Helping Alberta communities

By Chantelle de Jonge Chestermere-Strathmore MLA

Earlier this year, Alberta’s government launched the Drought and Flood Protection Program, which was created to help communities design and construct projects that improve their resilience to future drought and flood impacts. Recently, 18 approved grants were announced that will total more than $30 million.

As we all know, weather conditions can be both extreme and unpredictable. The impacts of drought and flood in recent years have been seen throughout the entire province, so preparing for the future will give Albertans the peace of mind that we are prepared for the harshest conditions, should they arise.

Through the Drought and Flood Protection Program, our government will continue to invest into this critical maintenance and future preparation, ensuring that our province remains prepared and efficient at all times, and on all fronts.

Projects like these first 18 that have been announced through the first round of funding are both necessary and exciting for our province, and I’m pleased to announce that our constituency has been approved for two of these important grants.

Chestermere-Strathmore will receive nearly $5 million for the Langdon-Glenmore Trail Stormwater Diversion Project. This project will benefit our community for decades to come, as we work to ensure that we are prepared for any impacts that droughts or floods may bring. Currently, the stormwater drainage infrastructure in the Hamlet of Langdon is able to handle one in 10-year storm events. The proposed Glenmore Trail Stormwater Diversion Project redirects a portion of the catchment flow directly to Weed Lake, upgrades existing ditches and culverts, and constructs a new length of road ditch to allow the stormwater system to handle one in 100-year storm events and prevent overland flooding.

Additionally, $45,500 is allocated to the proposed Wheatland County Raw Water Storage project, which involves completion of a study to explore various raw water storage options. The study would assess potential frequency for consumer water shut-offs, number of users at risk, assess areas of the county for drought sensitivity, and feasibility of constructing a centralized raw water storage reservoir(s) to meet county demands.

Drought and Flood Protection Program projects will protect public safety and critical infrastructure from hazards posed by drought and flood for years to come.

Four more rounds of funding are planned under this program, with new applications accepted each year. The application dates and other important information will be posted on the Drought and Flood Protection Program webpage later this summer.

Alberta’s government is serious about protecting people and communities, and the Drought and Flood Protection Program will go a long way towards protecting our province for generations to come.

As always, please feel free to email my office with your feedback and questions (Chestermere.Strathmore@assembly.ab.ca).

(Chantelle de Jonge is the MLA for Chestermere-Strathmore and the Parliamentary Secretary for Affordability and Utilities)