Urban Floodplain Management in Thunder Bay: Protecting or Preventing Floodplain Occupancy?

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Abstract
Floodplain management policies for the City of Thunder Bay are based on a combination of structural measures for protecting existing developments and nonstructural measures for preventing occupancy of flood-prone hazardlands. The Neebing-McIntyre floodway is the main structural measure that has been designed to provide relief from recurrent flood problems in one of the developed cores of the City. The results of a questionnaire survey among the floodplain residents indicate that, despite the expectation of reduced flooding, this conventional engineering structure has not encouraged further encroachment of the floodplain, mainly because of the lack of space for additional construction. The main nonstructural measures for the remaining floodplains of the City include flood and fill line regulations, administered by the Lakehead Region Conservation Authority, and comprehensive zoning by-law regulations, enforced by the City of Thunder Bay. These regulations prohibit constructions within designated hazardlands but permit development in flood-fringe zones with certain restrictions. The results of a second questionnaire survey indicate that a large number of McVicar Creek residents do not perceive their properties to be flood liable. Nonetheless, the planning processes involving objective deliberations by various floodplain management authorities promote flexible but effective enforcement of land use regulations.

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