Dignitaries out for grand commissioning
Amy Gregson – Times Reporter
Dignitaries and members of the public all braved the cold March 2 as the Town of Strathmore celebrated the grand commissioning of the East Calgary Regional Waterline.
Those who have had a hand in getting the waterline in operation were invited to the ceremonies, including Strathmore-Brooks MLA Arno Doerksen, former Strathmore-Brooks MLA Dr. Lyle Oberg, Transportation Minister Luke Ouellette, Environment Minister Rob Renner, Chestermere Mayor Patricia Matthews and Calgary Ald. Andre Chabot, along with all members from the Town of Strathmore council.
“One of the problems Strathmore had was water,” said Mayor George Lattery. “Now that is all resolved thanks to Calgary, Chestermere and the Alberta Government.
It took a lot of work from all partners to get the line in place, said Lattery.
“Everybody has just done an awesome job. I just can’t thank them enough,” Lattery said.
The waterline all started four years ago in 2006. A key player was former MLA Dr. Lyle Oberg for Strathmore-Brooks. He was also the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure.
Oberg said he recognized the need for water and that Strathmore was growing ‘exponentially’ and the water supply was not.
“There needed to be a guarantee of water for the residents of Strathmore, or Strathmore was going to be in a very tight situation,” said Oberg.
He said a number of alternatives were looked at, but the line from Calgary made the most sense because it was downhill and the water doesn’t have to be pumped.
“It’s wonderful. I think Strathmore residents can breathe a sigh of relief,” said Oberg. “They can sleep at night now because they know there’s going to be water here.”
The line will be able to handle a population of approximately 60,000 people in the Town of Strathmore, compared with the previous water system designed to handle a population of 17,000.
“We now have the opportunity for growth. That was one of the real setbacks with our water before, was the water itself,” said Lattery. “That’s why the developers were holding out.”
The waterline is approximately 50 kilometers long and cost approximately $53 million, with the Alberta Government funding 87 per cent of that and Strathmore and Chestermere the other 13 per cent.
Many have expressed the need for the line to continue on and bring water to other residents in surrounding areas.
“There are smaller communities to the east and other municipalities that have concerns about water,” said Arno Doerksen. “It’s a good solution for Strathmore, and we need to continue to work on initiatives to carry this on further.”
The City of Calgary doesn’t have any intentions of extending the line. Ald. Andre Chabot said their agreement with the Towns of Strathmore and Chestermere is based on sustainable development.
When the line is pushed out to one, two or five-acre developments the tax base can’t pay for the pipes said Chabot.
“Those kinds of communities do draw extensively on the City of Calgary’s infrastructure without contributing to the tax base, which is why the City of Calgary has always been fighting for a regional agreement where we can look at sound planning principles around development,” said Chabot.
The line has been in operation since Jan. 18. The main difference people will notice is the taste and odor of the water, said Lattery.
“As far I can see, this water is the best water you can get anywhere, be it for drinking, bathing, cooking, whatever, you will not find better water anywhere,” Lattery added.
Also, the water treatment plant that was in Strathmore has been decommissioned. The water coming from Calgary will be re-chlorinated once it has arrived at Brentwood Station to make up for the chlorination lost through it’s travels.