New-look High River optimistic three years after devastating flood
Posted Jun 20, 2016 7:47 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It’s been a busy three years since flood waters inundated High River.
Even though it hasn’t been easy, the town has come back stronger than ever.
The first priority was to protect the town from a similar incident and Mayor Craig Snodgrass tells City News they’ve done that, thanks to new berms and dykes on the Highwood River.
“There are a couple of projects left to do yet, just to finish that off, but I’m proud to say High River is probably the most well protected community in Canada now from flood risk,” he said, adding the new infrastructure means they can handle an event 50 per cent larger than the 2013 flood.
The downtown area has seen some massive changes, which Snodgrass says have not only made the town more walkable but also more appealing to businesses.
“There’s a lot of construction that we’re finishing up this year, a new provincial building being built with 100 and something employees in downtown High River,” he explained. “That just feeds all the retail and the restaurants and the service industries.”
Some residents are still dealing with flood-related issues, but Hazel says people aren’t afraid anymore.
“Seeing the businesses come back and being successful and building community again is really heartwarming,” she said.
Even though Alyshia says it was a horrible event, she believes the town was getting stagnant and the disaster forced everyone accept change.
“I mean they’ve redone all the streets, there are plants, there are vegetable gardens, there are more markets, we’re alive,” she said.
