New year, old stories
It’s a new year but some local ongoing news stories are far from over. Looking at some of the issues covered by High Country News in 2021, we want to bring you some quick updates to start off the year.
The Springbank Reservoir (SR1) flood mitigation project for Calgary was approved in 2021 and while some residents view this as a lost battle, construction of the project is still in its beginning stages. All the land required for the project has been acquired and construction of the reservoir is scheduled to commence in early 2022.
Local Springbank families are facing disruptions and detours due to construction of both Calgary’s ring road and the SR1 project for the coming years.
Since the start of the ring road’s construction, nearby residents have dealt with navigating around several closed roads, but an entire intersection was permanently closed in September leading to lengthy detours. Without access at Highway 8 and 101 Street, some residents are forced to drive via highway 8, to highway 22, to highway 1 into their community’s core.
According to the Rocky View County website, the intersection was scheduled to be closed this fall to allow for construction of the interchange in the Highway 8 and Stoney Trail area, but Alberta Transportation originally promised an alternate route for drivers to access Springbanks’ community core, according to the County’s mayor. Locals continue speaking out in favour of improved access into Springbank.
This fall also saw the introduction of Bill 79, the Trails Act, which, as of May 1, 2022, will provide recreational volunteer groups with more authority over trails in public areas. Bragg Creek Trails (BCT) president, Conrad Schiebel, noted that BCT has already been working on the trail system in a similar fashion as what is proposed in the Trails Act.
Some groups voiced their opposition to the Trails Act, citing the possibility of dangerous privatization and the damage of creeks and streams and their fish habitat. The Bill received third reading in Alberta’s legislature on Dec. 7, 2021.
Looking at projects in the area this last year, the Grassy Mountain coal project proposal near the Crowsnest Pass was denied through a joint federal-provincial review on June 17, stating its impacts on the environment and Indigenous rights aren’t worth the potential economic benefits. The Grassy Mountain project is one of several coal mine proposals in southwest Alberta where at least eight companies acquired exploration leases. Rural landowners in southwest Alberta gathered to show their opposition to coal mines and continued fighting for the land where they graze their cattle.
Instead of another mining project, an Australian mining company called Montem Resources switched gears and revealed its plan to use Tent Mountain for pumped- hydro energy storage and hydrogen production. In a press release from Nov. 30, the company stated that the initial work includes front-end engineering and design in 2022 and engineering, procurement, and construction tender evaluation in early 2023.
Various other local projects were announced in 2021 like Bragg Creek’s Gateway Village development and Black Diamond’s Mountain View Village for seniors. Shovels are ready to hit the ground on the Mountain View Village in February, said developer, Todd Gow. Gateway Village developer, Dick Koetsier, said they are still working with the County and Province to get approval for the stormwater management plan. “With that in hand we can apply for our grading plan and start grading and servicing the site. Once we get our Development Plan Approval it will be a great step forward,” Koetsier said.
Lastly, another big story in 2021 was the amalgamation of Black Diamond and Turner Valley. Mayors of both towns signed off on this project in the fall of 2021 and requested that Jan. 1, 2023 be the incorporation date for the new municipality of Diamond Valley. An approval for the amalgamation is expected this month.
Masha Scheele, HCN Staff
media@highcountrynews.ca
