The City of Calgary estimates it will need at least $3 billion in additional funding over the next 10 years to deal with critical infrastructure in poor or very poor condition.

Calgary city councillors will hear more about the City of Calgary’s corporate asset management plan during an update to the Infrastructure and Planning (I&P) committee on February 11.

The city report breaks down the critical infrastructure assets in poor and very poor condition that, should they fail, would have a severe consequence. This report comes just weeks after councillors learned that there would be a high likelihood of extensive infrastructure failure that would have a severe impact on citizens.

The report breaks projects down into severe consequence of failure and high consequence of failure, with water infrastructure making up the bulk of the former.  Pavement, streetlights, bridges and transit are in the high consequence section with a dollar value attached, however, stairs and retaining walls are included, as are facilities, with no repair value added.

“Administration is working to continually improve its asset management practices to support better decision making,” the City of Calgary report said.

“This includes reducing our risk tolerance regarding high consequence assets and single-points-of-failure, increasing inspections and condition assessments, improving lifecycle planning and asset management plans, and making significant investment in asset management technology and expertise.”

Over the next three months, a series of reports will be coming to the I&P committee, outlining the city’s asset management strategy, providing a capital infrastructure needs assessment, prioritizing it and churning out a 10-year capital infrastructure plan.

The City of Calgary’s asset management practices were criticized in the recent Bearspaw Independent Review Panel report. It was fingered as a major contributing factor to the two Bearspaw South feeder main ruptures in the past 18 months.

Something more tangible to ‘sink our teeth into’: Coun. Pantazopoulos

Ward 6 Coun. John Pantazopoulos, vice chair of the I&P committee, said that with all of the talk about critical infrastructure being at risk, it’s clear this has to be a priority for city council and Calgarians.

He said seeing more detail on what’s needed is important.

“I mean, now it’s good to finally have something tangible to sink our teeth into, because there were numbers that were sort of thrown out,” he told LWC.

“As we look out into our four-year business plan and our budgeting case, we finally have a bit of a roadmap, and this is step one.”

Back in September 2025, Calgary city councillors got their first look at how a new 10-year capital plan, put forth by Ward 2 Coun. Jennifer Wyness would be implemented. Previously, the City of Calgary had individualized plans in each department, and they weren’t integrated into one cohesive, city-wide plan, Ryan Vanderputten, the City of Calgary’s director of capital planning and business services, told them at the time.

In the most recent budget adjustment (November 2025), current Calgary city councillors endorsed an infrastructure funding plan built by the last council, with $3.8 billion to be doled out.  

On Jan. 22, city councillors heard that $5 billion in infrastructure spending is needed annually.

At a recent Executive Committee meeting, Coun. Pantazopoulos had a motion pass technical review that would now look at a long-term, stable funding mechanism to ensure infrastructure budgets were funded. He said they won’t be able to do it alone.

“There’s been one consistent message from the municipalities, both in Alberta and across the country, looking for provincial and federal funding for that critical infrastructure, we need to invest,” he said.

“This isn’t just a Calgary problem. This is across the whole nation.”

While the critical, severe consequence items have to be addressed in the near-term, Pantazopoulos said that making sure the middle-tier infrastructure doesn’t reach the point of failure is also important.

“We have to keep our eye on the ball,” he said.

“What that means is, if this isn’t going to be a one and done. Once we fix and get our water main system and all those critical elements taken care of, there’s going to be a perpetual investment in infrastructure.”

Pantazopoulos said that what this council can do is set future councils up to deal with critical infrastructure needs on an ongoing basis.

“This has to be intergenerational. There has to be investment year after year,” he said.

“If we change the culture and we get a proper financing structure in place in the City of Calgary, just like we’re proposing with our notice of motion, I think we can carry the day and going into the next council and councils beyond where infrastructure becomes priority.”