Mayor Heather Colberg issued a public apology for not providing enough information on the Flood Mitigation projects ramping up in the community.
There has been a public outcry over the construction work that began at Schumacher’s corner, the corner of Riverside Drive and 5 Street East, where dozens of mature trees have been cut to make way for a dike project. She issued a statement via Facebook on Friday, May 21, to address the issue.
“Council is aware of the community’s frustration over the communication of the flood office over the past few weeks, and you have a right to be frustrated, and we hear you,” she said. “As your mayor, I want to say ‘I’m sorry, it is unacceptable the community was not supplied with sufficient information, and I should have demanded transparency sooner.”
She said the council has given direction to the Flood Mitigation Office to change this, and provide more information. She also ordered the office to contact affected landowners, so they know what is going on.
“Please understand we have to respect the privacy of these people, and as soon as that information is dealt with, these berm designs can start being released. There are also berm designs that are almost complete, and we have instructed them that these have to start getting out,” said Colberg.
She also noted the flood office has been instructed to respond to every request within 24 hours.
She concludedthe council would do a better job of holding parties accountable.
“I am asking for your patience and to give us time to turn this around. We are changing the direction, and you will be informed,” she said.

Students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 returned to classrooms on Tuesday, May 25 after schools across the province closed nearly three weeks earlier.
Since the province moved to regional enhanced restrictions on areas with higher than 30 active cases and case rates more than 50 per 100,000 population, the number of daily new cases has continued to decline.
Along with declining cases, there has also been increased vaccine delivery. More than 2.5 million doses of vaccine have been delivered across the province, with 48.2 per cent of Albertans having received at least one dose of the vaccine as of Saturday, May 22; nearly 8 per cent of Albertans have been fully vaccinated.
According to a new vaccine geographical map, available on the Alberta COVID website, 47.8 per cent, or 5,666 residents in the Starland County, Drumheller area have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
There was no regular COVID update given Monday by the Alberta government due to the Victoria Day long weekend.
As of Monday, May 24, there are eight active cases and 457 recovered cases reported for the Town of Drumheller, including 181 recovered cases at the Drumheller Institution. The outbreak at the Drumheller Institution, which has been ongoing since December 2020, was ended as of Monday, May 24.
In the surrounding areas there are zero active cases in Starland County, 11 active cases in Wheatland County, and 24 active cases in Kneehill County.