Waterloo Region’s Drained Ponds

Louisette Lanteigne
700 Star Flower Ave.
Waterloo Ontario
N2V 2L2

June 5th 2009

Can you guess where this is?
Any ideas yet?
It’s the proposed Mega Mall:
City of Kitchener & Waterloo
 Ira Needles Mega Mall
Pond draining #1

• The GRCA reports stated there was no

wetland on site for the Ira Needles mega
mall in spite of video and aerial images
that proved otherwise. I have the GRCA
documents to prove this fact.
• Both Waterloo City of Waterloo and the
City of Kitchener councils were made
aware of the concern.
 Google Earth map shows the large vernal pond that was
located by Ira Needles and University Ave. It’s gone now.
 Videos of Ira Needles Pond being drained

This is a video of the wetland soon after they drained it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-J3WNysFu8

This is a video of the pump used to drain the wetland, visit here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaIwvZxQ0kI&feature=related
 Ira Needles pond habitat before:

• This large vernal pond was home to beavers, migratory

birds, raccoons, foxes, and turtles, etc.

• A Blandings was found in Westvale during the pond

removal phase. The MNR stated the turtle found was a
pet Blandings because it was “tame.”

• Other experts stated the turtle came from the wetlands

“beside the dump”

• Blandings are very docile and wild ones can be handled

and viewed as tame. Blandings were found in previous
years to the north in close proximity to this area. (Angie
Schoen of Turtle Haven, a turtle rescue centre)
 “The City of Waterloo is not responsible for Water Resource
Protection”

City of Waterloo Planner Ryan Mounsey to Louisette Lanteigne as per his

correspondence dated July 27th 2009
re: the Ira Needles proposal.
 OFFICIAL PLAN AMENDMENT 74 AND ZONE CHANGE for DS-09-34
June 22, 2009 Waterloo City Council

As the Zone Change was approved for the Ira Needles Commercial
Centre, Waterloo City Council also agreed to remove this area from
the Laurel Creek Watershed Policy to be relocated into the Henry
Sturm Subwatershed area.
This is the correspondence inspired the change of
Subwatershed
 Issues regarding the change of subwatershed
• The City of Waterloo’s planners initiated the removal of the Ira
Needles Commercial Centre area from one Subwatershed study
to another in spite of the fact the lead planner wrote that water
resource protection is not the City’s responsibility.

• The stamp states the Stantec letter was received on May 4 2009
and the vote was on June 22 2009.

• The letter sent from Stantec does not state it was directed to
either GRCA or Regional Staff, but there was adequate time for
the city to consult with these agencies prior to the rezoning of
the proposal. If the lead planner wrote that the Region has the
responsibility of water source protection, then why didn’t the city
contact the Region’s Water Resources Staff to get them
involved with the planning of this proposal prior to the rezoning
and the Official Plan amendment?
 Change of watershed cont.

• The Henry Sturm subwatershed policy did not include

the Laurel Creek Subwatershed data into the area of
study so the report lacks site specific data regarding
various natural features in the area. Why was a revised
subwatershed study not recommended?

• No data has been presented to indicate what

ramifications this change would have upon the existing
Watershed Studies.

• By removing the property from the Laurel Creek

Subwatershed Study there are now less ecological
constraints for the property that was switched.
West Side Lands off Wilmot Line:
Pond draining #2
• This pond was am
established habitat for
many years.
• Water was over 5 feet
deep in areas.
• Migratory Birds, a
muskrat and various
amphibians lived in
the pond. I’ve
witnessed them for
years.
The pond after. It was drained by culvert in 2006, the year
of the EIS studies.
 The West Side Lands Pond info:

• A culvert was “replaced” which reversed flow in the pond

and diverted water across the street from the City of
Waterloo West Side Lands property to lands in the
township of Wilmot. The new culvert completely drained
the pond.

• The culvert was “replaced” by Wilmot Township staff

who stated no documents exist regarding this work.*

*based on documents secured by Freedom of Information.

When sediment filled the culvert and water came back, this
siphon was used. I found a red wheelbarrow and shovel on
site too. The MNR, City and Region were informed of this.
Mr. Zister on Bisch in the City of Waterloo
Pond draining #3
Mr.Zister lives just outside the ESL boundry line on
a property that contains wetlands.
Mr Zister removed and uprooted mature trees and dumped some of
the debris in the wetlands behind him and burned the rest.
The burn took place within the city of Waterloo without any fire
permit. The piles exceeded the height limit for fires of this kind.
Note the height of the tractor compared to the piles of debris.
 Note the same tractor after the burn and the
smoldering ashes left behind. I spoke with Ron
Ormson at the City of Waterloo about this.
 Nothing was done
• Complaints were issued to the GRCA,
City, MNR staff member Mike Stone but
for some reason, he was never charged.

• His pond leads to an “unnamed creek”

currently being studied as part of the North
Waterloo Subwatershed Study.
Mr. Howald’s Pond In the City of Waterloo
Pond #4
 Mr. Howald’s Pond

• Mr. Howald was a former developer and president of the

Waterloo Regional Home Builder’s Association. He lives
off Erbsville Road just next door to the Columbia Forest
Subdivision in the City of Waterloo.

• His pond was drained by the City of Waterloo.

• When work crews drained the pond, amphibians

escaped into the properties along Columbia Forest
Subdivision with many frogs and salamanders as seen
by residents. Many cried when they witnessed the pond
being removed. They bought their homes believing it
would be a permanent feature in the area.
Erosion issues appeared after the pond draining as evident
under this newly installed sidewalk in front of his property. I
used my sandals to show the length of the hole.
An area resident injured his ankle walking here.
My sandal can be seen in the hole.
Mr. Howald’s pond was over top primary recharge.
 Complaints led to pipe replacement

• On behalf of the neighbourhood association, I proceeded

to get the city of Waterloo to fix the sidewalk.

• Work crews paid for by the City of Waterloo went to Mr.

Howald’s pond to replace the pipe they already installed
but it sank over 20 feet in the muck. They couldn’t find it.

• Hours later the pipe was found and replaced. A new

culvert was installed under the sidewalk.
A new culvert was installed
 Prior to pond removal, The City of Waterloo knew of
threatened and endangered species in the area. Acadian
Flycatchers and Hooded Warblers were mentioned in the
tender offer for the trails adjacent to Mr. Howald’s property.
 PPS 2005 states:
2.1.3 Development and site alteration shall not be permitted
in:
a) significant habitat of endangered species and
threatened species;

2.1.6 Development and site alteration shall not be permitted

on adjacent lands to the natural heritage features and
areas identified in policies 2.1.3, 2.1.4 and 2.1.5 unless
the ecological function of the adjacent lands has been
evaluated and it has been demonstrated that there will
be no negative impacts on the natural features or on
their ecological functions.
 Time of water removal
• Mr. Howald’s land was scheduled to be up for
development but he has since delayed the process.
• Mr. Howald stated the removal of water was to stop
people from “swimming” in the pond but residents
adjacent to the pond never spotted anyone attempting to
do that. He stated it was a liability risk.

• The city removed the pond without any EIS studies.

Waterloo City council member Jim Bolger stated it was
not needed because it was a “man made” pond.

• Animals that frequented the pond included blue herons,

a crane and many amphibians. They are gone now.