There is growing concern over slumping and shifting ground in Fort Smith while the town is looking for GNWT support to deal with the problem.
"I was down by the river to review the slumping on Monday and it is quite dramatic and significant," said deputy mayor Kevin Smith in an interview last week
"The affected area is commonly used by residents on ATVs, mountain bikes, etc. and is now too dangerous to use as the trails have steep ledges where they have separated and dropped several feet."
The lookout and boat launch have not yet been affected by slumps, he said.
The Town of Fort Smith is advising residents to stay away from the slumping areas as the ground may continue to shift. Caution tape has been set up to warn residents and visitors that they are approaching unstable areas, according to Smith.
The slumps that have been occurring recently have been on Commissioner's Land, which is managed by the GNWT, Smith said.
The ski club and the town's golf course have also both been impacted by significant slides over the last couple years, he said.
Last fall, the town put out a request for proposals to commission a slope stability study but Smith says the study, which was supposed to finish by the spring, has been halted due to land jurisdiction and access matters between the town and the GNWT.
In a response drafted by both territorial departments of Land as well as Municipal and Community Affairs, the GNWT stated that Fort Smith's slope is a mixture of Commissioner's Land, municipal land and privately-owned land.
"The Department of Lands monitors the Commissioner's land parcels in the area for slope movement," stated the response.
Smith said the town is working with the GNWT to resolve the land access issues halting the study, but it also has been lobbying the GNWT "for several years" to act on slope stabilization as well as fire abatement measures on Commissioner's Land within the town's boundaries.
He said the town needs funding to proactively deal with its land stabilization issues.
The GNWT response stated it is working with the town on fire smarting activities as well as in identifying federal funding for climate change mitigation, including the slope stability study.
Smith said the town is "actively seeking funding" to proactively deal with these issues and that he's hoping the recent slumping activity is being noticed and that the GNWT will be more actively involved in providing support.
Fort Smith residents on social media have been posting about the dramatic changes, as well as concerns over how little is being done. News/North reached out to several posters but did not hear back by press time.
