City Denies Responsibility Despite Evidence and Ongoing Work

Dear change makers,

We’ve officially received the City of Ottawa’s written response to our claim—and unfortunately, it’s exactly what many of us feared.

Despite the damage we sustained, the City’s Claims Unit concluded that the flooding on August 10, 2023, was solely due to an “extreme weather event” and not due to any negligence on their part. The letter dismisses our experience with a boilerplate explanation, pointing to design standards “at the time of construction” and claiming that all infrastructure has been “properly maintained.”

Meanwhile, the City continues digging up storm sewers in our area—an implicit admission that the infrastructure was not, in fact, adequate. Still, they take no accountability and offer only links to existing grant programs, many of which are either capped at $1,000 or not applicable to residents who were blindsided by this flood with no prior warning.

This response underscores exactly why this petition is so important. The Municipal Act, 2001 shields cities from liability unless gross negligence can be proven, placing the burden entirely on residents. It’s not just about our homes—it’s about creating a system where infrastructure failures don’t leave citizens with tens of thousands in damages and no recourse.

We will not stop here. We will continue to call for a reassessment and a push for legislative change to better protect families across Ontario.

Please keep sharing this petition—we are stronger together.