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CALGARY — With timelines tightening, Calgary city council wants to return to the bargaining table with the Alberta government to discuss a reworked plan to build a multibillion-dollar light-rail-transit line connecting the city’s southeast to downtown.
The Alberta government announced its revamped Green Line proposal on Friday, saying it would save more than $1 billion, with the next step a decision from Calgary council on whether to proceed. The plan includes an elevated track instead of a tunnel downtown and five more stations.
A public presentation on the new proposal at city council Tuesday was limited, as ordered by the province for confidentiality reasons.
After five hours behind closed doors, council passed a number of resolutions including one to direct administration to release a statement that highlights the gap in costs between the city’s alignment and the province’s plan.
In the analysis, the city identified $1.3 billion in known costs and risks not included in the consulting firm’s work.
It found that at $7.5 billion, the price tag exceeds the $7.2-billion cost estimate presented to council in July 2024.
Mayor Jyoti Gondek will be sending a letter to Premier Danielle Smith and Transport Minister Devin Dreeshen saying the city will continue negotiating the province’s plan if the Smith government is willing to commit to sharing delivery risk and liability for cost overruns.
She will also ask the Alberta government to publicly release the report from AECOM, the consulting firm tasked with finding alternatives to the city’s latest proposal.
“We’ve been able to re-engage with this government at all kinds of points in time and get them back towards a negotiation. This simply spells out for the public and for all of us what we are going to do when we get back to that negotiation table,” Gondek said.
“We’re making sure the public has the information they need. For those who are saying we’re picking a fight, it’s actually not picking a fight. It’s advocacy. It’s what we’re supposed to be doing.”
Coun. Dan McLean was concerned the move could hurt the project going forward.
“If we go with this now and we make demands and just because we’re right or we’re smarter, the province still holds the cards here,” he said.
“They are in charge of this and they have been clear in no uncertain terms that they’re not going to take up any extra risk, they’re not going to spend any money. It’s simply picking a fight.”
But Coun. Courtney Walcott said the public has a right to know what is going on and council has a responsibility.
“It’s important to tell our side of the story because what’s been presented to us is effectively the province demanding us to just do what they say and at the same time foot the bill,” he said.
“We are so committed to the Green Line that even when we’re slapped in the face we’re not going to leave the table. Let’s not accept a bad deal.”
The city had already requested a meeting with Dreeshen to discuss its concerns.
Dreeshen provided a statement saying the Alberta government remains committed to working with the city to ensure the Green Line’s success and to help get it approved by Calgary council.
“The new elevated alignment is better for Calgary commuters having more stations, more communities served and more riders,” Dreeshen said.
“We are aware of the city’s concerns regarding timelines and will continue to work expeditiously with them.”
Calgary city council voted to wind down the $6.2-billion project in September after the province said it would pull its $1.53 billion in funding without a major project overhaul.
The federal government has also committed $1.53 billion, but that window is closing.
“Unfortunately there’s not an option for them to extend the timeline because they have a new program for transit funding that begins immediately after,” said Wendy Tynan, executive director of public affairs for the Green Line.
“Our last window to retain the $1.53-billion commitment from the feds out of this existing fund that’s been there is to have it approved by Mar. 31 and that was made clear.”
Tynan said it’s important that a decision on the future of the project be made soon.
“We need to have a recommendation in front of council and if it was approved, have time for it to go to the province to have them approve it with a new business case and then for the province to approve to get it to the federal government to approve all by March 31,” Tynan said.
“It is a very condensed timeline.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 17, 2024.
— with files from Jack Farrell in Edmonton
Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press