The City of Kitchener has completed the Class Environmental Assessment to address flood risk at Schneider and Shoemaker Creeks. The recommended solution is to:

• Construct naturalized channels,
• Realign a section of the Iron Horse Trail, and
• Include three amenity features along the trail.

The City has planned this project through the Schedule “C” process of the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (2015). As such, public and technical agency consultation played a key role in developing the study recommendations.

An Environmental Study Report (ESR) documenting the planning process undertaken, details of the study recommendations as well as potential impacts and mitigation measures, has been completed and is being made available for public review. Subject to comments received following this Notice and the receipt of approvals, the City intends to proceed with the detail design and construction of the recommended project as outlined in the ESR, which will include further in-person public engagement sessions before construction.

View the report

View the appendices

Interested persons may provide written comments to the project team by May 27, 2024. Further information may be obtained from one of the following members of the project team:

Chris Nechacov, C.E.T.

Design & Construction Project Manager

City of Kitchener

Tel: 519-741-2200 ext 7148

Email: schneidercreekea@kitchener.ca

Steve Brown, MBA, P.Eng.

Project Manger

Stantec Consulting Ltd.

Tel: 519-585-7446

Email: schneidercreekea@stantec.com

In addition, a request to the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks for an order imposing additional conditions or requiring an individual environmental assessment may be made on the grounds that the requested order may prevent, mitigate or remedy adverse impacts on constitutionally protected Aboriginal and treaty rights. Requests should include your full name and contact information.

Requests should specify what kind of order is being requested (additional conditions or an individual environmental assessment), explain how an order may prevent, mitigate or remedy potential adverse impacts, and can include any supporting information.

The request should be sent in writing and must be received by the Minister and Director at the coordinates below as well as to the City of Kitchener project contact above no later than May 27, 2024:

Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks

Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks

777 Bay Street, 5th Floor

Toronto, ON M7A 2J3

Minister.mecp@ontario.ca

and

Director, Environmental Assessment Branch

Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks

135 St. Clair Ave. W, 1st Floor

Toronto, ON M4V 1P5

EABDirector@ontario.ca

Please visit the ministry’s website for more information on requests for orders under section 16 of the Environmental Assessment Act at: www.ontario.ca/page/class-environmentalassessments-part-ii-order.

All personal information included in your request – such as name, address, telephone number and property location – is collected, under the authority of section 30 of the Environmental Assessment Act and is collected and maintained for the purpose of creating a record that is available to the general public. As this information is collected for the purpose of a public record, the protection of personal information provided in the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) does not apply (s.37). Personal information you submit will become part of a public record that is available to the general public unless you request that your personal information remain confidential.

This Notice was first issued April 10, 2024.

Thanks to everyone who filled out a survey or came out to the third public information centre on December 12, 2023. The majority of participants chose the preferred design concept as their favourite.

This design concept included:

• Restored sections of Schneider and Shoemaker creeks
• Extending the Iron Horse Trail from Ottawa Street to Sydney Street
• A new trail along Shoemaker Creek between Courtland Avenue and the Iron Horse Trail
• Adding amenities like seating or lookouts to up to three places along the trails

Read the summary report

Thank you to everyone who came to the Public Information Centre on Tuesday, Dec. 12. Check out the open house presentation boards and tell us what you think! The presentation boards include:

• Project background and evaluation criteria
• Four alternative design options for the preferred solution
• An evaluation of the design options
• A preliminary preferred design option

Whether you attended this week or not, we want your feedback! Please fill in our survey so we can hear what you think about the alternative design options.

Answer the survey

Please join us for the third public information centre about the Schneider Creek Environmental Assessment.

December 12, 2023

5:00 p.m. - 8.00 p.m.

Rockway Golf Course, 625 Rockway Drive, Kitchener

The City of Kitchener invites you to our third public information centre for the Schneider Creek and Shoemaker Creek Environmental Assessment. At this event, you will be able to review concept designs for the preferred solution. We want your feedback on the design alternatives.

These design alternatives are being created using community feedback from the last two Open Houses in 2023. We want to hear from you as we work towards a final design.

Please register for this event here: Registration Form

At this event, we will have available:

• Light dinner provided
• Free GRT bus or ION passes
• Childminding for ages 4-12
• All-gender washrooms

Alternate formats, communication supports, and accommodations are also available. If you require an accessible document or support to participate in this event, please let Sarah Anderson know at Sarah.Anderson@kitchener.ca or 519-741-2200 x4047.

We hope to see you there!

The second Public Information Centre for the Schneider and Shoemaker Creeks Environmental Assessment is on June 28, 2023. Check out the presentation materials and tell us what you think!

Read the June 28 Information Centre materials

The presentation materials include:

• Project details such as opportunities and constraints
• Four alternative solutions
• Evaluation criteria that will be used to assess the alternatives
• A preliminary preferred solution

We want your feedback on the alternative solutions and the evaluation criteria. Please share your comments and ideas by clicking on these ideas boards:

• Tell us what you think about the alternative solutions
• Tell us what you think about the evaluation criteria

Please join us for a second public information centre:

June 28, 2023

5:00 p.m. - 8.00 p.m.

Rockway Collegiate Mennonite Collegiate, 110 Doon Rd. Kitchener

The City of Kitchener is hosting a public meeting to share information about an environmental assessment at the area where Schneider and Shoemaker creeks meet.

The same brief presentation will be delivered twice — at 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. — and staff will be available to answer questions throughout the meeting.

We invite you to join us for this second public meeting to learn more about the project and ask our team questions. We want your feedback on alternative solutions and evaluation criteria.

Please register for this event here: Registration Form

At this event, we will have available:

• Light refreshments
• Free GRT bus or ION passes
• Childminding for ages 4-12
• All-gender washrooms

Alternate formats, communication supports, and accommodations are also available. If you require an accessible document or support to participate in this event, please let Sarah Anderson know at Sarah.Anderson@kitchener.ca or 519-741-2200 x4047.

We hope to see you there!

Thank you to everyone who joined us on April 13, 2023 for our first public information centre. More than 70 people came to share their thoughts and learn more about the project!

The slides from the presentation are now available: View the presentation.

The boards from the night are also now available for viewing: View the boards.

Find questions and answers from the first public information centre under FAQ.

If you have any additional comments or questions, please contact the project team.

We regularly share new and updated information about this project. If you would like to receive those updates by email, please add your email to the Stay Informed box on the project page and then click 'Subscribe'.

Looking forward to seeing you all at the public information centre!

Join us tomorrow April 13, 2023 from 6:00-8:00pm at Rockway Golf Course (625 Rockway Drive, Kitchener).

Come and learn about the project, ask questions, and share your ideas and considerations that should be taken into account during the development of design alternatives.

There will be light refreshments and also activities available for children 4+. We will have a formal presentation and question and answer period from 6:30-7:00pm.