Notice of study completion

The study

The City of Guelph through Aquafor Beech Limited have completed a Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (Class EA) Study for the City of Guelph Stormwater Management (SWM) Master Plan.

The SWM Master Plan (SWM-MP) updates the City’s 2012 SWM-MP and serves as a decision support tool as well as a methodology for the prioritization of work and is foundational to the establishment of City policies. The study area focused on all lands within the city of Guelph municipal boundaries.

The process

The study followed the Master Planning Approach No. 2 in accordance with Environmental Assessment Act as per the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (MEA) document, October 2000, as amended in 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2023, and satisfies the requirements of Schedule B projects and identifies future Schedule C projects.

The Class EA process included public/external agency consultation, an evaluation of alternative solutions and alternative design concepts, an assessment of potential impacts associated with the proposed improvements and the development of measures to mitigate identified impacts. In keeping with the Class EA process, various alternatives were developed, evaluated and a preferred alternative(s) selected for six categories of stormwater management practices and program elements, including:

1. Municipal pollution prevention, operations and maintenance practices
2. Private property strategies (source controls)
3. Stormwater for the capital roads program (conveyance controls)
4. Stormwater management facilities
5. Watercourse and erosion restoration
6. Urban flood management and stormwater infrastructure

The recently completed Project File Report and this notice is being placed in the public record for review. Subject to comments received as a result of this notice, and receipt of necessary approvals, the City of Guelph intends to proceed with the recommendations documented in the Class EA Project File using a phased implementation approach pending funding. The Project File Report is available for review at https://guelph.ca/plans-and-strategies/stormwater-management/

Interested persons should provide written comment to Reg Russwurm, MBA, P.Eng., at the City of Guelph within 30 calendar days from the date of this notice.

Reg Russwurm, MBA, P.Eng.
Manager, Design and Construction
[email protected]

If concerns arise regarding this project, which cannot be resolved in discussion with the City, a person or party may request that the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks make a Section 16 Order (appeal). A request can be made by anyone who believes that the environmental assessment process may have a potential adverse impact on constitutionally protected Indigenous and treaty rights and that an Order may prevent, mitigate, or remedy this impact. To submit a Section 16 Order request, the information that must be provided can be found on the Class environmental assessments: Section 16 Order website (https://www.ontario.ca/page/class-environmental-assessments-section-16-order#section-3). Once completed, the request can be sent to both the Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks and the Director of Environmental Assessment Branch. Their addresses are:

Minister
Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
777 Bay Street, 5th Floor
Toronto, ON M7A 2J3
[email protected] 

Director
Environmental Assessment and Permissions Branch
Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
135 St. Clair Ave. West, 1st Floor
Toronto, ON M4V 1P5
[email protected]

All Section 16 order requests must be received by the Minister within 30 calendar days from the issue date of the Notice. A copy of the request must also be sent to the contact person at the City of Guelph. If no request for further review is received by the Minister by September 17, 2023, this EA Study shall be considered final and used as the basis for the future projects, programs, and policy in the City of Guelph.

This Notice was issued on August 17, 2023.

Information will be collected in accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. With the exception of personal information, all comments will become part of the public record.