City hopes to cash in on some provincial flood cash
Flood funding has begun to flow in 2017 as the province announced $13.4 million for the City of Calgary to upgrade pumping stations in its lowlaying communities this week.
The bulk of money however, under the flood-dedicated Alberta Community Resiliency Program — to which the City of Medicine has several applications — could be ready soon, say officials with Alberta Environment.
Provincial Environment Minister Shannon Phillips announced Wednesday that $9.8 million would be spent in Calgary to upgrade pump stations. Another $2.5 million would be spent along the Bow and Elbow rivers to improve flow and stabilize infrastructure.
The program, known at the ACRP, dispenses about $50 million each year to help communities build flood defences and help drain storm water.
The city plans to begin work this summer on a 900metre berm to extend from near the Heritage Pavilion in Strathcona Island Park past the CPR line in the South Flats.
The initial budget estimate of $6 million is already mostly covered by previous grants. That estimate is more than two years old though, and previous berm budgets saw some escalation.
Since last summer the city’s municipal works officials say land assembly is still underway for the project that would require some private land east of Medalta Potteries and west of the Ross and Seven Persons creeks
The berm would also require a maintenance agreement with Canadian Pacific Railway. A removable flood gate at Industrial Avenue was part of the original route plan, unveiled in 2015.
This month in council, members approved the closure of an unused road allowance on reserve land near Medalta.
Last year’s disbursements were announced in late February, with Medicine Hat receiving $4 million to recoup costs spent on the Lions Park berm and a further $2.4 million for the Industrial Avenue extension.
Previously, the Industrial Avenue project was subject to a Build Canada grants that saw the province and Ottawa each put $1.5 million toward the project.
The 2015 program was announced by the previous provincial government and included no money for Medicine Hat, but about $17 million for storm pond development in Edmonton. A variety of projects across Alberta included $3.3 million for the Malloy Drain near Coaldale (a project of the St. Mary’s irrigation District) and $900,000 for storm sewers in Rosemary, north of Brooks.
Contracted crews are finishing up landscaping and minor work on the Riverside Phase 1 berm near Finlay Bridge. That work began last summer.
Previous projects include berms in Harlow and Lions Park as well as a raised access road that acts as a berm near the city’s water treatment plant.