BARRIE -- Residents in Innisfil are tired of talking about the ongoing flooding issues in Belle Ewart that never seem to get resolved, but there is a glimmer of hope thanks to a company called Ducks Unlimited.
Ducks Unlimited is a national company that has made it its mission to conserve and restore wetlands.
Last year the Ontario Trillium Foundation awarded the organization a grant of $74,800 to research the use of wetlands as natural infrastructure, and the results may be beneficial to flood-prone communities.
"Research showed that wetlands as natural infrastructure are a great complement to traditional gray infrastructure and have the ability to reduce cost associated with traditional gray infrastructure," said Ducks Unlimited Provincial Policy Specialist Sean Rootham.
The Town of Innisfil is also going to be working with the federal government's National Disaster Mitigation Program and others in the private sector.
"We are excited to work on a diversion project which will take high flows from Belle Aire and divert it to Little Cedar Wetland in order to help elevate some of the flooding issues there," Innisfil Mayor Lynn Dollin said.
Residents along Belle Aire Beach Road are welcome to attend the next environmental assessment meeting, which is set for February.
