In general, the city tries to maintain trees wherever possible, including situations where potential damage to the tree or its root system is inevitable. If a tree is determined to be directly in the way of construction or to pose a safety hazard to the contractor during construction or to residents after construction, it will be removed.  

Trees that are not directly in the way of construction are typically left alone, but note that this does not mean it may not still be affected. Trees close to the construction area often require pruning of lower branches to avoid injury to the tree due to the reach of construction equipment. Tree roots can also be affected as the roots of trees generally extend out to their dripline (the reach of the branches), and working outside the dripline is not always possible.  

Previous experience shows that most trees impacted by construction survive and continue to provide the benefits that residents enjoy, but this is not the case for all trees. Some trees may shows signs of dieback following construction due to stress, and other trees may die. The city approach is to leave trees whenever possible and take the chance that it will be okay, rather than proactively removing trees and assuming they would not be okay.  

The city and our engineering consultant continue to refine the design based on existing conditions and resident comments. These revisions may result in changes to the tree removal plan, based on planned equipment to be used, planned access routes, etc. Before construction begins, the city, our engineering consultant and the construction contractor will confirm the final tree removal locations. 

The flood maps provided do account for changes as a result of the new storm sewer bypass. The bypass will divert excess storm water away from the tributary channel running behind homes along Keats Way Place and Keats Walk. The new storm sewer should reduce the risk of flooding under smaller storm events, the kind that happen most frequently.

Although the new bypass will help address small event storm flooding, it is unlikely that the GRCA regulated floodplain mapping will substantially change as a result of the new sewer.  

Upstream of this portion of the creek channel is a very large drainage area that will continue to provide the base flow for the creek. The creek is not at risk of drying out because of the changes proposed. The bypass sewer has been designed so that regular creek flow during normal circumstances will not be impacted, and water will only be diverted during rain events.  

There are numerous options for protecting channels against erosion, and each option tends to suit different situations. In the tributary channel, two types of protection are being implemented: hard armouring (with armour stone) and soft armouring (with a retained soil system). Each option is picked based on its suitability to the situation. Armour stone is typically used in situations where a retaining wall is needed and erosion protection is required due to high shear stress from the flows in the channel (areas where the creek sides are high and steep).  

River stone is not suitable in this situation as it will be washed away during the higher storm and flow events. 

We don't want to interrupt the ecology of the area unnecessarily. If a section of the creek is not showing signs of erosion or bank instability, then we'll leave things alone. This allows us to protect more trees and minimize the damage to the creek area.

The scope of this project is only on the tributary channel to Clair Creek that runs in the rear yards of properties on Keats Walk and Keats Way Place (and adjacent to properties on Coleridge and McDougall). and the bypass sewer installation.

The Stormwater Management Master Plan (2020) identified other priority areas around the city to be addressed. the city will continue with other projects like this in the future.

No, it will remain at the same height.

No, the channel will remain the same width.

Adding height or fill to raise a backyard in the area is typically not feasible. The yard needs to be graded away from the house, and slope towards the creek in order to drain and keep water away from the foundation. Any raised area added along the channel to keep channel flows out of the yard would also act as a dam that could prevent water from draining out of your yard. The bypass sewer will achieve the same goal by diverting excess water from the tributary and keeping the water level lower during more frequent, less intense storm events. 

Any work within the GRCA regulated floodplain, including regrading, would need to follow specific GRCA policies and may not be permissible.

The bypass consists of a 2.4 metre by 1.2 metre box culvert (underground concrete tunnel) and will divert more than half of the flow of water through the creek during the smaller storm events. There is a limit to how big we can build the bypass, and a major storm event will still result in flooding in the area.

The city plans to offer one on one meetings with interested residents to discuss individual anticipated property impacts during construction. This is expected to happen in late February or early March once a construction contractor has been selected and the final layout can be completed. When ready, the city will offer timing windows on specific days that residents can sign up for. More information on this will be coming in the new year.