added that three injured hikers taken to hospital by STARS air ambulance and ground ambulance Thursday were all in stable condition. In total, 13 visibly injured visitors or non-injured bystanders were evacuated from the scene. Article content There were ultimately 100 personnel involved in the response effort, including crews from several first response agencies. Article content As part of search efforts, Canada Task Force 2 — a natural disaster response team — conducted infrared flights, through their partners in the Calgary Police Service, to complete a thorough assessment of the area. Article content Meanwhile, a geotechnical engineer from Canada Task Force 2 conducted a slope stability assessment. Article content Article content Francois Masse, Parks Canada superintendent for the Lake Louise, Yoho and Kootenay field unit, said that assessment revealed the rockfall was caused by natural processes in mountain areas. Article content 'Sadly, this extremely rare event appears to have been neither preventable nor predictable,' he told reporters. Article content 'Parks Canada and the RCMP extend our deepest condolences to the families and friends of the two individuals who lost their lives. Our thoughts also remain with those in hospital and we hope for their full recovery.' Article content Article content The first victim was confirmed as Jutta Hinrichs, a retired occupational therapist from Calgary and a clinical education co-ordinator for the University of Alberta. She was a member of a local hikers group called Slow and Steady Hikers, some of whose members were caught in the rock slide.
