Calgary city officials are recommending council seek nearly $1 billion from the federal government as part of its upcoming budget to cover needs like infrastructure, transit and recreation.
The recommendations for Calgary’s pre-budget submission to Ottawa will be debated by the city’s intergovernmental affairs committee on Thursday.
“As the fastest growing major city in Canada, it is only through collaboration and shared investments by all orders of government that the challenges associated with this unprecedented growth will be met,” reads the report going to committee.
The city’s critical infrastructure tops the list of proposed funding requests, including $190 million to cover half of the costs of the Bearspaw feeder main replacement project, which is expected to be completed at the end of the year.
That project, now underway, was fast-tracked after the line that carries 60 per cent of the city’s drinking water ruptured twice in the last two years, resulting in months of restrictions on outdoor water use.
The first stage of the replacement project is expected to cost $281 million, which includes micro-tunnelling from the Shaganappi Pump Station to 73 Street N.W., with the second stage using an open-cut trench between 73 Street and 89 Street N.W. at a cost of $100 million.
“This is very much addressing the needs here and now,” Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas told Global News. “This isn’t about the nice-to-haves. We can no longer afford to consider essential infrastructure a nice-to-have.”
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Another $335 million would be requested for Calgary Transit with an investment in RouteAhead, the city’s 30-year strategy for planning and investing in transit.
According to committee documents, the city is seeking $80 million to extend the Blue Line LRT north to 88 Avenue, the next step required to get rail service to the Calgary International Airport. The project’s cost is estimated at $240 million, with a provincial investment of $53 million already committed.
Another $255 million would also be sought from Ottawa for a new bus maintenance and storage facility, as well as new buses to improve transit reliability.
City officials are also recommending councillors approve a funding request for recreation projects that totals $320 million.
Of that funding, $150 million would be earmarked towards the Foothills Multisport Fieldhouse, which is proposed for the Foothills Athletic Park. The City of Calgary has already allocated $109 million for the project.
The first wave of “Gameplan,” the city’s 25-year strategy to address a growing strain on the public recreation system caused by aging facilities, rising costs and a rapidly-growing population, would also see funding through the request.
A $170 million federal investment would cover portions of five projects, including the Forest Lawn Aquatic and Fitness Centre redevelopment, the Rocky Ridge Fieldhouse, Southland Leisure Centre renovation and expansion, Foothills Aquatic and Fitness Centre redevelopment and the Shouldice Arena redevelopment and Athletic Park upgrade.
City officials are also recommending the federal government fully fund the city’s application for Prairie Economic Gateway from the Trade Diversification Corridors Fund, which is a proposed logistics and manufacturing hub in the city’s southeast.
When asked how confident he is that Calgary would see the federal government fulfil Calgary’s requests, Farkas said it comes down to “fairness.”
“We know that in recent years we’ve seen an underinvestment into Alberta by the federal government, and we’ve seen an underinvestment into Calgary by our provincial government,” he told Global News. “We’re not asking for a handout, every single dollar that we deploy here, especially around that essential infrastructure around economic corridors, brings in new revenue at the provincial and federal government.”
Not all of the city’s proposed submissions include a dollar figure, including a request for the government of Canada to engage locally on public safety.
A letter from Farkas said while Calgary is “encouraged’ to see legislative amendments to address bail and sentencing reform, he wants to ensure those reforms address “revolving door bail and repeat offenders.”
“The City is seeking ongoing engagement at the local level to ensure the federal government understands impacts on local policing, emergency response, and community safety to ensure that local law enforcement have the tools needed to keep communities safe,” said the mayor’s proposed letter to the federal government.
If the federal budget submission is approved by committee, Farkas would sign and submit a letter to the federal finance minister in July.
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