Frustrated residents worried about losing their lakeside homes to wind-driven high water erosion have collaborated and are demanding change from the St. Clair Region Conservation Authority (SCRCA).
The Shoreline Erosion Collective Coalition wants the City of Sarnia to set up a meeting with the SCRCA to discuss emergency management policies and ways to lessen the burden of red tape.
Spokesperson Kristin Rodriguez said people using their own funds for the installation of steel sheet walls, large stones or armour stones should get some relief.
"Ask anyone who had a functioning seawall, how thankful they were during two massive October storms, because sadly, some who spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on stone, did not make out so good," said Rodriguez.
She said property owners would like to see permits allowing repair work provided within two to six weeks, or sooner, based on immediate need.
The group would also like priority given to applications already in the process and wants the city to reject any funding increases to the authority as a show of good faith.
Mayor Mike Bradley said the county has already been asked to facilitate a public meeting in January between the SCRCA and lower-tier councils.
Councillors Mike Stark and Terry Burrell, who represent the city on the SCRCA board, agreed to pass along the recommendations at their next meeting.
SCRCA General Manager Brian McDougall said coastal environments along the Great Lakes shorelines are complex and dynamic, and erosion control measures in one area may not be appropriate for another.
He said strategies that appear to have been successful in the past, may not hold true today, and each permit is reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
"We strongly recommend that landowners contact our staff to arrange a pre-application consultation meeting prior to submitting their application," said McDougall. "These sessions can substantially alleviate delays in permit approval."
The city included over $2 million in the 2020 budget to replace steel groynes, retaining walls and beach access points along the Lake Huron shoreline.