Old Ferry Road residents speak at County Council meeting, ask for help

By Serena Lapointe
The future of Old Ferry Road, following the immense damage from the June floods in 2023 and
steady erosion, continues to be a topic of discussion for residents and the County. In September
last year, Woodlands County’s Director of Infrastructure Services, Jeff Zhang, provided an
update on possible paths to deal with the growing issue of erosion that is edging uncomfortably
close to Old Ferry Road.
Options varied in cost, from less expensive to more so, from road realignment to rebuilding the
slope to a sheet pile retaining wall. Four options for road realignment, from 20m to 100m from
the current roadway, were provided, along with property impacts from minor to major. There was
also an option to close a portion of Old Ferry Road, removing the loop.
At the time, public consultation had not yet occurred. On September 30, 2024, a Public
Information Session took place to share options with affected residents and gather feedback.
On December 4, during the Woodlands County Council’s regular meeting, Zhang presented the
findings. “Over 10 families attended the session on September 30 and were asked to complete
a questionnaire form. Ten written questionnaires were received”. Three supported the road’s
closure, one supported gravel stabilization, and six supported different combinations of
solutions. None of the attendees supported the road realignment options.
Ideas from the Public Information Session included waiting until erosion expanded or damage
from the next flood happened, rendering travel on the road dangerous before permanently
closing a portion of it and hiring a second engineer to either validate the current options or
provide new ones. Zhang said a second opinion would cost between $20,000-40,000. Zhang
added that the administration regularly communicates with the Alberta Government as part of
the 2023 Disaster Recovery Program (DRP). Though funding is not guaranteed, the
administration hopes to receive nearly 2.4 million. “That would represent the cost to restore prior
to the flood,” said Zhang, adding that funding could also cover the equivalent cost of an
innovative alternate option if bank restoration proves not feasible.
Two grants available through the province can help areas affected by flooding: DRP and the
Local Growth and Sustainability Grant (LGSG). Not every flood triggers a DRP, and the
discretion of who gets funding is solely in the provincial government’s hands. However, neither
grant covers erosion control, which Zhang said is the primary culprit behind the damage. DRP is
only available for emergencies that the government deems fundable. LGSG is for growth
support but can be used for emergencies threatening health and safety. Though erosion is a
serious problem, it doesn’t fall under either grant.
Councillor John Burrows asked what else could be available. “If that erosion continues, and it’s
likely to on the outside of that river, there’s no supports that kick in from anybody on those
lands?” Zhang said they could lobby for help but couldn’t tell the government what to offer as
support. He said they were actively looking into another grant that provides drought and flood
protection dollars, specifically public infrastructure. He added that he didn’t know of any other
possible grants.
“Administration agrees that a long-term solution to provide erosion mitigation is beneficial to the
County and its residents. However, this desire must be constrained within the County’s current

financial situation and funding ability,” said Zhang. Interim CAO Paul Benedetto said two
residents from Old Ferry Road, Patricia McNeil and Dennis Brown, wanted to present to Council
as a delegation in the new year.
On January 15, resident Dennis Brown spoke first. “It is getting frustrating for us,” he began. He
invited the Council and administrative staff to his property to see the issue first-hand. His
property sits across the road from the highly eroded riverbank on the low part of Old Ferry
Road. “With erosion continuing to damage the landscape, residents live in fear of the next flood.
We ask the County to expedite plans to control the McLeod River flow to prevent future
disasters. Additionally, we need assurance that our safety, livelihood and property values will be
safeguarded, allowing the current and future families to thrive in Woodlands County,” spoke
Brown.
He said the “lack of long-term flood mitigation” had led to a “collapsed property value.” He said
home buyers would view the area as a high-risk investment, further compounding financial
difficulties for residents, specifically those wanting to sell. He then showed pictures of the land
across the road from his property, before and after, which showed that the river was now open
to his property. “Now we face a possible devastation next time this happens, and it’s going to
happen.”
He suggested diverting the river to help protect the area rather than letting it continually erode or
be affected by future floods. “If you don’t rebuild that bank, the waters going to keep coming,
basically. I look out the window, and I go, I’m 77 years old, and you guys aren’t going to help
me, personally, I mean, so I have to speak up and say, let me sell it or help me sell it. Put
something up that makes sense not only for me but for the rest of the residents.”
Patricia McNeil spoke next. In pictures, she pointed out that her land is lower than the flooded
river on the other side of Old Ferry Road, alluding to what could happen if the road is
unprotected, adding that there was potential for the river to impact dozens of properties
downstream. “Any properties damaged due to a municipality’s breach of duty or negligence are
subject to seek compensation under various clauses of current Alberta legislation,” she stated.
McNeil asked that the Council seek more information by hiring “an experienced, expert
consultant to create proper impact cost analysis on going forward with and without bank
stabilization.” McNeil said that based on that information, more decisions could be made, like
an intelligent realignment of the road and appropriate compensation for affected landowners
downstream.
Reeve Dave Kusch thanked Brown and McNeil for their presentations. “I hear what you’re
saying. You are not falling on deaf ears. That’s why we’ve had multiple discussions with (the)
administration and (are) trying to bring back other ideas and options. Today isn’t going to be the
last time we are having these discussions.” He also said there would likely be more public
consultation coming. “We’re trying to do the right thing here, in the capacity we have, with the
help we can receive from the province.” He said the administration would continue being active
in approaching the province for alternatives before it becomes “more of an issue than it already
is.” The Press will continue following this story.