Terwillegar not on priority list, mayor says

$120M slated for road upgrades bypasses 12 other highlighted projects, mayor says

The provincial government is funnelling up to $120 million into long-awaited upgrades to Terwillegar Drive in Edmonton to help an economy on life-support during COVID -19, Premier Jason Kenney said Wednesday.

The project will create 865 jobs as part of a plan that includes at least $10 billion in infrastructure projects meant to kick-start the economy, including $1.5 billion in the Keystone XL pipeline, Kenney said.

“Our top priority must be getting Albertans back to work,” he said.

Mayor Don Iveson said southwest Edmonton commuters will be happy with the province’s decision to fund the second phase of the Terwillegar expressway, but he is disappointed it usurps 12 priority infrastructure projects laid out by council in April.

A letter sent by Iveson to the province on April 10, at the request of Kenney, identified $2.1 billion worth of shovel-ready projects in 2020 and 2021 that would have the most economic impact on the city. Phase 2 of the Terwillegar expansion wasn’t on this list and none of the 12 highlighted projects have received provincial funding.

“The investment in and of itself is good news, but we would also hope that local priorities would be respected when the province is making investments in our city,” Iveson said. “So the province can do this but we would ask them to pay heed to our prioritization.”

Instead of the Terwillegar expansion, $600 million for the Capital Line south LRT extension is a project on the priority list to benefit south-side residents, which Iveson said would create 2,700 jobs.

The investment in expanding Terwillegar Drive and upgrading of other road infrastructure projects in southwest Edmonton comes after the UCP government cancelled funding planned for the project in the fall.

In March 2019, the NDP announced Terwillegar Drive would receive about $24.6 million through the Alberta Community Transit (ACT) program. That would also cover dedicated bus lanes and the purchase of some electric buses.

The program was cut in the UCP’S latest budget, forcing the city to consider cancelling or delaying projects funded by ACT, including Terwillegar Drive.

But during budget deliberations in December, city council still committed $102.7 million to a scaledback Terwillegar Drive project.

The current plan will include widening Terwillegar Drive from Rabbit Hill Road and across Anthony Henday Drive to four lanes in both directions, including a dedicated transit lane. The new funding means it can also extend south to Windermere Boulevard.

The project also includes building a second overpass over Anthony Henday Drive.

The city’s plan won’t include electric buses.

ALBERTA RETAINS U.S. COUNSEL

Meanwhile, Alberta has retained American legal counsel to represent its interests in the U.S. Supreme Court case that could jeopardize construction of the Keystone XL pipeline and will likely be filing an amicus curiae brief — a third-party written submission — in support of the project, Kenney said.

“We’ll continue to work with our partners in the United States to defend that existential need for energy for our economy to function and recover,” he said.

And, the premier defended the government’s decision to appoint former MLA Dave Rodney to a newly-created trade post in Houston to promote investment in Alberta.

The NDP Opposition has questioned Rodney’s qualifications, saying the appointment was a political favour. Rodney’s resignation from his Calgary-lougheed riding enabled Kenney to win the seat in a byelection in 2017.

NDP CALLS FOR WITNESSES IN SPECIAL HEALTH COMMITTEE

In the legislature Wednesday, NDP health critic David Shepherd called on a special committee, which has a majority of UCP members, to call CEOS, the premier and government ministers to testify on the handling of deadly COVID-19 outbreaks at meat-packing plants and long-term care facilities.

“Mistakes were made, and lives were lost. And we must learn and prevent this from happening again,” Shepherd said at a news conference Wednesday. The committee was struck to address criticism of Bill 10, which created special government powers under the Public Health Act during the COVID -19 crisis.

Health Minister Tyler Shandro did not agree. “The all-party select special committee to review the Public Health Act was to review the Public Health Act — not to play politics over COVID, not to play politics over our response to COVID,” he said in question period.

The NDP also asked a subcommittee, which does not meet in public, to hold special public hearings for Albertans to address concerns.