Home owners forced to abandon homes because of eroding Lake Erie shoreline

There are three days left until Lakefront Dunnville residents are forced to abandon their homes because of the eroding Lake Erie shoreline.

Gary Hunter and five other residents have been ordered to evacuate their homes on Villela road by Friday. Haldimand County gave them 30 days notice to find a way to stop the erosion or leave. Building a break wall takes time and sometimes upwards of $100,000.

High water levels, storms and a lack of freezing during the winter have led to severe erosion along the Lake Erie shoreline, leading some owners to lose as much as 30 feet of their backyards. After the eviction notices were delivered a group of 40 neighbours banded together in order to tackle the issue as a group. They met with Haldimand County Council, but were denied an extension on the eviction notices citing safety reasons.

They’ll look to expedite building permits through the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority. They’re thinking bigger picture than just breakwalls they want to work with the Conservation Authority to find ways to protect the entirety of the shoreline.

The Conservation Authority meets on June 20th and says they’ll have more information on a possible solutions.