Business View Civil and Municipal | Volume 2, Issue 10

62 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 2, ISSUE 10 we’re investigating possible water expansion and whether it’s financially feasible for the responsible way to grow.” Being a rural area, Malahide does rely heavily on municipal drains and the province’s Drainage Act to protect the farmlands from stormwater and flooding. In 2020, the Port Bruce pier was reconstructed to manage flood risk, since it’s a low-lying area. The structure also helps mitigate dangerous ice dams during the winter. The municipality is also a big supporter of renewable energy sources. Lake Erie Wind Farms has 68 turbines, and 10MW Silvercreek Solar Park is located on Vienna Line. The Mayor says there are lots of “small housing projects” that also have two or three solar panels on the roof. Looking forward three to five years, Mayor Mennill shares, “We want to get water to Springfield, which will accommodate about new 500 homes. That’s probably top priority. Second is improving the broadband connectivity for all our residents. That’s so important to be able to work or do business from home. Without proper connectivity, that’s almost impossible.” Betteridge cites a recent article in The Globe and Mail, highlighting the cities of London and Woodstock, along with their surrounding PREFERRED VENDOR/ PARTNER n Elgin Construction Company Limited www.elginconstruction.net areas, as the fastest growing places in Canada. He states, “We’re right there; Springfield is 15 minutes (driving) to the 401, and approximately a half-hour to those two cities. So, we’re trying to leverage this opportunity. We’ve tried before, but we’re trying again. We know it’s an expensive and difficult endeavor (to provide water servicing to Springfield). But if we have willing partners, such as developers or representatives at various levels of government to assist us, we hope to get there very soon. There’s some exciting times on the horizon for Malahide Township.”