Short Story
The Millcroft Golf Course floodplain is currently under threat of development. Although the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) decision favoured the development with conditions, Burlington City Council and the community groups continue to request Provincial intervention to stop the development.
On behalf of Millcroft Greenspace Alliance (MGA), legal counsel and a hydrogeologist and civil engineer argued our case.
Help us save this critical green infrastructure – donate today!
Protect Millcroft Floodplain from Infill Development
Story
The Millcroft Greenspace is an early, state of the art example of Green Infrastructure for stormwater management in Burlington, Ontario. The floodplain, known as the Millcroft Golf Course, is currently designated as Major Parks/Open Space and was engineered to integrate creeks and naturalized ponds, allowing natural drainage from the nearby escarpment. The greenspace acts as a buffer before runoff continues through southern Burlington to Lake Ontario. The fairways are designed to be 2.5 metres below the rear lot lines of the neighbouring homes, which now benefit from decades of tree coverage and vegetation growth to slow the flow through the channels.
Preserving the mature tree canopy and turf of this greenspace, as well as preventing changes from a proposed infill development to grading and hardening of the surfaces, will help manage the increasing climate change impacts in the area, such as increased precipitation and wind damage. If protected, this green infrastructure will also continue to manage erosion and clean storm water runoff before it enters Lake Ontario. The Millcroft Greenspace provides a carbon sink with a mature parkland tree canopy for the surrounding roads, rail line, and proposed high density housing development. Furthermore, the lands have become a wildlife refuge.
We need your help to save this critical greenspace – please donate today!
The City of Burlington is a major infrastructure corridor (QEW, Hwy 407, CN, CP and GO transportation, Hydro and Enbridge Gas Pipeline). Wedged between the top of the Niagara Escarpment and Lake Ontario, significant stormwater drainage passes through the City in its 17 creeks. The area is also characterized by a significant drop in elevation of over 250m in only 12km.
Stormwater management and green infrastructure are essential strategies to address flooding issues identified by the Intact Centre for Climate Adaptation (University of Waterloo). Currently, approximately 10% of Burlington homes experience flooding. The City has experienced two significant floods in the past decade – August 2014 and July 2024.
Preserving the Millcroft Greenspace is critical to a healthy Burlington. Please help us save this area today!
