The rushing flood waters that devastated the community of Roche Percee actually delivered some unanticipated good fortune for those dealing with the revitalization of the nearby Roche Percee Park.
"I almost hate to put it that way because so many people have been left with so much damage," said Mary Rose Boyer, whose home was also severely damaged by the flood waters.
"But what the flood waters did, was remove a lot of wood debris in the park that the volunteers would otherwise have had to clear out by hand. The flood also left the road in the park more clearly defined, but of course, it was also severely damaged," she added.
"The water poured over the park entrance road and did a lot of damage, but we thought it was going to be worse than it was and now we won't have to cut and haul all the trees because the flood took care of some of that work. We even ended up with a canoe down there. Don't know where it came from or who owns it, but it ended up in the park," she said with a smile.
"Before the flood, it was difficult to see exactly where each of the camp sites were, now it's quite clear because the flood removed debris and flattened the grass. We can see that now that the water level is coming down. You can see where the river banks have washed away. If we can get some gravel spread, we might be able to invite people to come to the park this summer yet," said Boyer who is president of the South East Tours and Trails Inc., a group of volunteers who offer guided tours of the historical and scenic areas around the community that is now going to take years to recover.
"We hadn't installed electricity yet, so again, that was a fortunate stroke of luck because that work would have been wasted," she said.
The Saskatchewan provincial parks body had donated fencing materials which can now be used to help make repairs since several large hay bales that were caught up in the flood waters smashed their way through the park's fence.
"We had just one picnic table, but it hadn't been put out yet, so that didn't get damaged," she added.
"We'll know next week for sure what the damages are. We'll get a survey done of the area and the well water will be tested to see if it is still usable," Boyer said.
"The well cover at the surface needs repair for sure," she said.
"But on the bright side, we can see the road clearly now. That will help with the paving, now that we know how wide it really is. Getting that road back in good condition will be the first priority," Boyer said.
The original plans called for 12 camp sites in the first phase of the park's renovation which was supposed to begin early this year.
"Now we're looking at it and seeing that maybe we can get more sites, but not before we get the funds for installing electricity. That was estimated to cost about $80,000 for the 12 sites, so we'll see."
If the park can be rejuvenated to the point of opening later this summer, the committee will ensure that porta-potties will be available for camp users.
"Some work will get underway this year," said Boyer, adhering to the spirit of the village in the valley that was pretty well wiped out by the June blast of water. The villagers are doggedly determined not to yield ... not to quit. They are moving ahead with a park beautification project, from square one, that might just help them rebuild some sense of belonging and emotional relief.
The committee now has a long-term lease on the park site and it appears as if they aren't going to let a little thing like a flood stop them from realizing their goal of restoring some of the beauty to the valley.
