After a virtual meeting with Premier Danielle Smith on Monday, Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek said nothing has changed on the Green Line front.
Last week, Calgary city council asked the mayor to meet with Premier Danielle Smith to urgently discuss the state of the $6.25 billion transit project. The day prior, Alberta’s Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen delivered a letter to the Mayor’s office indicating they would no longer support the current project configuration.
Mayor Gondek met last week with Minister Dreeshen and Rob Anderson, who represented the Premier at that meeting. The province reiterated its stance on funding and how it intends to proceed.
During a noon scrum with reporters Tuesday, Mayor Gondek said that nothing’s changed on the file.
“Premier reiterated that their desire is to get from Seton up to the Event Centre and then figure out how to tie into the Blue and Red Lines,” the mayor said.
“It was reiterated that they are not interested in tunnels downtown, so we’re in the same place.”
Mayor Gondek said the province anticipates their consultant’s report to be complete by the end of December, at which point she said they’d make it public and share it with the City of Calgary.
Transfer of the program and the financial risk was also discussed, Mayor Gondek said.
“I spent some time yesterday just reviewing with Premier what the outcome of the last week’s special meeting of council was and what is expected to come to us on September the 17th,” she said.
“So, she now has that briefing from me. She also has the decision itself in writing from Council, and we all look forward to whatever information we will get from administration.”
The Premier’s office acknowledged Monday’s meeting.
“Premier Danielle Smith and Minister Devin Dreeshen met with Mayor Gondek yesterday regarding the Green Line and reaffirmed that she remains committed to the project and a new above-ground alignment that will benefit more Calgarians,” read an emailed statement from press secretary Savannah Johannsen.
