By Andrew de Souza

Farmers feel pain with ferry closure

Jul 22, 2011 | 6:51 AM

Corrine Soloducha doesn’t know how her family and neighbours will manage to have a successful harvest since the Weldon Ferry is closed for at least another year.

“We’re desperate,” she said. “We need it fixed because harvest is coming and we’re going to be in big trouble.”

The ferry has been closed since May due to high water. Then, the problem was compounded by when a landslide hit the ferry’s steep approach.

“There’s a combination of reasons as to why it’s closed,” said Dan Palmer, ministry of highways spokesperson.

“First is because there was high water but then Highway 302 … had a landslide.”

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“So you can’t actually get to the ferry and hence it’s closed.”

Palmer said they’ve hired a consultant to study the soil integrity and make recommendations for the reconstruction on the road. He expects that there should be tenders put out in the fall and construction to be completed by next summer.

“Safety is a huge priority,” he said.

“We don’t want folks travelling on a road that’s sunk two feet and had a landslide on it. It’s just not safe.”

Soloducha said while it’s good that the ministry wants to build a safe road, it’s only now that they seem to care about such a thing.

“For the last ten years, we’ve been driving down a road that you’d be scared to drive down,” she said.

“It’s scary but nobody worried about us then. It’s only now that using that excuse.”

Soloducha added that even if they want a safe road, it’s simply too long of a wait.

“For us, that means we won’t farm next year,” she said. “We can’t do it again. We don’t know how we’ll harvest let alone (seed). We couldn’t possibly farm over there next year so it’ll totally change our livelihood.”

In the meantime, the community and its farmers are trying their best to have something—even if it’s temporary—done, and fast.

On Monday, about 50 people gathered to protest their concerns.

“For us, it’s not going to work. We need it done and we need it done now. For us it’s our lifeline that’s where our business is.”

adesouza@panow.com