Glenbow Ranch Park Foundation grateful for local dam opposition

Come hell or high water, the Glenbow East Dam proposal has seen a strong outpouring of opposition.

The Glenbow Ranch Park Foundation (GRPF) expressed its gratitude to all those who have lined up to oppose the project, especially the Town of Cochrane.

GRPF CEO Jeromy Farkas said it’s a complete game changer, and a vindication for what they’ve been advocating. For the non-profit group, Farkas said these are all efforts to make sure the government gets it right.

“There’s a number of challenges [and] trade-offs with all these projects, but even as a Calgarian, I find the idea that Cochrane has to be sacrificed in order to save the city absolutely ridiculous and reprehensible,” Farkas said. “It’s very clear at this point that we need a solution that helps both the city and the town, rather than to try to sacrifice the town in favour of the city.”

In a letter of opposition sent out by Cochrane Mayor Jeff Genung to the Minister of Environment and Protected Areas Rebecca Schultz earlier this month, he outlined Cochrane council’s opposition to the proposal. It aimed to demonstrate the impacts it would have on Cochrane’s infrastructure alongside recreational, natural, and community amenities.

The letter also requested that no decision is made on the Glenbow East Option, until a technical impact study is completed, inclusive of any associated costs and a commitment from the province to assume responsibility and costs for risk mitigation towards Cochrane’s critical infrastructure.

Genung said the letter was spurred following conversations with Alberta Environment that took place over the last few years which looked at potential dam options for Glenbow Ranch Park, Ghost Reservoir, and more recently Morley.

“Obviously there’s major impacts to Glenbow Ranch, The Trail project, Haskayne Park, so there’s major impacts there,” Genung said. “So, I don’t want to say [that] even in the event there’s no flooding that it doesn’t have any impacts on us, it really does to some adjacent properties.”

When the high water comes, infrastructure in Cochrane from the Jack Tennant Bridge, roads, storm ponds, properties near the Bow River, and even the station that pumps wastewater to Calgary would all be compromised.

“There’s a lot of impacts to all of those types of infrastructure, and that’s why we’re asking the province – have you considered the cost of upgrading and protecting there in the studies that you’re currently undertaking to investigate the Glenbow East location?” Genung said.

Although Cochrane’s had some level of communication with province through the Bow River Basin Council, Genung said there’s been no points of contact in regards to Glenbow East.

“To be fair to the province in this too, they’re going through a process and I think they’re asking for this type of feedback, so that is why we highlighted this specifically to them,” Genung said. “They’re asking stakeholders to weigh in and share potential impacts. And so, we wanted to get in quick before they started to make any decision.”

At the time of the interview, Genung said there’s been no response from Minister Schultz.

“Not to just take them off the hook for not responding, anytime I’ve written a minister or the province, I’ve always received a response,” he said. “So, I would assume that I would receive one in this case as well.”

Genung shared that he learned about a timeline that he wasn’t even aware of at a Calgary Metropolitan Region Board meeting he attended. Although he doesn’t know the specifics, he said that the plan is currently in the decision-making process. By 2030, a design and decision would be made, with the construction phase taking place shortly after.

Genung also learned about the federal review process needed in this case thanks to meetings with Infrastructure Minister and Airdrie-Cochrane MLA Peter Guthrie. The river system is under the jurisdiction of the federal government’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

“If the province wants to put a dam anywhere on the Bow River, they need to go through a process with the federal government, and that’s what they’re going through,” he explained. “I haven’t seen what it is, but I’m sure it is a very long list of criteria that the province must fulfill, and then show their work.”

Genung assumes what everyone is hearing is part of that process, adding that it’s been driving conversation and new data on the proposal.

“Having heard that from Minister Guthrie kind of settled me in a way that – okay, the province may not be pursuing this option but they have to look at every option, including Glenbow East, which for all the reasons we’ve just outlined that it doesn’t make sense, but they still have to look into it,” Genung said.

Glenbow Ranch's Perspective

Farkas said public consultation from the province has fallen short. Although it was originally supposed to be an online survey, he was grateful that the province decided to support the GRPF to host a series of public town hall meetings.

“But really, it shouldn’t be us stepping up to do the government’s job for them,” Farkas said.

Farkas said he appreciates the open line of dialogue and conversation, along with Minister Schultz taking the time to tour Glenbow Ranch to see potentially impacted areas.

“We’ve also really appreciated Minister Guthrie,” Farkas added. “He’s actually stepped up and spoken out in opposition of this project, as well as in support of our position.”

Looking at the conservation movement, Farkas said all eyes coast-to-coast are on Glenbow Ranch. In the event the park is deregistered and its protections are stripped, it would have a disastrous consequence for the future of parks and conservation efforts.

For Farkas, he says the three things that needed to solve this dilemma is the need to show the government that they need to honour their promises, provide a solution that benefits Cochrane and Calgary, and addresses both flooding and droughts.

With a closed-door meeting in the near future with the Bow River Reservoir project team in the near future, Farkas said they will receive an update and learn more about where the project currently stands.

“Our hope is that we hear the Glenbow option is taken off the table, like they did with the Morely option,” he said.

Farkas outlined that advocacy will continue, to ensure that a proper solution will be found.

“According to media reports, we understand that the government actually has confidential documents that state that neither of these dams are required to be able to manage another 2013 flood event,” Farkas said. “So, if this is true, it really throws on its head everything we’ve been told for the last decade.

“We’ve been told the new dam has to be built, it’s just a matter of ‘where.’ But we understand, based on reporting from the Bow River Working Group, that this is not actually the case.”

Environment and Protected Areas 

In correspondence with Alberta Environment and Protected areas, the department prepared a statement as Minister Schultz was out of town at the time of inquiry.

“Environment and Protected Areas is exploring more water storage options on the Bow River upstream of the City of Calgary to protect communities and Albertans from the impacts of droughts and flood,” they wrote.

With four phases to the project, it is currently on phase 2, the feasibility study, designed to inform the government decision on which reservoir option, if any, will proceed to the next phase.

“We are carefully considering a variety of social, environmental, cultural, traditional land use, engineering, and economic elements. Additionally, input and feedback received from stakeholders, Indigenous groups and the public is incorporated into the elements being considered,” they said. “We value the feedback we receive from Albertans and it will help us decide how best to proceed.

“We are taking a hard look at the options to reduce the impacts of severe weather events on Albertans and the economy, and protect downstream communities and the families who call them home.”