Red Deer Lake - everyone is pitching in to help

Red Deer Lake residents are all pitching in to help protect their community.

At the top, I am visiting with the sandbagging crew. As well as local residents, quite a number of helpers have come in from nearby Sapotaweyak Cree Nation. In the next photo I am with the Mayor of Red Deer Lake - Annette Hather and Ken Hather.

In the next photo, I am with Annette Delaronde and the kitchen crew who are working hard to ensure everyone is well fed.

In the bottom photo, I am with Dennis Barker from nearby Burrows. In deciding on a plan to protect the community, local knowledge is important. Dennis felt strongly that an emergency dyke should be built quickly around the community and the sandbagging may not be enough to protect the homes. For now, the NDP government is acting to help with the sandbagging operations, but I think they should have listened more carefully to Dennis Barker and his views of the potential to put up a dyke quickly around the whole community. Whatever happens, a long run plan to protect the community must be developed and implemented.