Wednesday, March 9, 2022 Vol. 45, No. 10
Your LOCAL Paper
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Citizen survey New Viking Council grapples with results provide recovering costs for 619 contamination wide range of comments, criticisms Secondary Highway 619 had contaminated soil found once the digging was done to replace water and sewer pipes in 2017. The Town of Viking is still owed $1 million for the work to dig up the contaminated soil and replace it, along with other costs.
Patricia Harcourt Editor
The Town of Viking council received its responses from the community survey that residents were invited to fill out in the beginning of January. They showed a wide range of comments and/or criticisms from residents. Mayor Laura Yakiwchuk indicated at that time that the feedback would be used going forward to formulate town policy and initiatives. Interim CAO Sherry Garbe told Viking Council at the February 22 meeting that the survey results were “public knowledge to be posted on the town’s website.” Deputy Mayor James Buttner said the survey results should be tabled to the next meeting in March. In the meantime they should be broken down so they can eventually be incorporated into council’s decision making process. The survey had three questions for its residents. The first was what programs or service makes the biggest positive impact on a personal basis. There was appreciation for local services ranging from the food bank, having the clinic and doctors close by, FCSS and volunteers, and the snow angels program. Other kinds of activities such as the library, outdoor skating rink, playgrounds, and walking trails were also mentioned. And events such as the annual parade of lights and Carena festivities were appreciated. But one response said nothing has a positive impact for them, saying the town “is geared and driven by a few people for who knows what. Often the community speaks but no one listens. Viking will be a ghost town in a few years thanks to the actions of council.” Others appreciated the parks, the hospital, and a small town “with amenities not found in other towns this size.” See SURVEY P7
Patricia Harcourt Editor
Viking Council discussed its efforts in trying to recoup costs from the clean up of contamination under Highway 619 in 2017. In the end, it agreed to table the issue until the new councillors had more information on which to draw. The area in question runs off Highway 36 to the main street at the south end of town. In 2017, that part of the road was dug up to replace water and sewer lines. During that process, the road underneath was found to be contaminated with hydrocarbons from two other sites. At the town’s own cost, this contaminated soil had to be dug out and replaced with new soil or the new piping would have been contaminated. At the time it was estimated to be over $600,000 that the town believed it was owed for doing this work on behalf of Alberta Transportation, which has possession of Highway 619 including the part that runs through town. The costs have since risen and the town has been trying to get financial compensation ever since that time from Suncor, which owns the polluting property that leaked the fuel underneath the road. At the February 22 meeting, Viking councillor Cindy Lefsrud told council she did not favour spending any more money on lawyers if the results continue to be so disappointing. “I think we should let the government deal with it,” she said. “We shouldn’t spend any more tax dollars on legal. When do we stop paying tax dollars when we never know how it’s going to end?”
Lefsrud felt more money should be spent only if there appears to be some kind of breakthrough in negotiations. However, Interim CAO Sherry Garbe pointed out that “the taxpayers were out $1 million because of the contamination.” Lefsrud set the amount owed at $1.2 million if legal and other fees are included. She said the town had no guarantee of getting this money back, saying the legal wrangling could “keep the town going until it goes broke.” She added: “I’m not comfortable spending a whole lot more on it,” noting Suncor had much deeper financial pockets than the Town of Viking. “I think it’s a waste of money.” Mayor Laura Yakiwchuk felt Suncor’s latest response held out some hope. “It’s pretty positive from Suncor,” she said. Yakiwchuk said negotiations between the town’s CAO Don McLeod, currently on leave, and a new Suncor representative “appeared hopeful.” But she added: “We won’t give it up but we won’t move (on it) until we hear something.” Deputy Mayor Jaime Buttner agreed the town should “leave it lay in the weeds,” but still “keep a close eye on it.” “I think we need some more background on it as a new council,” said Yakiwchuk, including “the whole thing that transpired.” “There’s got to be a file on it,” said Lefsrud. “If we get information I will read it. I don’t want to spend another year paying lawyers every month for nothing.” The issue was tabled until council obtains more information.