On July 16, Mississauga resident Ruel Suazon, whose home backs onto a park where the Little Etobicoke Creek runs, found himself unprepared for the devastating flood that turned out to be “the worst” he had ever experienced.

Suazon was among those affected by Mississauga’s latest “100-year storm,” which brought 106 millimeters of rain in just hours, triggering flash flooding and emergency rescues.

“Everything in our fully furnished basement was flooded and damaged,” he recalled after attending the November 13 public information session at the Living Arts Centre, along with 250 other residents.

Having lived in the same home on Queen Frederica Drive for over 35 years, Suazon faced his third basement flood since moving in. A similar storm in 2013 caused widespread damage across Mississauga and the Greater Toronto Area, totaling $932 million in damages, raising awareness of the increasing frequency and severity of such weather events. Storms in 2005 and 2009 caused approximately $1 billion in combined damages. A report by the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) this year revealed that, for the second consecutive year, Canada experienced over $3 billion in insured damage from severe weather, with flooding being the leading cause.

For Suazon and many others, the July storms weren’t just a reminder of climate change—they were part of a personal crisis. Even months later, he’s still dealing with the financial and emotional aftermath. “We’re having a hard time with insurance,” he said. “It’s tough to cope with these kinds of losses, especially when you’ve worked so hard, piece by piece, to build your life here as an immigrant.”

Another resident at the session, a senior woman who chose to remain anonymous, shared that she and her husband were “overwhelmed” when 12 inches of sewer water flooded their basement. They lost everything—furniture, appliances, their washer, dryer, furnace, and water heater—and received “very little” from insurance.

“We had no air conditioning, and we had no hot water for three weeks, which is a long time.”

Just a month later, the city was hit by another “once-in-a-century” storm over the weekend of August 17, forcing local officials to confront the growing challenge of safeguarding Mississauga from the inevitable effects of climate change.

Mississauga’s Climate Change Action Plan predicts that by 2050, severe weather will occur every six years instead of every 40, with annual rainfall expected to increase by 70 millimeters.

“Extreme events like lightning, thunderstorms, snowstorms, hail, floods, and other climate-related events will become more intense due to a warmer future climate,” staff previously noted.

In response to the heavy storms that brought over 497 millimeters of rain between June and August, Mayor Carolyn Parrish announced three new financial relief programs during the session, including one set to begin in December.

The Residential Compassionate Flood Relief Grant will provide a one-time payment of $1,000 to homeowners and tenants who experienced basement flooding during the severe storms of July 16 and August 17-18.

Residents say it’s not enough but appreciate the help. “There’s no amount that truly compensates for what we lost, but it’s better than nothing,” said one resident. “It won’t fully reimburse us for the cleanup, garbage removal, and specialized restoration services, but I’m grateful for anything.”

Following the 2013 flood, Mississauga reassessed its stormwater systems.

“Since 2016, we have invested over $231 million in stormwater infrastructure,” Parrish noted, adding that the city’s 10-year plan also includes an additional $340 million for ongoing upgrades to help the city withstand future storms.

The Region of Peel currently offers a $1,500 rebate for homeowners to install a backwater valve, which helps prevent basement flooding from sanitary sewer backups.

Starting in February 2025, Mississauga will introduce two new relief programs. The Basement Flooding Prevention Rebate Program will offer up to $6,800 for eligible flood prevention improvements, while the Flood Resilience Rebate Program will cover 50% of the cost, up to $3,000, for water-resistant materials and other flood-reducing measures.

At the November 25 council meeting, Ward 3 Councillor Chris Fonseca successfully proposed increasing the rebate program’s budget by $500,000, raising the cap to $1.5 million, and extending eligibility to cover floods since July 2013.

Suazon praised Fonseca for her active involvement in the community and efforts to address residents’ concerns. In July, Fonseca introduced a motion requesting a report on options to reduce future storm damage and called for continued collaboration with the Region of Peel and conservation authorities. The city has already conducted extensive studies on flood risks, including the 2021 Dixie Dundas Flood Mitigation Study, which recommended replacing the Dundas Street East bridge to reduce upstream flooding. This critical $8.3 million to $9.5 million project is fully funded by the city’s Capital Plan.

Flooding in the area has been a longstanding issue since the 1970s, exacerbated by urbanization. Despite ongoing mitigation efforts by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, progress has been slow.

Ward 10 Lisgar resident Glenn Voakes also voiced frustration over flooding in the area, urging the city to follow through on building four pumping stations. “We’ve been dealing with this for 15 years… we want to see something done,” he said.

Sam Rogers, the city’s acting transportation and works commissioner, explained that one pumping station in Lisgar has already been completed, with two more set to finish by 2025. The need for a fourth station will depend on whether the third station successfully alleviates the flooding issues.

Mississauga has numerous infrastructure programs aimed at mitigating flooding, but limited funding and a growing infrastructure gap make it difficult to fully address the increasing frequency of extreme weather events.

Parrish noted the city’s efforts to secure federal and provincial grants for crucial flood prevention and infrastructure projects, but expressed frustration with the lack of support. “We’ve been left to dry,” she said, acknowledging the poor choice of words. She encouraged residents to send letters to Premier Doug Ford, urging for greater financial support for flood prevention and resilient infrastructure, as many residents, despite paying stormwater fees, now find themselves without insurance coverage for flood damage.

In an interview with *The Pointer*, Parrish voiced her frustration over Mississauga’s lack of funding compared to other municipalities like Toronto and Ottawa. “We’re tired of being the poor cousins,” she said.

In September, she had vowed to “fight back” after Mississauga was excluded from multi-million-dollar flood relief funding for Toronto and Brampton from both the provincial and federal governments.

On November 25, Mississauga council moved forward with a multimillion-dollar plan to accelerate flood mitigation efforts. The budget committee approved a $30-million increase to the stormwater budget for 2025, which will include funding for over 20 new full-time positions to enhance infrastructure maintenance and speed up flood mitigation, particularly in the Dixie and Dundas areas. An additional $10 million was allocated for sewer and drainage upgrades in Malton, mostly funded by the city’s stormwater reserves.

However, two significant concerns emerged during the discussions.

The first issue was addressed at the meeting: the stormwater reserves could be depleted by 2026 without additional revenue. Emma Calvert, the city’s interim director of infrastructure planning, suggested the possibility of raising the stormwater charge in future years and redirecting provincial funding for flood mitigation to stormwater projects to offset costs.

Calvert also presented the city’s 10-year capital plan, which includes $365 million in proposed projects for 2025-2034. Notable projects include Dundas BRT Storm Sewer Improvements, Port Credit storm drainage upgrades, and the Credit River Erosion Control project (estimated at $2.8 million in 2029).

The second, more pressing issue is whether these investments will be sufficient.

A 2022 report by the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario (FAO) warned that extreme rainfall from climate change could cost municipalities an additional $700 million annually to maintain stormwater and wastewater systems. The report noted that infrastructure like stormwater pipes, ditches, and sewer systems will need costly upgrades, with maintenance costs potentially rising by up to $6.2 billion by 2030 due to the increasing frequency and severity of weather events.

Without action to adapt to these climate impacts, municipalities could face a 27% increase in infrastructure costs compared to maintaining a stable climate.

Mississauga, like other cities, faces mounting challenges in managing flooding despite significant investments in stormwater infrastructure. The question remains: what will it take for Queen’s Park and Ottawa to prevent the next catastrophic flood?