Balzac Mega Mall
Author: anne | Date: January 28, 2007 | Please Comment!We held a press conference today in Calgary. Opposition leader Kevin Taft challenged Premier Ed Stelmach to deny a water transfer from the Red Deer River to a race-track, hotel and mega mall development at Balzac, just on the northeast border of Calgary. It was an unusually warm sunny day, near the Bow River to remind us of the need to carefully manage and conserve our water resrouces. We challenged the poor government planning which is likely to lead serious problems in future (as is the case with the Bow, where already too many water licenses have been issued; the reason government is now being asked to divert the Red Deer River 100 km south to Calgary!!
The two main issues here are environment and government integrity:Â
1) Alberta is faces with increasing scarcity, partly due to climate warming. Good planning includes moving businesses closer to the water resrouces and full environmental impact assessment.Â
2) Development of the Balzac site is fully underway – before a water permit has been issued by Alberta Environment! Yet at a town hall meeting in Drumheller last October, Premier Stelmach called the Balzac mega mall project “ridiculous”.Â
But as Kevin said “Clearly, there is no point in conducting the research on the environmental impact of the project when development is already fully underway. If the Premier’s word is to mean anything, he needs to deny this water transfer. Otherwise, Honest Ed’s word to the people of central Alberta is worth nothing.” Taft Calls on Stelmach to Come Clean on Balzac Water Transfer
Please write to your MLA on this and copy to the Environment Minister Renner as well as the Premier. What does he mean be honest, open government?
1:37 am on January 30th, 2007
“the reason government is now being asked to divert the Red Deer River 100 km south to Calgary!!”
This statement is very misleading.
2:42 pm on March 4th, 2007
I am somewhat curious. If, or when, this water diversion is constructed, can other developments tie in to the same water source. A development of particular curiosity is the Balzac (Ranchers Beef) meat processing plant. ( a few KM’s away from the proposed race track) was pushed out of the City of Calgary’s City limits into the MD and at one point was denied water from Calgary. I am not certain if they ever got the water from Calgary in the end, but if they didn’t, could they tie into this proposed water diversion for the Race Track? Has anyone followed this up?
The other curiosity, is why one would pay the cost to divert the water all that way, when there is water lines going to Airdrie from Calgary that they can work with. How can that be more cost effective? Perhaps they would have to pay development assessment charges and maybe build a water booster station like other developers have had to do?
From what I have read to date, no one has questioned the possibility or repercussions of other developments tieing into the water source in the future. Nor has anyone seemed to question how the cost of diverting the Red Deer could be less expensive than to tie into lines that are much closer. Is it merely an easier way avoid the expense of cost sharing to get the water from the Bow? As well, does it simply make it an easier way to avoid the politics required to tie into the same lines going to the larger developers in Airdrie’s new housing developments?
They have also stated that “some” water “might” be returned to the Red Deer. They should define where the source of that water coming back would be from ? Overland drainage would likely be contained in the area, and they would never pay the expense for storm water lines to return. If they were to pay the expense to build a line back with sewer water, could it be sanitary sewer from a Meat packaging plant?
I think the MD has to be more inquisitive to the problems that may arise in the future as a result of this diversion and question if there is any other nearby developments, now, or in the future, that would also benefit from this diversion that may create a larger drain on the water source than initially presented.
Although a Horse Racing Track appeals to the masses in the MD, perhaps it is being presented as a pretty picture with a hidden agenda that will surface only after it is too late to change the decisions made. I can understand that a race track would be an asset, however, I feel some reassurances and clarifications need be made to make certain that other developments are not benefitting from the support the MD is giving to the Horse Racing Track.
12:10 pm on November 4th, 2007
As a horse owner in Vancouver racing at Hastings Park I am eagerly awaiting the new track in Balzac.
Hastings park, especially its backstrecth has had none or little upgrading to make it a class place to race. The reduction in the purse money makes it very difficult to attempt at racing to at least recoup some of the costs of this great hobby.
Hats off to the Horsemen of Alberta for their efforts in creating a class racing establishment. I’m sure the old addage “build it and they will come” will hold true for your new track.