Skip to content

Weather delays Innisfail's Napoleon Lake South development

Summer’s wet weather has caused a three-week delay in the construction multi-million-dollar residential development on the west side of town
mvt-napoleon-lake-south-devel-july-28-2025
Construction work at the Napoleon Lake South residential development on July 28. Wet summer weather has caused a three-week construction delay. Johnnie Bachusky/MVP Staff

INNISFAIL - The wet summer weather has caused a “significant” three-week delay with the development of Innisfail's heralded new Napoleon Lake South residential development on the west side of town.

Steven Kennedy, director of operations for the Town of Innisfail, told town council at its regular council meeting on July 28 that mobilization and site grading started at the development site at the end of May.

Council was told topsoil stripping is about 90 per cent complete, with site grading about 50 per cent finished.

However, Kennedy added there has been a “significant” issue with the weather.

“As everyone has been aware we've had significant weather delays since then, putting the project approximately three weeks behind schedule,” Kennedy told council. “We have been meeting with the contractor regularly to come up with some ideas to what we can do, and they have been very good with providing some strategies.”

From his report to council, Kennedy said some options include bringing in a second crew to start on the underground while site work is being completed, and working longer hours, or Sundays, within allowable hours.

“They (contractors) are suggesting they would be working every weekend, every Saturday, where originally they proposed it was every other weekend,” said Kennedy. “And then above that, with the weather, they are contemplating working on Sundays where they hadn't on the original schedule. This is all allowed within our bylaws.”

Kennedy added administration will continue to monitor and update council.

Coun. Dale Dunham wanted to know whether adjacent property holders would be notified that there would “probably” be evening and weekend work at the construction site “because sometimes people get a little upset if their evening or weekend barbecues are interrupted.”

Kennedy said the municipality had recommended that if contractors move forward with a proposed “occasional” weekend schedule from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. they provide new updates to nearby residents.

Meanwhile, the delays will not have an adverse impact on the development of the first residential lots that have been sold since last spring.

The planned development at the 12-acre town-owned land, located south of Napoleon Lake near the intersection of 42 St. and Highway 54, has 62 total lots, including those for single family homes, duplexes, townhouses, a larger additional one for an apartment building and another for buildings on a 1.62-acre parcel of commercial land.

The cost estimate for the municipality to go ahead with the development this spring is just over $4.8 million, with the total including a 15 per cent contingency and required upgrades at the Highway 54 and 42 Street intersection.

Meghan Jenkins, director of community services for the Town of Innisfail, has been the town’s lead for marketing the development site that has residential lots selling at prices starting at $101,900.

Jenkins said a total of 16 lots have been sold.

“We still feel the lots will be available for construction this fall,” said Jenkins. “The lots are actually transferred to the builder or the new owner, and they're able to apply for permits to construct a home.

“By fall the road will be built, the water and sewer pipes will be in the ground, the power will be available so that the properties could be built on.”

 

push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks