Barrie unveils Kidd's Creek redesign aimed at drastically reducing flooding

The City of Barrie celebrated the recent completion of the Kidd's Creek Culvert Replacement project, which has been in the works since 2013.

"It may not look like much, but it's hugely important," said Mayor Jeff Lehman at the unveiling Thursday.

Lehman said the creek would help drastically reduce flooding in Barrie.

"We're even seeing heavy rain in the winter when the ground is frozen, which pushes more water into creeks like this into a faster period of time, and that creates more flooding. So it's to protect people and their property," the mayor said.

The open channel creek will also increase fish habitat and improve water quality in Lake Simcoe.

"By doing it in this way, we create a natural filter that removes pollution from Lake Simcoe before it gets there," added Lehman.

The Barrie mayor believes it's a step towards fighting climate change and will positively impact future generations.

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The City partnered with the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority on the project.

"They were really excited to take an opportunity and get rid of the pipe, and open up and have a natural channel which has a whole host of benefits, so obviously we were really excited about that kind of collaboration," said Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority director of engineering Kenneth Cheney.

The City received $3.5 million in federal funding from the National Disaster Mitigation Program.

The project is designed to withstand a once-in-100-year storm event.

"Our residents will remember the storm in 2005 that flooded this area and really got the ball rolling on what can we do here to improve this situation," said City of Barrie engineering project manager Nathanael Couperus.

The City said it is actively working on multiple projects to lessen the risk of flooding, including watershed improvement and storm water work.

Complete information on the Kidd's Creek project and a list of other City of Barrie projects are available on the City's website.