Calgary council approves Green Line, ending heated political battle with province

CALGARY — The City of Calgary is moving forward with a multi-billion-dollar transit project that was the centre of a months-long battle with the Alberta government.

Council hit pause on the $6.5-billion Green Line project after the province said last fall it wouldn’t provide its share of the funding if the downtown section included an underground tunnel, despite committing its funding to the project a month earlier.

City council voted on Tuesday night to go ahead with the new version of the transit line, but construction on the downtown section is about two years away.

Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek said the plan for an elevated track in the city centre is a “reckless and unproven alignment that will destroy our downtown.”

“I’m saddened by the corner that we have been pushed into, and I’m absolutely furious that local businesses, property owners and residents are an afterthought to our provincial government.”

Alberta Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen said the decision was a win for Calgary and the future of public transit in the province.

During an unrelated press conference Wednesday, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she’s “very excited” construction is about to get underway.

“I know that it was hotly debated at council, but we’re pleased that they made the decision to go ahead,” Smith said.

The province has argued in favour of an elevated system because it will cost less and allow the line to connect with more residential communities in Calgary.

Alberta Opposition NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi said the Green Line was supposed to connect Calgary’s communities, but the “Danielle-Devin Disaster” would only take commuters from a parking lot to the site of a future NHL arena.

Once approved by the province, shovels are to be in the ground along the southeast leg this year.

The Alberta government’s ultimatum at times resulted in open warfare between city hall and the province. In September, the city sought to wind down work on the Green Line and hand it off to the province, which would have resulted in $2.2 billion in sunk costs.

The two governments have since committed to building a lengthy stretch from Calgary’s new yet-to-be-built hockey arena toward the city’s southeast, with the downtown portion still up in the air.

Downtown groups recently raised fundamental questions about an aboveground line. Among their concerns are impacts to property values, privacy, vibration and noise.

For those reasons, groups have also warned the city would be exposed to lawsuits should it go forward with an elevated downtown line.

“Think about all those condo owners … that bought a third-storey, fourth-storey condominium, and now you’re going to have a train running past your window. It’s inevitable that there’s lawsuits,” said Mark Garner, executive director of the Calgary Downtown Association.

Dreeshen said in an interview that the contractor hired to deliver the Green Line, WSP Canada Inc., will address those concerns as designs are fleshed out. He also argued the transit line will create new commuter traffic downtown that will benefit businesses.

As a municipal project, the city will shoulder any cost overruns associated with the Green Line. Gondek said the province has dumped all financial risk onto the city despite the city having no choice over the route.

Dreeshen said the Green Line is structured like any other municipal transit project.

“Because they’re the ones doing the day-to-day management … they’re in the best position to make sure that costs are minimized.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 29, 2025.

Matthew Scace, The Canadian Press