SASKATOON – Hundreds of people from rural Saskatchewan have descended on Saskatoon for the opening of the 2013 Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) annual convention.
The one issue on everyone’s mind is the amount of snow that has blasted the province this winter and is now prepared to melt.
With the Water Security Agency issuing its spring runoff forecast yesterday, flooding is expected to be the hot topic at the convention.
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Flooding was a considerable issue in all parts of the province in 2011, something still fresh in the mind of Kelly Lafrentz, reeve for the RM of Estevan #5.
“We had up to 700 cubic meters in 2011 which absolutely divested the whole river valley and eroded every major highway, bridge and stuff so, we’re urging them to treat Rafferty and Alameda … that they were built for flood control and not recreation,” said Lafrentz.
The Federal and Provincial Governments stepped in with disaster assistance programs.
SARM President David Marit hopes the melting goes the right way and says that although there are things that can be done to mitigate some of the flooding, you can never mitigate it all.
Premier Brad Wall will deliver his address Wednesday morning at 9:30 and the issue of flood prevention is expected to be raised by delegates.
The conference wraps up Thursday.
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