FAQs

The Cherry Park neighbourhood is part of the urban water cycle. Stormwater from your neighbourhood flows into Westmount Creek which drains into Victoria Park Lake. Rain and meltwater wash pollutants from roads into local waterways. Heavy rains drain into creeks at high volumes, causing soil erosion.

This work has become more urgent because of climate change. More frequent and more intense storms are expected in the future. Stormwater upgrades will help mitigate the severity of future flooding. We are making similar improvements in locations across Kitchener.

We are in the preliminary stages of designing solutions for Cherry Park. We will not know the impact on the park until we are further along in the process. There will be disruption in the park's regular use during construction, due to the use of heavy machinery. More information will be available on engage as the project moves forward.

 The development of recommended alternatives for each project was completed as part of the City’s Integrated Stormwater Master Plan. For more information, please visit the City of Kitchener website.

We will work with arborists to identify and remove dead trees. Some healthy trees may also be removed throughout the construction and will be replaced with new ones, as per the City's policy.

In 2016, the City prepared an Integrated Stormwater Management Master Plan identifying various sites where stormwater was unmanaged or existing features needed repair.

Through this process, we identified Cherry Park as a location for a stormwater management facility. If you would like to learn more, please visit the City of Kitchener website.

The City of Kitchener is one of the earliest recipients of the Federal Grant called Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF). At the time of application (2018), the DMAF program was estimated to cover 40% of the costs. The rest will be paid for by The City's Sanitary and Stormwater division and Parks and Cemeteries division. 

Actions we take on our individual properties add up to make a big impact on our watershed. Anytime we can slow rain down and soak it up in our yards, there is less stormwater to manage in our pipes and creeks. Naturalized landscaping, trees, rain gardens and rain barrels help us reduce runoff and soak up rain on our own property.    Reep Green Solutions has partnered with the City of Kitchener to help you plan projects for your yard that will improve watershed health. Check out reepgreen.ca/rain-smart to see how we can help you reduce the flood risk in your neighbourhood. This includes a free landscape consultation in your own yard.

This new stormwater pond will not affect your property taxes. Kitchener Utilities collects stormwater fees based on the size and type of properties. Residential properties pay a flat fee that funds stormwater management across the city. 

Stormwater fees are used to fund many programs. They help us monitor infrastructure, create our stormwater master plan, and take on new projects.

Utility rates can change yearly, and these changes are pre-planned. More information about rates can be found on our website: Stormwater utility - City of Kitchener

When you take part in an engagement opportunity on Engage Kitchener, like a survey or idea board, your responses are sent to the staff person leading that project. Your responses are combined with those from in-person activities. Together, this feedback and input will inform the project manager’s decision-making or inform a recommendation to Council who will make the final decision. Note that your responses on Engage Kitchener also become part of the public record.

We advertise engagement opportunities in a wide variety of ways depending on the project or initiative, using approaches that are appropriate and accessible for the residents most affected by the issue. Some projects, like construction or development projects, also have specific requirements they must follow (example: sending letters to affected residents). 

Here are some ways to stay informed about engagement opportunities:

• Register for a free Engage Kitchener account to get notifications of new opportunities on that site 
• If you have a free My Kitchener account, add the “Engagement opportunities” widget to get those same notifications 
• Subscribe to the public consultations newsfeed and the calendar on the City's website to get notifications about in-person or virtual public meetings

We are committed to inclusive and equitable community engagement.  Our focus is on eliminating barriers from the participation process, ensuring those who are most affected are actively included, measuring our progress through demographic data collection, and committing to ongoing relationship-building and engagement.  We use a wide variety of approaches for engaging the broader community, selecting techniques based on the specifics of the issue or project at hand. For more information, please read our Community Engagement Policy.