Calgary city councillors rejected a call for a review of infrastructure and a pause in redevelopment in two northwest communities hit hard by a water feeder main break in June.
Councillors voted overwhelmingly against the request by Ward 1 Coun. Sonya Sharp and Ward 7 Coun. Terry Wong to investigate the state of infrastructure in Bowness and Montgomery, including water services, roads, parks and curbs.
The duo also wanted the scoping report to look at the “social, economic and city budgetary impacts and potential impacts of densification” in the area, as it pertains to the strain on local infrastructure.
The initial motion also called for a pause in the intake of redevelopment applications beyond the City of Calgary’s current R-CG designation. That was later amended to continue the intake of applications, with their approval conditional upon the results of the scoping report.
“This motion is about showing the city’s due diligence,” said Coun. Sharp.
“It’s about taking a brief pause in development to provide some transparency and reassurance to a community that is not feeling a lot of confidence in the city right now.”
Sharp said what separates Bowness and Montgomery from other parts of Calgary is the age of the infrastructure, and that they were different infrastructure systems taken over when they were absorbed into the City of Calgary.
“I really think we need to have a closer look at it, until we can identify any problems, and we can ensure residents and developers and future residents of these communities that everything is OK and there isn’t going to be a repeat of 2024,” she said.
The motion was changed to ensure that it complied with Municipal Government Act rules around the application and review of land-use items by a municipality.
‘Scapegoating’ development: Coun. Walcott
Ward 8 Coun. Courtney Walcott felt a false equivalency was being made by the councillors, connecting development with the issues of the water main. He cited housing statistics that showed a 400-person decline in the Montgomery population, and 150 more units in 2021 than what was recorded in the 2012 census.
“It’s just more so of a question of this appears to be scapegoating something that we’re not clear that there is an actual problem associated with it,” he said.
Ward 3 Coun. Jasmine Mian recognized the work both Sharp and Wong did during the water main break but found it challenging to support the motion. She said the motion is predicated on the water situation but asked for a report that went far beyond a review of utility infrastructure.
“It has some water, things like wastewater in there, but then it’s even got roadways and curbs, which seems like a little bit of overkill, that we would stop development or hold back development until we have reports on curbs,” she said.
“It’s really just getting it’s too far-reaching. So, I could have understood it if it was very specific to water.”
Mian also noted that Calgary is already reviewing the water infrastructure in the area, with an interim report delivered at the Nov. 26 regular meeting of council.
Ward 9 Coun. Gian-Carlo Carra was less charitable than his counterparts in his commentary, saying good governance and good politics are at odds.
“I think this is, as I said, politics. It’s not good governance,” he said.
“It’s not good city building. It’s not what you do in the face of a housing crisis, and it’s not what you do when you’re investing significant money in infrastructure upgrades.”
Coun. Wong said this wasn’t a motion against development or densification.
“We’re not against addressing the housing affordability issue,” he said.
“What we are wanting to do is ensure that we’re being responsible, from a risk management perspective, to ensure that development that’s in the Montgomery and the Bowness area is done with a thoughtful understanding of the capacity condition and as well as the potential risk of over development in the area.”
Calgary will get a final consultant’s report on the Bearspaw water feeder main on Dec. 11.
