By Glenn Hicks

Riverbank survey marks a mystery

Nov 16, 2018 | 8:36 AM

“X” marks the spot…but why?

What appear to be surveying or drilling sample markings on the river side in the RM of Buckland just outside of Prince Albert have raised concerns, but no one seems to know with any certainty who is responsible for them. And one local property owner said the whole situation had caused him plenty of inconvenience.

The markings were painted on the old parking lot along Peter Pond Road in early October.

The RM’s Reeve Don Fyrk suggested the mystery markings had certainly created a stir.

“Everybody’s asking and nobody knows,” he told paNOW. “Why would someone come into our RM, do something like that, and not notify us? It’s really weird.”

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Fyrk said the RM’s administrator had also made inquiries but to no avail.

“I have no idea. No one has approached us for building permits or anything like that,” Fyrk said. “We have no clue. Hopefully, somebody does approach us because then I can give them a piece of my mind. Look at all the trouble it’s causing.”

paNOW has heard from some area neighbours who are concerned there may be some sort of development starting, or the ground is being tested for something they should be informed about. paNOW reached out to various federal and provincial agencies to ask if the markings had anything to do with them, such as for river water testing, but all responded that they were not involved.

The old parking lot is located at the end of Peter Pond Road and was gated-off by the RM last year amidst concerns about security and anti-social or criminal behavior. Anyone wanting to access the river, such as RM staff or emergency personnel, now need to go through the neighbouring property of Ron Norfield. He has the best inkling as to who painted the markings.

He told paNOW that two people, whom he assumed were connected with the river testing following the 2016 Husky Energy oil spill, knocked on his door and asked for access. He said yes and thought nothing more of it. He said while the people identified themselves by name, he did not catch which agency or authority they were with. Norfield said various agencies had come to the riverbank over the years to do regular checks for erosion, or conservation officers checking on things, so the visit by the couple in October did not seem out of place. paNOW contacted Husky Energy who said they were not involved in any work or testing at the location.

“There’s no activity on my land whatsoever, except to say my property is for sale, but there’s no building, no construction and I had nothing to do with any markings or any drilling, period, “Norfield said.

However, he said this latest situation had caused so many ill-founded rumours about what may or may not be happening on his property that he has had had enough.

“I’ve had so many different government agencies phone and harass me that I’ve had to tell everyone, including the RM, just to leave me alone,” he said.

He said he’d been very cooperative in giving authorized agencies access to the riverbank through his property since the road was gated-off, but now he’s going to have to change things.

“I’m going to have to say no one can cross my land without a written letter or proof from the RM allowing it,” he said.

Editor’s note: this story was amended Friday Nov.16, at 11:18 a.m. to confirm Husky Energy had nothing to do with the survey/testing markings.

glenn.hicks@jpbg.ca

On Twitter:@princealbertnow