The Gatineau Flood Prevention project was completed as my final-year engineering design project within a group of 5 other students in different engineering streams. The goal of the Gatineau Flood Prevention Project was to prevent damages to high-risk riverside communities of Gatineau, QC  due to flooding in the Ottawa River. 

To address this problem, one solution was selected based on the economic, social and environmental benefits compared to the other alternatives analyzed. 

The redevelopment of an existing city park, Parc la Baie, was how our solution was to be implemented and protect the neighbourhoods in that region. This park was ideal as it has a very large surface area, and is near the high risk area that was affected by flooding in spring of 2017. 

 

The redevelopment of the park involves  3 strategies to address flooding:

1. The water levels of the Ottawa River were first addressed using diversion canals, which would protect the properties along the river bank.

2. The runoff was then addressed using a combination of a retention pond and a stormwater wetland. This would control the flow of runoff into the river while managing stormwater quality. 

3. The final component was community engagement and emergency planning. A community center was designed as a component that would promote involvement for the neighbourhoods around it. It was designed to be constructed out of sustainable building materials and to have stormwater re-use systems, with an aimed LEED rating of Silver. The building also had flood-proofing measures implemented, so it could act as an emergency shelter if needed. 

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A feasibility report was made to assess the overall costs and to compare the advantages/disadvantages to other alternatives, such as the construction of an upstream dam, or relocation of high-risk neighbourhoods. A preliminary design report was derived from the group's findings as a way to conduct more research to get a general overview of the project. Lastly, a final design report was compiled where the observations, research, and reasoning was explained. The group then presented the final project to classmates and professors. 

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More information on the design of the community center can be found in this document: CommunityCenterDesign

The final report containing all components of the project can be found in this document: GatineauFloodReport