By Joel Goldenberg
The Suburban

St. Laurent mayor Alan DeSousa is calling on the City of Montreal to reinstate a retention basin project for his borough that was cancelled in 2022.

St. Laurent was especially hard hit from the downpours that took place in quick succession this past July 10 and Aug. 9, particularly in the areas of Thimens, Côte Vertu, and Autoroutes 40 and 13. During a recent borough council meeting answering complaints about the July 10 flood, DeSousa said affected residents live near the Leduc collector, which goes from Thimens eastward.

“What we’ve noticed is that the collector’s full, if the pipe is full, your water has no place to go and it goes back into the neighbourhood,” he told a resident.

During that meeting, DeSousa also said the borough would see if there is anything the City of Montreal could do.

At the Aug. 20 Montreal city council meeting, DeSousa pointed out that the Aug. 9 flooding caused serious damage to basements, businesses and cars. He pointed out that a Montreal study in 2006 and 2007 recommended the creation of four retention basins to prevent such flooding, and that, ultimately, only the Leduc basin was cancelled. The others, Rockfield in Lachine, William in the South-West borough and Lavigne in Ahuntsic-Cartierville, were built.

“What is the justification of the Montreal administration for abandoning the project?” the St. Laurent Mayor asked. “This infrastructure is essential.”

DeSousa’s microphone was then cut off as the administration was asked for a response.

Maja Vodanovic, the city executive committee member responsible for the water dossier, responded that the requested government funding had already been spent on the other three retention basins, and that the Leduc retention basin did not meet the funding requirement of preventing the discharge of storm water and waste water into a river.

DeSousa countered that the Montreal water service “clearly indicated” that the Leduc retention basin qualified in terms of reducing discharges into a river. n