One of Drumheller’s most beloved features will remain largely closed for the immediate future.
    Sections of the Drumheller Nature Trail that were flooded two weeks ago will remain closed until Town of Drumheller crews are able to clean up the mud and debris that has inundated the trails.

Parts of the Drumheller Nature Trail continue to be closed following the flood two weeks ago. Lower lying parts of the trail were flooded and are now covered in a layer of mud. Town crews will be attempting to clean the trail intermittently, but the clean-up is being labeled a lower priority than repairing dikes and flood related damage.

    Stretches of the trail next to the river were blocked prior to the flood reaching its peak.  Since the flood, safety concerns are still present, including slippery conditions and possible erosion.
    “Obviously there is a concern. If our staff have ribboned it off, there’s a reason for that,” said Allan Kendrick, Director of Infrastructure Services for the Town of Drumheller. “There’s probably going to be more sinkholes or sloughing of the banks. We expect more issues to show up.”
    The wait for the trails to fully reopen may be longer than residents had hoped.
    “We have ten pages of things to get to after the flood. The trails are a lower priority than fixing sink holes on the street for example,” said Kendrick.
    However, town crews will be approaching the trail clean-up intermittently over the summer.
    “We had a couple of the guys on the trails this morning (Wednesday, July 10). The mud is tough to move and our guys are sliding all over. It’s still pretty greasy. We tried to clear a couple spots, around the train bridge and two or three other places, but I think it’s going to be an intermittent approach over the next few days if we get some hot, dry weather,” said Kendrick. “Some areas have eight inches and others have two. It’s something we’d like to get to, but we’re limited by the equipment we can get in there.”
    Since the flood, Town crews have been tackling projects that were placed on hold during the flood, such as cast iron water main replacement, street improvements, and hydrant flushing.
    In addition they have been working on repairing dikes, cleaning up damage on properties throughout town, and compiling a post-flood to-do list.
    “We’re working our way through the list. It’s an ongoing process and we’re working on finalizing our report. Then we’ll approach the provincial and federal governments to see if there is any money available for repairs and other work,” said Kendrick. “In some areas, we are looking at increasing the elevation of the diking and repairing any damage we can find.”
    For now, residents are being asked to refrain from using closed sections of the trail until town crews can clean and repair any damage.
    “It’s summer and everybody wants to get out and use the trails, including me, my wife, and dog,” said Kendrick. “We’ll get to it as quickly as possible.”

    There’s something strange in the neighbourhood. This coming Saturday, Drumheller will be filled with the walking dead.
    The zombies of Drumheller will rise as part of a new feature-length movie being filmed in and around town.
    The movie, Breakdown Lane, follows a young woman forced to push her SUV through the desert after it breaks down, all the while being pursued by hungry, flesh-eating undead.
    “It is the story of Kirby Lane, a woman driving across the desert to meet her boyfriend. Her SUV breaks down and she is forced to push it across the desert during the broiling hot days, so she can hide in it at night, when the zombies come out. Her only connection to the outside world is Max, the voice on her OnStar. It’s one character, a car, a voice, and as many zombies as we can get,” said Bob Schultz, writer/director/producer of Breakdown Lane.
    The movie stars Courtney Moore, who some may recognize at the heroine of Birdemic.

Signe Olynyk (left), producer, and Bob Schultz, writer/director/producer of Breakdown Lane are asking Drumheller residents to dress up in their best zombie costumes to be a part of their new movie on July 13 at 2 p.m. at the Badlands Community Facility.

    The producers of Breakdown Lane chose Drumheller as the backdrop of their zombie movie, as opposed to locations closer to Los Angeles for a number of reasons.
    “When you’re telling a story, you want to push everything you can. We wanted a desert, so we could’ve gone to Arizona or Nevada, but you want to push things and show something unique and the setting here is so unique and beautiful, it just made sense,” said Signe Olynyk, producer for Breakdown Lane. “I grew up coming to Drumheller, going to the Museum and hiking, so when Bob told me the script he was writing, I thought of Drumheller.”
    The small town atmosphere also was a factor.
    “I love shooting in smaller towns. If you shoot in L.A., it’s not as welcoming. You don’t feel part of a community. We shot our last movie in Edson, and it seemed like the entire town came out and helped,” said Schultz.
    Drumheller residents can get involved in the movie as well. On Saturday, July 13, zombie fans can put on their best ghoulish make up and costume and head to Badlands Community Facility to be a part of the movie. The shoot will last for the afternoon and well into the evening, so potential zombies should prepare for a long day.
    “We would love it if Drumheller was empty on the big day, getting made up as zombies,” said Schultz.
    The zombies are meant to look relatively normal.

A zombie coyote, unfinished at the time the photo was taken, appearing in Breakdown Lane, a new zombie movie being shot in Drumheller.

    “We’re hoping to create a sea of zombies. We want normal zombies, for example what you would wear in your everyday life, just zombiefied,” said Olynyk.
    Anyone wanting more information or to help out in others ways is encouraged to contact Schultz at bob@breakdownmovie.com.
    “It’s a lot of fun, we’re a good team, and we’re extremely grateful to anyone who wants to come and help out,” said Schultz.