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Vol. 21, No. 27, Wednesday, April 8, 2026
Resident not happy with Chipman flooding response Village having special meeting to discuss improving the situation BY GRANT JOHNSON Residents in Chipman are dealing with the aftermath of repeated flooding events, with some homeowners now raising concerns about how the situation was handled and whether more could have been done to prevent damage. Christina Coutts says her troubles began on March 17, when she noticed a large pool of water outside her home, estimated to be about two feet deep above a nearby manhole. According to Coutts, town workers opened the manhole, which she believes caused water to back up into her basement. “At that time, our property was the only one severely affected,” she said, adding that the manhole appeared to be functioning properly and should not have been opened. Once workers saw the flooding inside her home, she says they closed the manhole, which stopped the flow of water. Coutts noted that if she and her husband hadn’t been home, the damage could have been far worse. The couple is now working through the Village’s insurance process in hopes of recovering their losses. However, the issue did not end there. Roughly two weeks later, on April 4,
flooding returned—this time impacting multiple homes in the community. Several residents reported sewage backing up into their basements, rais-
sewage. According to Coutts, she also spoke directly with the provincial environmental health minister, who she says
Flooding causing damages to homes in Chipman. ing serious health and safety concerns. Coutts says she reached out to multiple officials as the situation escalated, including the area MLA, the CEO of Alberta Health Services, and the Village’s Chief Administrative Officer. She also contacted an environmental health officer due to the presence of
became involved ahead of local leadership, including the mayor and public works department. During the April 4 incident, the mayor acted quickly to bring in several pumps to move water out of affected areas. At the same time, crews worked to thaw a frozen culvert believed to be
contributing to the problem. Despite those efforts, Coutts believes more could have been done sooner. She says she suggested bringing in a hydrovac truck to remove standing water, but that recommendation was not acted on. As a result, she says water remained in the area longer than necessary, contributing to further basement flooding. Village CAO Pat Tomkow confirmed Coutts’ flooding issues and that the Village hired a hydro vac truck to come in, but because of delays the truck took five hours to get there In the meantime, Coutts and her husband paid out of pocket to have water removed from their basement. The situation also left some residents unable to flush their toilets during the height of the flooding, adding to the disruption and concern across the community. As cleanup continues, residents are now looking for answers and assurances that steps will be taken to prevent a similar situation in the future. Tomkow said the Village is having a high level meeting this afternoon to go over the response, to discuss what was done, and what could've been done better
Chipman street in front of Christina Coutts’ home (left) and some of the flooding in her basement.