Residents in northwest Toronto neighbourhood brace for flooding as warmer weather melts snow

February 26, 2025 Canuck

Residents of a northwest Toronto neighbourhood say they are worried about water in their basements as snow on the streets begins to melt.

The residents in Rockcliffe-Smythe say they are already preparing for flooding as snow from two winter storms melts with warming temperatures. The city has said the neighbourhood is one of the most flood-prone areas of Toronto.

Resident Isa Rahamat said on Tuesday the situation is “very, very concerning” and he is frightened at the sight of pools of water beside his house.

“I didn’t go to work today. I worked from home today because I’m worried. Because I know if it starts to melt, eventually water might come into the basement. I have some buckets downstairs and some towels ready just in case,” Rahamat said.

If catch basins are blocked and the water has nowhere to go, it ends up in people’s basements, he said.

Rahamat said the entire neighbourhood is concerned because the area is a flood-zone but he hasn’t seen snow removal trucks in the area.

“The city should be more proactive and remove the snow,” he said.

Isa Rahamat, a Rockcliffe-Smythe resident, worries that if the snow melts, it might end up in his basement. ‘I have some buckets downstairs and some towels ready just in case,’ he says. (CBC)

Jhane Farez, another Rockcliffe-Smythe resident, said water is pooling at the front of her house and streaming onto her property in the back from properties on higher ground.

“Nobody is listening to us,” Farez said. “Nothing is being done.”

Farez said the flooding has been happening for years but the city is not taking action.

“Sometimes here, it’s like a little river,” she said.

Neighbourhood built on flood plain of 2 creeks, city says

Flood risk in Toronto is said to be normal, according to the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. According to its flood forecasting and warning centre, water levels are normal in rivers and streams across Toronto as well as along the Lake Ontario shoreline.

Catch basin — A catch basin is shown here in the neighbourhood of Rockcliffe-Smythe. (CBC)

On its website, the city says that Rockcliffe-Smythe, which is on the flood plain of Black Creek and Lavender Creek, was developed after the Second World War, when it was common to build houses near rivers and on natural flood plains.

“Many properties in the area have experienced both surface flooding and basement flooding during severe storms due to riverine flooding and overloading of the City’s sewer system,” the city says.

The city says riverine flooding happens when waterways, such as Black Creek, overflow their banks, flood surrounding areas and overload the city’s sewer system.

Crews deployed to clear catch basins, city says

In a winter operations update on Monday, the city said it has deployed its crews to inspect and clear catch basins in low-lying areas ahead of warmer temperatures this week. It said its snow removal operations, which are taking place across the city, will also help to reduce the volume of snow that could melt and contribute to flooding.

“Property owners should be sure to keep the melting snow away from their homes, so that water does not seep in through any cracks in the foundation or windows,” the city said.

The reflection of houses can be seen in the water that has pooled on a Rockcliffe-Smythe street. (CBC)

The city recommends that property owners:

Ensure eavestroughs and downspouts are clear of snow, ice and other debris and are working properly.
Shovel the snow away from the foundation and on to a lawn and not the road if possible.
If it is safe to do so, clear debris from roadside catch basins, the square sewer grates on the road, to help melting snow enter the storm sewer.
Seal cracks or openings in walls, floors, windows and foundations.

Joseph Desloges, a geography and earth sciences professor at the University of Toronto, said snow is on everybody’s mind in Toronto.

“We know there’s at least 100 millimetres plus of water equivalent sitting in the snow pack,” he said. “That’s a lot of water.”

Desloges said when snow melts, it drains through natural creeks and river systems, but in the city, most of it ends up in the storm water sewer system.

“In the city, that water ponds and pools, and unless the drain systems are clean and clear — and that includes your own downspout gutters in your home — that water can pond,” he said.

Credit Valley Conservation, a community-based environmental organization dedicated to protecting, restoring and managing the natural resources of the Credit River Watershed, says on its website that warmer conditions in the forecast this week will cause the snow to melt.

That melt could result in runoff in the estimated range of 10 to 25 millimetres, with the majority of it occurring from Tuesday to Thursday, the organization says.

“While neither significant river ice breakup or flooding of the Credit River is expected, some areas will see increased water levels and localized minor flooding and or river ice breakup may occur,” the organization says.

“Higher water levels will result in local streams and rivers becoming dangerous, especially in the vicinity of culverts, bridges, and dams.”

The organization advises the public, especially children and pets, to stay away from all watercourses.

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