The flooded streets of Merritt as seen on Nov. 15. (Photo via Big Power Films)

Some significant steps forward for Merritt in its efforts to make itself flood-resilient.

This includes final pieces of the new Middlesboro Bridge arriving are arriving in Merritt this week.

“We have some girders flying in today [Monday]. Two girders today, two on Wednesday and likely two on Friday. That will solidify the free-stand structure,” Sean Strang, Director of Merritt’s Flood Recovery and Mitigation told Radio NL in an interview.

The new Middlesboro Bridge across the Coldwater River is the replacement of the previous bridge across Voght Street, which was washed out during the November, 2021 atmospheric river event.

At the same time, long-awaited diking work is also getting underway.

“[Merritt has] just over 5 kilometers of diking that needs to be either repaired or added,” noted Strang.  “Our first 300 meter section is starting construction here. All the regulatory permits were received, and we have crews on-site that are working, and will be done in about a month.”

Strang says this work is being financed through help from the provincial government, rather than assistance from Ottawa.

“It’s quite complex and difficult for municipalities to do the game between the feds and the province and other levels of senior government,” lamented Strang.  “Obviously, it would be really nice if they would just decide who was handling climate change, climate readiness, infrastructure.”

Merritt has thus far been shut out of any federal assistance to complete its diking work, including having its application for money from the Disaster Mitigation and Adaption Fund be rejected on a technicality.