The mowing of ditches along highway 33

June 27/22 To: Glenn van Dijken, MLA Athabasca-Barrhead-Westlock From: Chris Lockhart, Resident of Barrhead and employed in Swan Hills Regards: The mowing of ditches along highway 33 Dear Mr. Dijken I was wondering if you were aware of the state of the ditches along Highway 33, specifically between Horse Creek Road and Trapper Lee’s Cabin. It has been at least 5 years since this area of highway ditches has been mowed, and as a result trees and bushes are starting to grow and thrive in the ditches along the highway. As you probably already know this is an area with a large number of animal/vehicle collisions, there is even high collision signs posted. As these ditches get overgrown with trees and shrubs it is becoming increasingly difficult to spot wild life such as deer and bears as they blend in with them. It can also be difficult to spot a moose if it is sitting amongst the trees/shrubs. I am wondering why these ditches are not being mowed on a more regular basis? Even every second year a mow would be beneficial; the lack of ditch mowing has created a safety hazard and there will be more collisions with wild life if not addressed, hopefully not resulting in a fatality. I am not sure who handles the ditch mowing contracts but high collision highways like highway 33 from Fort Assiniboine to Swan Hills needs more attention. Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated and I await your response. Your constituent, Chris Lockhart