$10 million and more promised to RVC if SR1 proceeds

The reasons why Rocky View County (RVC) has withdrawn its objection to the Springbank Off-Stream Reservoir (SR1) were made clear today..

Should the project proceed, the county will receive $10 million for future loss of tax revenue on 3,870 acres (1,566 hectares) of land. 

The government also committed to addressing certain road and infrastructure issues that may arise from the construction and operation of SR1.

For Bragg Creek, it means an additional $9.4 million for additional flood mitigation on top of the $32.8 million previously provided by the provincial and federal governments.

The provincial government has also committed to working with Bragg Creek and the Tsuut'ina Nation to address long-standing safety and congestion issues on Hwy. 22.

Improvements to the four-way stop on Hwy. 22 near the entrance to Bragg Creek has long been pursued, and it's among the issues that will be discussed by Alberta Transportation, Tsuut'ina, and RVC.

RVC Reeve Greg Boehlke is pleased with the success of their negotiations.

"We try to negotiate and be tough for the best of the residents of the county," says Reeve Boehlke.

"The nice thing about the agreement is that should the project go ahead we'll get something for the residents of Rocky View County and hopefully just for Springbank."

At its May 12 meeting, RVC council agreed compensation received for tax revenue loss and damage to land would be earmarked for recreation and cultural amenities in the Springbank area.

While the county has withdrawn its objection, Reeve Boehlke says the county will continue to monitor progress on the project.

"We're still allowed to have our opinion. There are issues that are still outstanding that will get addressed."

“For our part of the agreement, we have essentially agreed to trust in the federal and provincial processes,” says Boehlke. “The province will have to meet very high standards to pass environmental and regulatory reviews for SR-1. If the standards are met, they can move forward.”

RVC had originally opposed moving forward with SR1 without fully analyzing other flood mitigation options.