FAQs

The Concordia Park neighbourhood is part of the urban water cycle. Stormwater from your neighbourhood flows into Voisin and Borden Creek’s. 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.

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 plant a wide variety of native species as we restore creeks. The design team prioritizes native species in the plant selection process. We choose plants that are suitable for creek ecosystems. Where possible, we also include native plants important to local Indigenous peoples.

Reducing the spread of invasive plant species is important to us. During construction, the project team looks for ways to safely remove invasive plant species.

This project focuses on repairing erosion and protecting buried infrastructure in the creek. The flooding around the Forest Hill Dr neighbourhood is caused by undersized sewers and debris such as leaves covering the catch basins in the Fall. These sewers are slow at draining away water from storm events. This project will not be addressing those flooding concerns. The city is aware of the frequent flooding in the area and has prioritized its resolution. If you notice maintenance needed for debris removal, please contact the Corporate Contact Centre at 519-741-2345.

We will maintain access to the park amenities that are not under construction. There may be some closures of the trail during the construction, limiting accessibility. This is for the safety of the community and those who use the trail.

The bridges have been recently inspected and are in fit condition for public use, so they will not be replaced as part of this project.

Yes, the trails will be restored to brand new condition, as per our new standard – 3.0m wide asphalt. This trail will be winter maintained after being upgraded to asphalt.

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 Borden Creek and Voisin Creek as in need of repair, where erosion was endangering nearby surface features (sidewalk, trees, properties) as well as buried infrastructure near the creeks (watermains and sanitary pipes). If you would like to learn more, please visit the City of Kitchener website.

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.

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. 

When naturalizing a creek, we aim to address issues of flooding, erosion, and water quality. A typical project design would include the use of natural materials such as rocks, logs, and native plants. Where there's room, we also use meandering creek designs, which help in slowing down the water flow. This helps reduce erosion and protects the local habitat. These changes improve creek health and protect it from future weather and flooding events. Here are some examples of completed creek restorations:

• Montgomery Creek in Wilson Park, completed in 2022
• Idlewood Creek at the Grand River, completed in 2019
• Henry Sturm Creek in Filsinger Park, completed in 2015

This new creek restoration 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

Grading the land around a creek is an important part of creek naturalization work and it requires trees to be removed. Before construction, we examine each tree to determine whether it would survive construction work. A tree might be removed if the tree:

• Was unhealthy pre-construction
• Is within the project zone and will be damaged by construction
• Has roots that will be damaged by construction, making the tree unhealthy

Decisions about whether or not to remove trees are made in consultation with the City’s forestry staff.

Material from the trees that are cut down can be reused in construction. For example, tree trunks and roots help reinforce new stream banks as part of a creek restoration.  

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.

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

Your information will be kept confidential and the data will only be available in aggregate form. This means that your answers will be grouped with other answers and there will be no way to identify you personally.