Nearly a decade after one of the most expensive floods in Canadian history hit Calgary, construction is set to begin on a $744-million reservoir the Alberta government says will help protect the city and southern Alberta from major flooding.
“It will be partially complete in 2024 and fully complete by the year 2025,” Premier Jason Kenney said at a news conference near the confluence of the Elbow and Bow rivers in Calgary. “It will create a reservoir area of some 3,700 acres, and we’ll be using cutting-edge technology and engineering to protect this waterway from potential future major floods.”
He announced May 5 the contract to build the Springbank Off-Stream Reservoir (SR1) had been awarded to Vinci Infrastructure Canada Ltd., giving a final push to a project that has faced years of delays. Alberta taxpayers’ share of the cost will be $576 million, up 33 percent from a previous estimate of $432 million, with the remaining expense covered by the federal government.
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Flooding in 2013 saw the Elbow River peak at 12 times its regular flow rate in Calgary, with the Bow River at eight times more than normal. Besides affecting large parts of the city, including the Calgary Stampede grounds, the disaster was magnified by flooding from numerous rivers across Alberta that hit communities ranging from Banff and Canmore to High River and Medicine Hat.
The flooding caused five deaths and $5 billion in damage in southern Alberta, along with the evacuation of about 80,000 people in Calgary alone. About 29 local states of emergency were declared.
SR1 was first proposed for Calgary three provincial administrations ago under the government of the Progressive Conservatives, a predecessor party of the current governing United Conservative Party. During times of flooding, a dry reservoir will hold water diverted from the Elbow River near Springbank Road and Highway 22 about 15 kilometres west of the city.
However, the project was opposed by First Nations, the Springbank Community Association and a concerned landowners’ group.
Some producers faced losing land their families had farmed since the 19th century. They advocated for alternative sites as they spent years fighting the initiative through government bodies such as Alberta’s Natural Resources Conservation Board.
The board considered the effects of the project as part of a review process that included 11 days of virtual hearings, it said in a statement last year.
“The board found that the project’s considerable positive social and economic effects outweigh adverse economic, social and environmental effects.”
As one of the largest infrastructure projects ever undertaken in Alberta, SR1 is expected to create about 2,200 construction jobs, said Kenney. No expropriation was needed to acquire the land for the development, said Alberta Transportation Minister Rajan Sawhney.
Provincial officials conducted extensive engagement with Springbank and First Nations residents, she said. Although there will never be 100 percent agreement on the project, “I think we’ve done tremendous work,” she added.
As the MLA for Calgary-Elbow, Alberta Jobs, Economy and Innovation Minister Doug Schweitzer said he represented a constituency where many people’s homes were flooded in 2013.
“And I have to tell you the relief that the fact that we’re moving forward with this project in our community is immense,” he said.
Video from the news conference is available at https://youtu.be/Jh4d5R_v60s?t=580
