Twenty families continue to fight an Alberta government plan to build a reservoir on their land to control flooding in Calgary.
The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency is reviewing the Springbank off-stream reservoir project, which would be located west of the city. A public comment period is open until May 30.
The project covers 6,000 acres and was first proposed in 2013 after southern Alberta suffered nearly $6 billion in flood damage because of torrential rain and snow melt that overflowed the Elbow and Bow rivers.
The environmental review is expected to take at least 12 months, said Manon Plante of the Alberta government.
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The project’s size and cost concern local residents whose homes may be lost. A local committee comprising five representatives of the affected families meets weekly to gather information and plot strategy.
“It has been a tough year for the group,” said Ryan Robinson of Don’t Damn Springbank.
They hoped the NDP government would scrap the project, but instead it said last October that it was the best flood control option. The previous Conservative government had also approved the project.
Land must be expropriated before construction starts.
“As of right now, they are forging ahead with this purchase of 6,800 acres of private land,” Robinson said.
barbara.duckworth@producer.com
