Members of the Don’t Dam Springbank advocacy group are furious with the province’s recent announcement of upcoming info sessions for the highly controversial offsite reservoir project.
“It’s actually sort of unbelievable … these sessions are such short notice,” said member Ryan Robinson, adding that the group perceives the timing of the info sessions as intentional – when most people are on holidays.
Don’t Dam Springbank, with more than 3,000 social media followers and formal membership of around 30 families, maintains the Springbank option would have a negative impact on privately-owned lands, would not be an effective solution and is less comprehensive than the McLean Creek flood mitigation option.
Those opposed to the Springbank proposal are concerned that some of the most hard-hit areas by the 2013 flood – Bragg Creek and Redwood Meadows – are left with zero protection through the Springbank dam project.
Springbank Coun. Jerry Arshinoff said he is “very disappointed” that Rocky View County has not yet penned a letter to make clear it objects to the proposed Springbank dry dam project.
He said he fully empathizes with Don’t Dam Springbank and commends members for their tireless efforts.
He reiterated what the advocacy group maintains that intervention at the federal level is the group’s best chance at redirecting provincial mitigation efforts toward the McLean Creek option. He added the Tsuut’ina Nation’s outspoken opposition to the Springbank proposal compounds this hope.
The hope is that the First Nations voice will add weight to their opposition, as the group awaits a judge-ordered Environment Minister Catherine McKenna to make the final decision as to whether the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA) should conduct an environmental impact study or an independent study should be done.
Judge Douglas Campbell set aside the June 2016 decision for the CEAA to self-conduct the dam review in June 2017.
The province will be hosting info sessions on the proposed off-stream dry reservoir Springbank dam project between Aug. 16 to 29, including two sessions at the Wild West Event Centre at 67 Commercial Court in Springbank on Aug. 16 from 5 to 8 p.m. and Aug. 22 from 5 to 8 p.m.
The Springbank dry dam is price tagged at $250 million. The 2013 flood resulted in more than $5 billion in damages.
