As their backyards sink into the Mattagami River, residents of Wallingford Road are desperate to save their homes.
At least one resident is afraid to sleep in her home for fear of it collapsing.
Residents of 240-178 Wallingford road say that, starting last year, degradation of waterfront property behind their homes has increased dramatically.
“It’s falling like crazy, we just lost six feet,” said 230 Wallingford Road owner Roger Carriere, whose property has likely suffered the most.
Although residents have reported smaller problems in the soil for years, it wasn’t until the spring and summer of 2015 when about 12 feet of land slipped into the river behind some of the properties causing a dramatic change in the landscape.
Combined, owners spent upwards of $100,000 just to put down stone in an attempt to stop the land from degrading further.
The residents don’t actually own the land however — all property 66 feet from the river is owned by the city — but they decided to invest their own funds as a proactive measure to prevent their homes from being destroyed.
Some of these homes are just one or two years old.
This summer the degradation, or slippage of the land into the river, came back only this time it effected Carriere's property.
Carrier’s slippage actually goes onto his property and his foundation has started to crack, he says as a result of what’s happening.
“My wife was just talking to me, she s been crying and crying. She doesn’t want to sleep there anymore. She’s scared,” he said.
Carriere said he and his wife had owned the house for 20 years and were just about the put the home up for sale this summer before all the problems hit them.
No one is quite sure why the degradation is happening but drainage issues are the main suspect.
Wallingford Road has experienced serious flooding issues for years and the natural drainage system — a large swale ditch running through several properties – was filled in and replaced with culverts.
Residents suspect the flooding on the road on front of their homes, the alteration of the drainage system that runs through their properties, and the degradation of the waterfront property in their backyards, are all connected.
“If the water can’t get to the river fast enough it floods. (It seems) the drainage issue caused the slippage issue,” said Ward 1 councilor Andre Grzela who represents the affected residents and who recently brought their concerns to council.
On Monday, city council voted to take initial steps in finding a professional services firm to study the residents’ problem and determine a cause.
“Council voted and asked administration to put together an RFP (request for proposal) to complete a comprehensive drainage study. Upon receiving the successful firm, administration will return to council for a final vote to then start the study,” said Grzela.
Gzela said a similar projected-sized study in Sudbury cost about $90,000.
Grzela said that besides wanting to help residents, the city has direct interest in solving the issue since the yearly flooding on Wallingford Road costs Public Works money and every bit of land that sinks into the river is lost city property.
Affected residents include the family of Marcel Forget, who with his wife bought and built a home on the property neighbouring Carriere’s in 2013 and now live there with their two infant children.
They chose the place because it was a “two in one”; it provided the feel of a cottage while also providing the convenient location of a city home.
“We get to use the river for leisure activity like boating, fishing, and swimming. That was the purpose of building here. With the erosion that happened we had to use mine rock to remediate it; it’s hard to enjoy it now because we can’t walk down there in bare feet and we can’t sit down there in lawn chairs,“ said Forget.
Forget said he invested his life savings in his home and on top of spending $60,000 in mine rock and proactive home saving measures already, he’s worried there will be more costs coming; but he really just wants to save his home.
All affected are just hoping for a quick resolution to the issue before irreparable damage is done.
“All we want to do is make sure it gets done and gets done quick so the residents and the city don’t lose too much on the slippage. I asked staff to make this a priority due to the issue on Wallingford and the time of year. We’re hoping for a quick turnaround and a dry fall,” said Grzela.
