We’re now 18 months along from a really lousy day.

Let’s face it…this has been hard for Calgarians and for Southern Alberta. Some of us were able to recover on the home front fairly quickly and some of us have been permanently displaced. Some have faced significant financial upset, emotional strain and divorce, and we’ve all been traumatized to a degree. 
 
But with the support of our friends and neighbours, and renewed belief in the strength of our community, we’ve put ourselves on the road to recovery and, more importantly, protection. The more we’ve understood what this City has endured, the greater has been our fear that the City is truly at risk….far beyond what happened in any one neighbourhood. For us, this has become much more than Bowness or Inglewood or Elbow Park or Mission. Its about the downtown core and the economic engine of Western Canada. Its about hearing on the radio just this morning that several buildings in Mission are still, on this day, without elevator services, and imagining the Bow Tower and the new City Library and the TELUS Sky in a similar state.   
 
When your CRCAG Team returned from our summer break, we knew that this year, between flood anniversaries 1 and 2, would be critical. This is the year when analysis would be finalized, studies would be complete, and key decisions would be made. Or not. We knew that memories would start to fade, the news cycle would move on and political interests would shift. In short, we knew that this would be a tough year.
 
Fortunately, it started well. Premier Prentice stated the Government’s unequivocal commitment to improve the situation and do the things that Government has ignored for decades. He gets it. He committed the Government to the Springbank Diversion, to fully assess other mitigation options and to optimizing the Bow River’s existing infrastructure. Despite the drop in oil revenues, that commitment is unwavering. Thankfully. And we’re hearing very gradual improvements to the DRP and the appeal process, despite its substantial failures, and we hope this continues.
 
But there isn’t one person that lost a business or who ripped apart their kitchen or threw muck into buckets, who can believe it until we all see infrastructure built and mitigation plans finalized. It’s a long way to there from here, but we’re moving forward.
 
So here’s our Christmas wish. It’s that, as we continue to meet with the many stakeholders involved in restoration and protection, and as we continue to push our agenda to protect Calgary, we continue to receive your support. In the coming weeks, there will be important open houses regarding the Springbank Diversion (see below). Please attend these in person and show your support. We’ve had a good response so far to our recent DRP Survey (https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/drpupdate). Please continue to participate and we’ll report on this in the New Year. We expect to have to address Government policy initiatives and have real fear that they will miss the mark. Please continue to help us and to advocate in your own right and try not to give up. Your voice is heard.
 
And we do have much for which to be thankful….we can tell you that there are many people in Government, both City and Provincial and elected or not, really trying their best to set things right. It’s been overwhelming for everyone but the response, like the event, has been unprecedented. Good people are doing good work.
 
But most importantly, thank you Members for your ongoing support and many words of encouragement. We can’t do this without you. 
 
Each of us on your CRCAG Team wishes you and yours all the very best this Holiday Season, and in the coming year. 
 
Tony Morris
Brenda Leeds Binder
Rob Nieuwesteeg
Gloria Mak
Rob Motherwell
David Carlson
Steve Forrest
Daryl Rudichuk
Anna Mravcak
Josh Traptow
 
Springbank Diversion Open House Dates:
 
Jan 27th – Mount Royal University
Jan 28th – Cochrane RancheHouse

Contact Information regarding the Springbank Diversion Project:

Mark Svenson
Provincial Transportation Environmental Coordinator
Email:     Springbank-Project@gov.ab.ca
Phone:    780-644-8354
Website:  alberta.ca/springbank-road.cfm
 
Upcoming Presentation of Interest:
 
Robert Sandford (EPCOR Chair in Global Water Security, United Nations Institute for Water, Environment and Health, United Nations) will be giving a talk entitled: When Water is Worth More than Wood – Hydro-Climactic Change and its Consequences, on Tuesday January 13, 7PM at the Alberta Wilderness Association Building, 455 12 Street NW.