More funding is on the way to help protect the Bulkley Riverbank along Rosenthal Road.
Stikine MLA Nathan Cullen announced yesterday (Wednesday) that $2.3 million is being given to the Town of Smithers to do work on the bank and prevent more emergency work being required.
“We have a number of these projects around because we tend to locate our communities properly by rivers,” he said.
In May 2023, erosion of the bank threatened the only access to Rosenthal Flats and the Smithers Wastewater Treatment plant prompting emergency work to take place.
The grant was allocated for the town last year after the work had taken place but was delayed due to wildfires.
“This enables the planning and the work to happen on a better scale one hopes. Emergencies happen when they do but the intention is to provide the stabilization for the bank to reclude further emergency work,” said Smithers Mayor Gladys Atrill.
Also announced was $6.4 million for the Village of Hazelton so they could work on building a new dike and protect against future flooding.
“Investing in flood prevention infrastructure is vital to mitigating the severe impacts on people and property,” said Hazelton Mayor Julie Maitland.
Cullen added that both the Bulkley and Skeena riverbanks have eroded over time, adding to the threat of flooding.
“That’s why the dollar figure there is quite large, because it’s been many years in the making,” he said.