It’s Time To Upgrade Toronto’s Aging Infrastructure

By Rupert Johnson

Infrastructure may be defined as a society’s economic foundation. It consists of such things as roads, bridges, water supply, sewer systems, electrical grids, mass transit, and telecommunications. These things enable our society to function properly on a daily basis.

The torrential downpour of rainfall and the subsequent flooding that occurred in Toronto and surrounding areas on Monday, July 8, 2013 has brought to the fore our city’s vulnerable infrastructure system.

The massive flooding and power outages that occurred reminded us of the tragic effects of Hurricane Hazel in 1954 when 121 mm of rain fell on the city of Toronto. But on Monday, July 8 this record was broken when 126 mm of rain was recorded at the Pearson International Airport.

It is sad to say that this disaster seemed to have caught our politicians napping. Over the years all three levels of government should have been aware of this impending disaster in the wake of obvious changes in climatic conditions. There is no doubt that our elected leaders are lacking in vision. As a result we are left to flounder on our own. As the Proverbs 29: 18 states unequivocally: “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”

It is worth noting that Toronto is not the only recipient of this type of natural disaster. Look at what happened in Calgary. The calamity was much worse than what happened in Toronto.

There is no doubt that Toronto’s infrastructure is in dire need of a massive overhaul. Take the aging water pipes for example. Ruptured pipes and the subsequent flooding of streets and houses have been a frequent occurrence for many years. Yet very little has been done to correct this perennial problem. It has been reported that in Toronto an average of 1300 pipes break every year. This is not surprising since a significant number of pipes are over 80 years old.

But aging water pipes is not our only problem. Once again the unprecedented rainfall on July 8 revealed the vulnerability of Toronto’s electrical grid system when about 300,000 people in the city and surrounding areas were left without power for many hours, even days.

I am particularly concerned about our city’s sewer and overall drainage system. It would appear that sewer backups are a common phenomenon as a result of heavy rainstorms. There is no reason why this should be happening on a regular basis. Frequent inspection, servicing and upgrading of the system should have been on the high priority list.

Similarly, all catch basins should have been inspected and cleaned on a regular basis to prevent the flooding of streets and buildings. All home owners and citizens should have also helped in this respect. Heavy fines should be imposed on people who are caught littering the streets and areas near catch basins.

That being said the local, provincial and federal levels of government should pool their resources and work to improve the infrastructure of Canadian cities and towns. This is an excellent way to spend taxpayers’ money. It is certainly a prudent investment in future development.

Rupert Johnson can be reached at: r.b.johnson@sympatico.ca.