Public decries removal of Eddy Park trees

Flood protection “improvements” to Riverside and Eddy Parks in Telkwa are being viewed as anything but by many valley residents.

Elaine Taylor, for example, was actually moved to tears by the removal of the trees from Eddy Park.

Tree removal was part of the village’s flood mitigation project, which will see the dike from the north end of Eddy Park to the Bulkley Bridge raised 0.5 – 1.0 metres in most areas. At the boat launch it will be raised by more than that.

Telkwa Coun. Leroy Dekens acknowledged that people are upset, but said it was beyond the village’s control.

“In order to get the funding, it had to be done,” he said.

That funding came through the provincial Community Emergency Preparedness Fund – 2019 Structural Flood Mitigation stream.

It was secured with the help of a 2019 Flood Mitigation Planning Report prepared by the Golder Associates consulting firm, whom the village hired followed a major flood event in 2017.

The study determined the Eddy Park and Riverside Park dikes were insufficient for a 200-year flood event.

In June, the village awarded the contract to Vihar Construction. The clearing of the trees makes way for construction to begin on the dikes. The village expects the work to be complete by Oct. 31 and anticipates there will be interruptions in access to the river, parks and boat launch.

The contractor has committed to provide a detailed schedule and traffic management plan prior to starting construction.

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Smithers Interior News