Strathroy-Caradoc tallies damage to parks after July rain events
![081224_Picnic Picnic tables in Alexandra Park, Strathroy (Bryan Bicknell/CTV News London)](/content/dam/ctvnews/en/images/2024/8/12/081224_picnic-1-6998001-1723497083233.jpg)
If you come across a picnic table in the Sydenham River, Strathroy-Caradoc wants it back.
The municipality is tallying damage to its parks, including the loss of ten picnic tables, after last month’s extreme rain events.
“The difference with this flood and regular flooding that we have is the length of time it took for the water to recede,” explained Community Services Director Rob Lilbourne. “Because of the wet spring and summer that we’ve had the water table’s been really high, so the receding of the water actually took several days to weeks for it to fully recede,” he said.
A damaged ball diamond is seen in Alexandra Park, Strathroy (Bryan Bicknell/CTV News London)
Lilbourne has prepared a report for the local council, laying out some of the damage to Alexandra Park, Centennial Park, Victoria Park, and Cuddy Sports Field.
Damage includes choked grass inside the parks, damaged turf in ball diamonds, and engineered safety surfacing in playground areas contaminated or washed away. Mom of three Navia Jephin brings her children to the playground at Alexandra Park. On this day it was fenced in with a sign that said ‘playground closed.’
Playground in Alexandra Park, Strathroy (Bryan Bicknell/CTV News London)
“So at that time they are asking whether they can go to the playground, and at that time I told it’s full of water. So they are so sad, because I think all the playground it’s like the same. It’s like also they have no opportunity to play,” she said.
The St. Clair Region Conservation Authority says extreme weather events that used to be rare, are happening more often. Sometimes these events leave a long trail of damage to surrounding lands and culverts said Water Resources Director Girish Sankar.
“What we would normally get in the month of July is anywhere between 70 to 90 millimetres of rain, and just during that event we had received close to 150 millimetres of rain. So, you can say almost double the amount of rain for the entire month of July fell in a single event over three days,” he explained.
Sankar said the Conservation Authority is in the process of upgrading its stream gauges across the watershed to help municipalities better prepare for extreme weather events.
In the meantime, if you come across a wayward picnic table…
“I don’t know who south of us has some picnic tables, but if they want to return them they’re more than welcome to,” said Lilbourne, half jokingly.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6992244.1723490542!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Listeria deaths from recalled plant-based beverages rise to 3
A third person has died and 15 people have been hospitalized as a result of an outbreak of Listeria infections linked to recalled plant-based beverages.
This Sask. town is offering $30,000 to people who build a home in the community
The town of Moosomin in eastern Saskatchewan plans to double its population by offering $30,000 cheques to those building a home in the community.
Quake felt from Los Angeles to San Diego, swaying buildings and knocking items off shelves but no big damage
A 4.4 magnitude earthquake was strongly felt Monday afternoon from the Los Angeles area all the way to San Diego, swaying buildings, rattling dishes and setting off car alarms, but no major damage or injuries were immediately reported.
'Serious trouble': New Ontario report latest example of Canada's health-care crisis
Morale among Ontario health-care workers is deteriorating, according to a new report. The peer-reviewed study, released on Monday, found a growing staffing crisis is putting the well-being of hospital workers and patients at risk.
Their job was saving lives. They lost their own in Brazil's horrifying plane crash
Arianne Risso worked every day to help her patients battle cancer. That made it all the more heart wrenching when her life -- along with that of seven other doctors -- ended abruptly after a plane tumbled from the sky in Brazil.
Costco is cracking down on membership moochers
Costco knows you’re using your friend’s membership card. To save you the embarrassment of telling you off when you’re in the checkout line, now Costco will try to catch membership moochers before they even get in the door.
Actor Bryan Cranston shares more photos from Alberta mountain trip through Lake Louise, Banff
After posting about a recent trip to Jasper, Alta., actor Bryan Cranston heaped more praise on some of Alberta’s other majestic mountain destinations.
Australian breaker Raygun earns mixed reviews, praised for 'courage' and 'character' after viral performances at Paris Games
Rachael Gunn arrived in Paris as a competitive breaker excited to make her Olympic debut. She leaves an internet sensation, her performances viewed by millions across social media.
Chief human-rights commissioner resigns after investigation into Israel comments
The recently appointed chief commissioner of the Canadian Human Rights Commission agreed to resign Monday after an investigation into his past comments related to Israel.