Following lengthy debate, Clearwater County will be cautiously moving ahead with some potential improvements to O’Chiese Road.
Firstly, council passed a resolution to partner on the realignment of a 400-metre portion of Clearwater County owned road, on a 50/50 cost share basis up to a maximum of $450,000. The realignment will accompany bridge construction over the Baptiste River.
Council passed an additional motion to procure engineering services for the O’Chiese Road base pave project.
Director of Public Works Infrastructure Erik Hansen says procurement doesn’t mean it’ll have an engineering firm on retainer necessarily, but instead, it’ll have a firm on standby for as such a time that the project gets greenlit.
The motion was spurred on by a letter from O’Chiese First Nation expressing disappointment at a May 12 Clearwater County decision to not expedite improvements on O’Chiese Road.
O’Chiese First Nation officials say the road has exceeded its useful life and is in urgent need of rehabilitation — whether as a gravel reconstruction or a paved corridor. It adds, the road is the primary access route to the community and continues to present safety risks for O’Chiese members and emergency responders.
The estimated cost to grade and pave the 16.7 km O’Chiese Road, as requested, is $25 million.
Clearwater County had earmarked $8 million to the project, while the Alberta government had also committed $8 million to advance the project. Clearwater County and the O’Chiese First Nation have been lobbying the federal government for the last third of the funding for the project.
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In a letter to council, Chief Phyllis Whitford said a May 12 decision to not immediately approve the detailed design is “troubling”, considering the collaborative discussions held during an Apr. 15, 2025 meeting in O’Chiese First Nation.
She added, the stalled momentum on the project does not demonstrate that the county understands the urgency or significance of this corridor— which has been “on and off” the county’s priority list for around a decade.
Had the design been approved, Whitford says a clear countdown could have been initiated with construction starting in 2026.
During debate, concerns about the priority level of the project were voiced, especially with future pressures on the budget coming down the pike. Those include a much-needed heated storage facility for large equipment, and urgent infrastructure needs in the newly-amalgamated hamlet of Caroline.
“Over the next few years, [spending] commitments exceed what’s been saved,” says Murray Hagan, Director of Corporate Services. “Any additions to the 10-year capital plan will cost money— significant money.”
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Councillor Jordon Northcott questioned the “tens of millions” earmarked for broadband this year which could be better spent on a project such as the O’Chiese Road.
Hansen cautioned that along with the estimated $150,000 needed immediately for engineering, around $500,000 could be required down the road to facilitate a plow truck, along with hiring extra staff and providing heated storage for equipment.
Council also debated whether it was Clearwater County taxpayers who were primarily using the road, to which Coun. Genny Mehlhaff responded, that plenty do indeed utilize the road.
Reeve Michelle Swanson inquired how long paving 16.7 km, of road would take, recalling that it took two construction seasons to see the Beaver Flats Road fully paved.
The O’Chiese Road is 16.7 kilometers in length and extends from Range Road 8-1A (Buster Creek Road) to south of the Baptise River and O’Chiese First Nations border.
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