'Not off the table': Watson wants Queen's Park to consider flood buyouts

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson says he wants the Ontario government to consider buyouts for people living in flood-affected areas.

Hemade the commentsin response to a resident's question duringa flood information sessionat the Constance and Buckham's Bay Community Centre on Monday evening.

"It's not off the table," Watson said.

He said Ontario Premier Doug Ford is still considering a buyout program for people who want to leave areas that have experienced flooding, and the mayor addedhe would raise the issueagain.

"Hopefully the province will keep an open mind to helping these people. If I was living in this situation and I was flooded two years out of three, I would want someone to take over my home because it's just too stressful emotionally and financially."

The mayorsaid the city could not afford buyouts.

• Governments look to buyouts for flood victims
• Quebec hopes to nudge homeowners out of flood zones

Tony Menchiniwho haslived in the same Bayview Drive home for 35 years and was flooded in 2017 and again this yearsaid he would like the province to allow people who qualify for Ontario's Disaster RecoveryAssistance funding to use the money to move instead of repairing their home.

"This is the second time we're going to repair. I can show you houses that were repaired in 2017 that are bailing out water and filled with sandbags. It's not the solution," he said.

Menchini said water has entered his home, the foundation has shifted and the back bedroom continues to take on water. He compared the psychological effects to post-traumatic stress disorder.

"Every spring, you're watching the water, you're watching the snow, you're watching the levels. It's stressful. People are going to do that from here on forward. It's a way of life up here now. That's why I'm in favour of the buyout," he said.

'Lift it or leave it'

Shannon Groves said she'd like to see flood resiliency measures covered under the provincial recovery program, which aren't covered right now.

She's grateful the program covered repairs to her foundation, but the house is still too low.

"We're looking for a fix that lasts more than a year because we'd like to stay," she said. "I'm saying we need to lift it or leave it because I don't think we could do this again ... nobody should have to do this again."

She has to wear chest waders to get out of her driveway, but hasn't had water enter her homeso far, she said.

"There's just no way to keep going every year putting thousands of sandbags around your house and pumping for weeks at a time," Groves said.

On Monday, the Ontario government announced a task force on planning and reducing the impact of flooding. Public consultations will be held in Pembroke, Ont., on May 23 and in Ottawa on May 24.