Fear over fate of Glenbow, Haskayne Parks as province seeks input

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A public input process to help determine flood mitigation measures on the Bow River that could devastate two parks is being rushed, says an advocate for Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park.

And a philanthropist who helped create another park that could be threatened by a possible dam is furious over the possibility.

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On April 15, the province announced an online consultation platform that will collect public input on two reservoir options upstream from Calgary, meant to prevent the severe flooding that ravaged the city in 2013 and store water in times of drought.

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That process will end May 6, which leaves little time for people to express their views on the options, one of which could flood large portions of Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park west of the city and the new Haskayne Legacy Park inside Calgary, said Jeromy Farkas, CEO of the latter park.

“I’ve not seen any consultation so short and limited to online only . . . it was very quietly done,” said Farkas, a former Calgary city councillor and mayoral candidate.

“The problem is the urgency.”

He said a call to action he’s initiated has aroused considerable interest from people who were unaware of the feedback initiative.

What’s at stake, said Farkas, is the viability of Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park — he said one-third third of its 3,300 acres would be flooded during a severe weather event should the so-called Glenbow East option be chosen by the province.

Even without flood conditions, a dam near Calgary’s western limits would cause some water damage to the park, he said.

“It would be nothing less than catastrophic for the park,” he said, adding the CPKC rail line running along that stretch of the Bow River would have to be moved further into the park.

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Conservation areas on either end of the park would also be gravely affected, said Farkas, as would a stretch of the Trans Canada Trail and pedestrian connectivity with Calgary.

And he noted a 2020 conceptual assessment done for Alberta Environment and Protected Places shows the berm of a dam for the Glenbow East option would run right through the pavilion building of Haskayne Legacy Park, and potentially submerge the western portion of the park that was only opened to the public last October.

That dam — whose location the report says could be altered by a kilometre or more — would be only a few kilometres above the existing Bearspaw Dam and would extend its current reservoir upstream all the way through Glenbow Ranch park.

Lois Haskayne, whose family donated much of the land and several million dollars to develop Haskayne Legacy Park, expressed anger at the land being potentially affected.

“It’s just ludicrous, it’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard of in my life,” said Haskayne, whose family’s $2-million donation built the park’s pavilion building.

“We certainly wouldn’t have put all of this money into it if we knew it’d be flooded.”

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She said her family generosity goes beyond money and into a desire to see people enhancing their health by enjoying the outdoors.

Another option being considered by the province in a current feasibility study is a reservoir between Seebe and Morley on the Stoney Nakoda First Nation, which isn’t part of the current public consultation, though provincial officials haven’t said why that isn’t being included.

A third possibility is relocating the Ghost Dam and enlarging its existing reservoir — one that Farkas and his allies favour because it builds on a current water body and would pose less disruption to people and wildlife.

And he said, unlike the Glenbow East option, the Ghost Dam relocation plan would also protect Cochrane.

“This is not about fighting a dam, it’s about advocating for (the best) solutions,” Farkas said.

Nearly $100 million has been invested from the public and government into the two parks, “not to mention all of the time and volunteer hours, and to have it washed away in an instant by a government decision would be terrible,” said Farkas.

In the 2020 assessment, the estimated cost for Glenbow East would be $992 million, with Ghost Dam and Morley options at $917 million and $922 million respectively. But the Morley price tag doesn’t include land swaps and other possible compensation.

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While the report says all possibilities would incur some environmental effects, it concludes those affected by Glenbow East would be most pronounced.

“No environmental differentiators were identified along the entire study corridor except for impacts on the existing Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park, in the Glenbow reach of the river,” it states.

At least 14 homes, it said, would be inundated by the dam-created reservoir, while “wildlife corridors on both sides of the river would be impacted.”

But the report also says the downstream effectiveness of Glenbow East would be very good, compared to good for the Ghost Dam and fair for Morley.

The province says it’ll announce a decision on the Bow River options early next year and insists it favours none of them.

A spokesman for Environment and Protected Places Minister Rebecca Schulz’s office said over the past three years, public consultation has been extensive.

“Engagement conducted from 2021-2023 included virtual live sessions, in-person meetings with property owners, online webinars and dozens of meetings with stakeholder groups including the Glenbow Ranch Park Foundation,” Ryan Fournier said in an email.

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“The current public engagement is a follow-up to that important work.”

The City of Calgary is supportive of the Bow River study, and remains engaged with the province as possible effects on Haskayne Park need to be clarified, said a spokeswoman.

“As the provincially-led feasibility study is still in progress, any potential impacts to Haskayne Legacy Park will need to be identified and studied by the province as they continue to progress their work,” Nicole Newton, manager of natural environment, adaptation, climate and environment, said in a statement.

Successive provincial governments have already waded through controversy and opposition surrounding the construction of the SR1 dry dam at Springbank on the Elbow River that’s also meant to defuse the flooding threat to Calgary.

That project, which would divert water from the Elbow River during extreme weather events, and then release it back into the natural flow, is expected to be completed next year.

Farkas said he’s requested a meeting with Schulz that would include a tour of Glenbow Ranch Park, adding he’s been told her office is trying to accommodate it.

In the meantime, the Glenbow Ranch Park Foundation is organizing a trio of town hall meetings on the issue, the first to take place at Cochrane’s Frank Wills Memorial Hall on May 4 from noon to 2 p.m.

BKaufmann@postmedia.com

X: @BillKaufmannjrn

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