A large stormwater detention pond in Mississauga’s Meadowvale neighborhood has caused significant problems for nearby residents for several months.

Residents report that the pond, designed to capture and release rainwater into the Credit River, has been blocked for weeks.

“For years, we’ve had no issues,” said David Barrington, whose backyard borders the pond. “But now it’s just a swamp and full of algae.”

Barrington notes that the blockage is leading to multiple problems.

“Wildlife like deer used to roam here, but they’ve vanished,” he said.

Mosquitoes have also become a major concern.

“After 6 p.m., you can’t go outside or you’ll be swarmed,” he added.

Barrington fears that the lack of drainage caused water to flood into his basement during the historic rainfall on July 16, which forced him to remove his flooring.

“With the pond clogged, it creates a backlog in the system. That’s exactly what happened in our house, resulting in a flooded basement,” he explained.

Barrington has been raising the alarm for months. While he mentioned that city staff did send a crew to investigate, the blockage remained unresolved.

“That’s when I decided to contact CityTV,” he said. “With your help, I’m sure there will be more pressure to address the issue.”

Speakers Corner reached out to Mississauga city staff, who assured they would investigate and determine if any corrections were needed. Less than 12 hours later, a crew was dispatched to the pond.

“Starting today, for the very first time, there’s a truck working on this,” Barrington said. “After you contacted them, they realized the pressure was on, and a crew found a blockage preventing the pond from functioning properly.”

In a statement, city staff told Speakers Corner, “The water levels remained elevated, and the main outlet pipe was not flowing.”

The spokesperson added that while a secondary overflow outlet was allowing stormwater to discharge safely, the primary outlet still required clearing.

“City contractors were on-site to flush the pipe and restore the pond to normal operation,” they stated.

Barrington is hopeful that these efforts will restore the pond’s functionality.

“I really hope it returns to what it once was,” he said. “Not just for me and the other residents, but also for the wildlife to return to their natural habitat. That’s all we were asking for.”