*Photo courtesy Drumheller Resiliency and Flood Mitigation Office

Drumheller Resiliency and Flood Mitigation Office (DRFMO) and members of the Town of Drumheller administration team held a community information session on Thursday, February 9 to provide information and outline several upcoming flood mitigation berm projects.
The information session was held at the Badlands Community Facility (BCF) in a trade show style format, similar to the one held in November 2022, and provided further information and design drawings for berm projects planned at East Coulee, Michichi Creek, downtown, and the hospital berm extension.
“We took what people told us at (the open house) event (on November 17) and then we were able to make adjustments to our designs,” DRFMO project director Deighen Blakely tells the Mail.
She explains the open house in November generated plenty of feedback from residents, from how the project would affect their properties individually, to what adjustments could be made to reduce impacts on area roads and what features residents would like to see in their communities.
Ms. Blakely notes they are hoping the East Coulee berm project will be ready for tendering in the coming weeks, and is hopeful work on the projects in North Drumheller can begin as early as March or April.
Artists and designers also put together a visual infographic based on questions and feedback received explaining vibration monitoring and what is considered normal and excessive.
Some vibration is normal in berm construction areas, and residents may experience dishes or picture frames rattling. However, if these vibrations cause drywall cracks or nails to pop out it is considered excessive and the flood office should be contacted immediately to avoid any permanent structural damage.

Dry Canyon Collectables hosted a Meet the Artist night on Saturday, February 11 with Indigenous artist Kalum Teke Dan, along with hand drummers, singers, and storytellers from the Siksika Nation.
Kalum, who is from the Blood Tribe in southern Alberta, is a renowned Indigenous artist. He has worked on several large murals in Calgary, including a mural at the southwest corner of the Glenmore and Blackfoot Trail intersection; in 2022 he was commissioned to do 16 murals, including a 90 foot mural on the Chevron Plaza in downtown Calgary.
Lynn Fabrick, owner of Dry Canyon Collectables and Indigenous liaison, tells the Mail events like this are an important way to show the Indigenous and non-Indigenous community alike there is more history to the Drumheller Valley than the dinosaurs which often draw people.
She hopes to hold more events like this in the future and is happy to see the support and interest of the community.
About 40 people attended the event, and not only had the opportunity to meet Kalum but also watch the creative process as he worked on a couple of canvas pieces during the event.
Hand drummers and storytellers from Siksika Nation-Duane and Joanne Red Old Man, Radford Black Rider, and Randy Doore-were also in attendance, sharing stories, singing, and playing the hand drum.