Springbank Reservoir that protects Calgary from flooding will cost more than expected

This is great news, Prime Minister Jason Kenney said Thursday morning with his back to the towers in downtown Calgary. Vinci is the winner of the call for tenders. His $379 million bid turned out to be the lowest.

Originally scheduled for 2024, the non-flowing Springbank Reservoir is expected to be fully operational in 2025. Honestly, it took a long timesaid the premier of Alberta.

The construction project provides for the creation of 2,200 jobs and a total investment of $744 million. Alberta taxpayers will pay more than expected, as the initial budget was 432 million.

Since the budget was approved five years ago in 2017, the costs of construction, materials, utilities and pipelines have increased dramaticallysays the Alberta Department of Transportation.

major natural disaster

These floods were the worst in Canadian history. It went on for weeks, Jason Kinney recalls. This is urgent for Calgar. We don’t know when there will be another event of this magnitude. It is always possible, and you have to be prepared.

Transport Minister Rajan Sawhney believes in never forgetting Destruction and chaos 2013. Before the Fort McMurray wildfires in 2016, This flood was the most expensive natural disaster in the county’s history.

More than 30 communities were in a state of emergency, and 125,000 people were evacuated. At least 14,500 homes and 1,500 businesses were affected. These floods killed five people and caused $5 billion in damages.

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Prime Minister Jason Kenny and Transport Minister Rajan Sawhney on Thursday.

Photo: Radio Canada/Axel Tardio

lands of contention

The reservoir was built on an area of ​​1,500 hectares, which is equivalent to 2,101 football fields. Work is underway on land purchased by the county near Springbank, west of Calgary.

This project has been controversial for yearsTransport Minister Rajan Sawhney was summoned. On Thursday morning, it confirmed that there had been no forced confiscation and that he was there Voluntary negotiations on all land acquisitions.

Karen Hunter, president of the Springbank Community Association, doesn’t offer the same account of the facts. Of the 24 owners affected, many had to sell. Business was affected. Our society is losing land and family historyas you say.

According to Karen Hunter, the DOT is not communicating enough about the progress of the work, and the final budget will be much higher.