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CRAIK - An engineer's report requested by the Town of Craik is expected to reveal what needs to be done to prevent a landslide on the hill where the town's Eco-Centre is located. Craik administrator Jeff Murray said the town was still waiting for the report, prepared by Steven Hardy of Regina-based GE Ground Engineering Ltd., and originally scheduled to arrive at the end of July. "The hill is sliding away," Murray said. The Eco-Centre was built six years ago as part of the town's efforts to promote itself as a progressive, environmentally-sustainable community. It houses the Solar Garden restaurant and also offers conference rooms for meetings and gatherings. The centre features many green innovations, including a composting septic system, fibreglass windows, and outer walls made from straw bales to provide natural insulation. But repeated heavy moisture over the last few years has weakened the hill on which the building sits. The construction of the Eco-Centre and other nearby projects have also disturbed the ground. If the erosion continues, the hill will eventually become unstable, making the Eco-Centre unsafe. While the Town of Craik owns the Eco-Centre, the hill beneath it is the property of the RM of Craik #222, complicating the situation further. The town leases the land from the RM, which operates the Craik and District Golf Club on the same property. Mayor Rick Rogers acknowledged that the Eco-Centre has been "a touchy subject," but also said he believes that the two local governments will deal with the situation properly. A couple of meetings were held last week between Craik town council and the RM to determine an action plan. "I feel confident we're going to fix it," he said. "I just hope it's not going to cost too much." Rogers said he has heard a variety of opinions on what should be done to prevent a landslide. He said that the town "could almost send the next mission to the moon" for some of the cost estimates they've received. Hilton Spencer, reeve for the RM, said the construction of the Eco-Centre's waste water system is partly to blame for the situation, as it softened and weakened the ground. "All that responsibility falls on the town," he said. "It's on them to get it organized." At the same time, the RM must approve the town's plan before it can go ahead. JoAnne Yates, administrator for the RM, said they were asking the town to hire an engineer to create a proposal. "They've been asking for almost a year," she said. "The ideal is to get it fixed properly." Because the issue is a time-sensitive one, Rogers said, the town is hoping to move ahead quickly with the repairs. "It's been too long," he said. "I'd like to get it fixed." The leaderonline is a division of The Davidson Leader, Davidson, Saskatchewan, Canada. |
By Joel van der Veen