Province won’t fund Calgary Green Line wind down, says partnership relies on desired alignment changes

The next steps are unclear after Calgary city council voted 10-5 Tuesday to wind down the Green Line LRT, with the province now saying it wants to continue its partnership on the project with the city and Ottawa.

In a statement made Wednesday, Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors, Devin Dreeshen, said Alberta won’t help shoulder the cost of winding down the project, expected to total more than $2 billion and impact over 1,000 jobs.

The city was pushed to make a decision on whether or not to abandon the project after the province pulled its portion of funding earlier this month, making it impossible Calgary to afford.

Dreeshen reiterated the United Conservative government’s status in his latest remarks.

“The province’s contribution to the Green Line has never been a blank cheque, and the current alignment put forward by the City of Calgary is an irresponsible waste of taxpayer dollars,” he said.

The issue lies with disagreements on construction and alignment of the line, amended at the end of July by the city to build less of the track for more money.

Dreeshen and Premier Danielle Smith have expressed their dissatisfaction with the decision, which they say was the reason for revoking $1.53 billion.

“The province promised funding for a line servicing hundreds of thousands of Calgarians in southeast Calgary, not a stub line barely reaching out of downtown,” the minister said.

Smith says a lack of “political oversight” undermined the transit project, but says her government will not take it over.

“What I fear has happened with the Green Line is it didn’t have effective, consistent political oversight,” Smith told reporters Wednesday at an unrelated news conference. “That’s part of the reason why it’s gone completely out of control.”

Dreeshen says it’s disappointing council voted to wind down the project, effectively cancelling the Green Line, rather than finding what he called “a far more cost-effective and longer above-ground alignment that will actually reach hundreds of thousands of Calgarians in the southeast in the city.”

He said the city can move forward with the Green Line sans provincial money, if it insists the cost of the wind down is more than what the province committed.

Dreeshen says in December, the province will give the city a new, alternative route extending further into the southeast to consider.

“Once it is ready, we will be happy to discuss it with the city and determine whether to proceed,” he added. “Should the city change its mind and decide to build a Green Line that serves the needs of Calgary commuters, our provincial contribution remains on the table.”

City officials say pausing the project will incur up to $30 million per month.

With files from The Canadian Press