The recent flooding of the Little Red Deer River and high water in other area rivers and creeks should serve as a clear warning of the need to do something about Red Deer River bank erosion in town, according to the Chamber of Commerce's Save Our Sundre (SOS) Committee.
“The town and the committee cannot seem to impress the provincial politicians that we have a very serious situation and unless we do something to solve this problem, there is going to be very, very serious consequences for this town,” said Poirier.
“It's extremely frustrating. I know the town has done everything it is supposed to do. The paperwork is done but we can't proceed any further until we get some money, and our only source of money is the provincial government.
“I would say we've lost at least another 20 feet of bank during the last high water in that one area. It's amazing how quickly that bank is disappearing. It's really only pit run gravel so it doesn't take much water to wash it away.”
The SOS committee, which operates under the auspices of the Sundre and District Chamber of Commerce, has been working with the Town of Sundre to get provincial and federal money to undertake bank stabilization work.
To date, no provincial or federal money for construction has been forthcoming.
The Stelmach government needs to “honour its commitment” to help Sundre, he said.
“We've been writing letters and residents have been sending letters,” he said. “We are basically in a holding pattern and we can't do anything else until those funds are made available to us. I don't know what else we can say.”
The SOS committee says until riverbank stabilization is undertaken, town residents and infrastructure remain in jeopardy.
The recent high water on the Red Deer River has caused extensive new erosion along the entire west bank in town, including further north than previously seen. The town has posted warning signs along the bank south of Greenwood Campground.
Sundre town councillor and SOS member Myron Thompson says he is very frustrated with what he calls the lack of progress in getting work on the riverbank underway.
“We've done everything that we can,” said Thompson. “The province should be looking at the options because it's their river not ours. The province should be providing the money to get the work done. It's been five years and we haven't seen anything happen.”
SOS chairman Jim Eklund says he is also “very frustrated” with the current situation and concerned about the safety of town residents and infrastructure, particularly with the mountain snowmelt west of Sundre still to come this spring.
“It would be too bad if we had a tragedy before something is done,” said Eklund.
The SOS committee has announced plans to create a Facebook page to draw attention and support for action over the flooding danger and related issues.
Meanwhile, Bill Johnston, Sundre's Director of Disaster Services, says he spent May 27 keeping a good eye on rivers and creeks in town.
“Ron Baker (the Deputy Director of Disaster Services) and I spent all day monitoring the Red Deer and the Bearberry and we were talking to flood forecasting in Edmonton to get updated information and watching what was happening,” said Johnston.
Asked if there was a point when officials were considering evacuating the town, he said no.
Officials did not recommend any of Sundre's seniors' lodges prepare to evacuate, he said.
The latest flooding did “show us that things are working and that we know where to get the information we need to be prepared.”
For more on the river situation in Sundre, see this week's Mountain View Gazette.
