‘Residents deserve more than explanations’: Mississippi Mills mayor calls for action after repeated County Road 29 flooding

Mississippi Mills Mayor Christa Lowry says residents deserve more than explanations after another round of flooding over the Civic Holiday long weekend disrupted Pakenham residents, closing County Road 29 and adding to years of concerns about recurring flooding in the village.

In an open letter to residents and business owners on Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, Lowry acknowledged the frustration of local residents and business owners after by the latest flooding incident closing County Road 29 during one of the busiest peak times of the summer season.

“I know how disruptive this past week’s flooding has been,” Lowry wrote to her constituents. “The closure of County Road 29 affected With the Five Span Bridge already closed and the flooding occurring on a holiday Monday, many residents experienced significant disruption to their daily lives, businesses lost an important day during the busy summer season, and families were left concerned about rising water, access to their properties, and what might happen next.”

While the rainfall in recent weeks has been intense and caused significant disruption, Lowry said she is grateful the damage was not more severe or long-lasting, noting that communities elsewhere in Ontario experienced more significant property damage from the same storm systems.

Lowry also reiterated that Mississippi Mills had emergency response plans in place in case assistance was required in the flood-affected areas.

Despite these provisions, the latest flooding event has renewed community concerns about why flooding continues to occur along County Road 29.

Lowry explained that there have been more than a dozen flooding events in the area since 2019, including major events that forced road closures during the spring freshets in 2019 and 2023, as well as this weekend’s flooding following heavy rainfall.

“That repeated disruption is not acceptable, and I understand why residents want answers,” she expressed.

Lowry added that she has spoken several times with Lanark County Warden Richard Kidd over the past week and believes the two can work together to bring greater attention to the issue and ideally, find solutions.

However, the mayor acknowledged that finding a solution will be complicated because responsibility for the area is spread across multiple jurisdictions and property owners.

She explained that County Road 29 and its drainage infrastructure fall under Lanark County’s jurisdiction, while much of the land where water flows down the mountain is privately owned by local residents. Lowry added that there are no municipal drains on that side of the mountain.

A longstanding provincial file related to the watershed also remains unresolved. Lowry said questions about upstream water management and provincial approvals were raised following the significant flooding in 2019, and updates have continued to be sought, including through the office of Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston MPP John Jordan.

“None of these details changes the impact on residents, nor does it change my commitment to finding a path forward,” Lowry emphasized.

According to Lowry, municipal staff have already spoken with several affected residents to better understand their experiences. The municipality has also collected more information following this latest event, including drone footage collected by Lanark County staff and detailed weather data recorded at the Pakenham municipal garage.

“These tools will help us better understand what happened and guide future decisions,” she stated.

Lowry reiterated that Mississippi Mills cannot address the issue on its own and that a long-term solution will require cooperation among the province, Lanark County, local landowners and the municipality. She confirmed she has written to County staff and contacted MPP Jordan’s office to make clear that Mississippi Mills wants to be involved in finding a solution.

The mayor concluded her letter by drawing attention to the changing weather patterns and the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme rainfall events.

“We need to review what measures have been implemented in the past, determine what is working as intended and what is not. It is equally important that we recognize the reality of a changing climate,” she stated.

Mayor Lowry and Warden Richard Kidd were contacted by Lanarkist for an update on the situation, however, both declined to provide further comment at this time.