3 | O akville B eaver | T hursday,D ecem ber 2,2021 insidehalton.com For a Free consultation call oakville: 905.842.2022 ToronTo: 416.644.3999 Denied Disabled Benefits? I canhelp. My teamof experienced lawyers can help youwith: •Disability Claims Short-TermDisability, long-TermDisability, CPP •Car accidents •Slip and Falls •Wrongful Dismissal Injured? I don't get paid unless I getYoumoneY. oFFiCeS in oakville and ToronTo eMail: sspadafora@slspc.ca Disability and EmploymEnt law Disability Founded in 1991 Peter Watson MBA, CFP®, R.F.P., CIM®, FCSI Jennifer Watson MBA, CFP®, CIM® Accepting new clients. Please visit www.watsoninvestments.com to book a free consultation. Offering safe virtual meetings and e-signatures for new client onboarding. "Our clients enjoy talking about their retirement dreams and we enjoy helping them get there." Peter & Jennifer info@watsoninvestments.com (905) 842 -2100 Representatives for the plaintiffs in a nearly $1-billion class action lawsuit against Mayor Rob Burton and the Town of Oakville expressed dismay at council's ap- parent lack of public discussion on the Sheldon Creek Flood Mitigation Opportu- nities Study at the Nov. 15 council meeting. "The Sheldon Creek Study fails to dis- close the defendant's role in concealing the extent of those previously known flood re- lated risks, failing to create flood models and maps of Oakville and contravening Ontario flood hazard policy and technical guidelines," said Michael Reid, senior law clerk for Will Davidson LLP, who repre- sents the plaintiffs in the lawsuit. "This should have been disclosed, dis- cussed and debated as part of their obliga- tions both at law and to the public given that they had been warned of the flood risks for many years," he alleged. The lawsuit, which was filed in Septem- ber, has not yet been certified. The allega- tions in the lawsuit have not been proven in court. "The Town and Mayor will not be be re- sponding to any specific allegations at this time," a Town of Oakville spokesperson said. "The Town, through its insurer, will defend the claim on the grounds that it has no merit and that at all times the Town has acted in good faith, within the scope of its legislative authority, by implementing provincial policies that permitted new growth and development." After coming back from an in-camera session of council, Burton said that recom- mendations were made on several items, including the Sheldon Creek study listed on the Nov. 15 meeting agenda, and then moved on to other matters without provid- ing details. An in-camera session of council is one held behind closed doors to tackle sensi- tive government matters like business deals or legal questions. It is not known if the subject was discussed in the closed ses- sion. "Council was satisfied with the content of the report and did not have any ques- tions, nor were there any public delega- tions," the spokesperson said in response to questions sent to the mayor. The Town of Oakville will be taking public feedback on the Sheldon Creek study until Dec. 17. The report presented flood mitigation options in four areas, containing 31 private properties, near Sheldon Creek, among other areas. Those include sites along Re- becca Street, Great Lake Boulevard, Wil- mot Crescent and south of Lakeshore.For two of the areas, dubbed Rebecca Street and South of Lakeshore Road in the report, emergency preparedness such as flood risk monitoring and flood proofing of buildings were the preferred alternatives- .Berms were preferred for the Wilmot Crescent and Great Lakes Boulevard sites. "The study report is being conducted in accordance with the flooding mitigation work the town has been doing for almost 15 years and in accordance with the usual re- quirements of the Municipal Class Envi- ronmental assessment process," the spokesperson added. The class action suit, represented by Oakville resident Erwin Banfi, alleges that the municipal government "permitted ex- tensive residential and commercial devel- opment and redevelopment at an alarming rate in the region approximately bounded by Burloak Drive, Lake Ontario, Winston Churchill Blvd. and the Town of Milton." It claims that overdevelopment has paved over permeable greenspaces, caus- ing storm and melt water to run off into, and overflow, waterways, causing floods. Sheldon Creek is one of the areas named in the lawsuit, along with Munn's Creek, Bronte Creek and others. "Sheldon Creek in Oakville is yet anoth- er area where the expansion of the regula- tory flood plain has exposed more persons and property to flood hazard risks linked to urban development," the lawsuit further alleges. CONCERNS RAISED OVER LACK OF DEBATE ON FLOOD MITIGATION The Sheldon Creek path flooded during the spring of 2017. Metroland file photo MANSOOR TANWEER mtanweer@metroland.com NEWS UNKNOWN IF SUBJECT WAS DISCUSSED IN CLOSED COUNCIL SESSION