Community Associations for Environmental Sustainability

Coffee House on Sustainability: Basement Flooding

On Saturday June 8th from 9:30 - 11:30 am, we had an excellent final session of the Coffee Houses on Sustainability series, where the topic was on Climate Risks: Basement Flooding.

The June 8th session on Basement Flooding was a wonderful gathering of industry partners, the insurance sector, community members, City of Ottawa staff and City Councillors (thank you to Councillor Carr for coming out and speaking!).

We heard fascinating stories and advice from local neighbours who have experienced flooding before, and we heard presentations on preventative measures residents can take. The event featured interactive displays by the Institution of Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR) on backwater valves, battery back-up sump pumps, and a basement flooding scale model. Community members were able to try out these interactive displays and learn how they could be implemented in their own homes. City staff provided information on rebate opportunities for home flood protection retrofits, and we heard a fantastic presentation about insurance coverage for flooding.

As climate change accelerates, we can expect to see increased major rainfall events in Ottawa. It is important for residents to be informed on these climate risks and how to protect their homes. We were thrilled to engage in these meaningful conversations and we thank all those who were able to come out.

Check out our photos below!

The Coffee Houses on Sustainability ran from January to June 2024 - check out the full list of past sessions below. The purpose of the Coffee House series was to learn about transitioning to a more sustainable lifestyle and becoming more resilient to climate risks and other environmental concerns, while sipping on some hot coffee and connecting with knowledgeable neighbours. Thank you to all the supporters who made the Coffee Houses possible!

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