INVESTIGATING FLOOD IMPACTS AND ADAPTATION MEASURES FOR THE CITY OF TORONTO
© Megan Ketchabaw, 2014
Master of Planning
In
Urban Development
Ryerson University
ABSTRACT
The City of Toronto has had a long history with, and relationship to flooding. The most severe flooding
on record in Ontario occurred in October of 1954 when Hurricane Hazel struck the City of Toronto and
surrounding areas. This storm event initiated and helped to shape flood risk management and policy
planning in the region. Overtime the city’s approach to stormwater and wet weather flows evolved from
flood control to management. The current approach is guided by the city’s Wet Weather Flow
Management Master Plan, an overarching plan to manage water flows in the city. With the expected
impacts of climate change further increasing the need to effectively manage water in Toronto, it is
important to look at and understand the measures the city is taking to plan for and relieve flood risk into
the future. From analysis of existing literature and best practices in urban flood risk management,
recommendations for improvements to the current master plan, policies, and management are made.
Key words: flood risk management, wet weather flows, climate change, resilience, Toronto