On September 23rd, Karin Hunter, president of the Springbank Community Association and member of the Springbank Action Committee, handed MLA Miranda Rosin over 900 letters from residents and businesses expressing concern over the current SR1 single purpose dry dam flood mitigation proposal. These residents and business owners are in support of the upstream multi-purpose solution at Mclean Creek for both flood and drought mitigation, as well as sustaining pure water in the Elbow River for fish, wildlife and residents that depend upon this precious river.
MLA Rosin will then present the petitions to the Legislature as legal documents to Premier Kenney when sessions begin in October.
To quote Karin’s presentation: “This submission to our Premier sends an important message: We count. Prior governments didn’t care to listen to us. Not to the landowners who were threatened in early days with expropriation. Not to the Tsuut’ina, stewards of this land who are directly and negatively impacted. Not to the residents of Bragg Creek and Redwood Meadows who are not protected by SR1. Not to the Springbank community, who have valid concerns about the long-term effects of this project in their community. Not to the people who asked why the government purposefully ignored the benefits of a permanent reservoir at McLean Creek: drought, fire suppression, water security and recreation. We are not a vocal minority. We count.”
You can still express your concerns asking that the Alberta Government reassess their 2014 decision to build SR1 and give equal weight to the upstream solution of Maclean Creek. Forward your letter directly to Miranda.Rosin@assembly.ab.ca.
Lowell Harder,
Editor
