City of Hamilton receives extension to MECP Chedoke Remediation Order

HAMILTON, ON – The City of Hamilton has received confirmation from the Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) of a one-year extension to the December 31, 2022 deadline to complete remediation work at Chedoke Creek. The City now has until December 31, 2023 and remains committed to performing the works and will look to restart the project in the spring.

The City made the extension request on December 9, 2022 to the MECP under Item #6 of the Director’s Order No.1-PE3L3 (Order) which required completion of the approved Chedoke Creek Workplan (Targeted Dredge) by December 31, 2022. The formal request to extend the deadline was made after evaluating project completion scenarios including engagement with permitting agencies regarding extensions to associated permits.

On December 20, 2022, the MECP Director approved the City’s requested deadline extension to December 31, 2023, with all other items in the Order remaining in effect, and unaltered. The City will continue to progress through the permitting and approvals process and will inform the various internal and external stakeholders of this amendment to the Order.

Work to begin the targeted dredging of Chedoke Creek had begun in July 2022, before being paused on August 18, 2022 when representatives of the Haudenosaunee Development Institute (HDI) arrived on site and stated that they were exercising their treaty rights to attend the site. After several unsuccessful attempts to restart the project safely, the City agreed on October 6 to allow all contractors for the project to move to standby, and not continue to attempt dredging works until further notice. At this time, all communications from the City to the HDI are being conducted through representative legal counsel.

The City has entered into environmental monitoring agreements with both the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and the Six Nations of the Grand River Elected Council. Conversations with the Huron-Wendat Nation continue with the terms of a monitoring agreement in place, and the City is awaiting a signed agreement.

On December 4, 2020, the City was served a Director’s Order by the MECP, to conduct targeted dredging in Chedoke Creek by December 31, 2022. The targeted dredging will remediate the impacts of the Main/King combined sewer overflow discharge that occurred between January 2014 and July 2018, which had 24 billion litres of combined sewage discharged.