We are all to be blamed for the catastrophic failure of Calgary’s primary water main.
Tax increases are generally abhorred despite citizens demanding more and better services from their leaders. Councillors like being elected again and again so they instruct administration to cut budgets. Councillors approve the budget cuts and proudly announce to the electorate no or minimal tax increases for the year. Everybody goes home happy, until . . .
We love spending money on legacy projects with high visibility; the new arena for $900-plus million. We are loath to plan for and spend money on infrastructure maintenance. Witness the $48-million backlog of repairs on the iconic Saddledome leading to its demise, the deplorable state of River Park after spending $6.5 million on development, the decommissioned facilities at Canada Olympic Park and now a water main break affecting not only Calgary but Airdrie and Strathmore.
We are all to blame for this never-ending cycle of infrastructure neglect. Infrastructure maintenance is not sexy, but when the water doesn’t run we can all take a bow.
Robin McLeod, Calgary
Get ready for more city tax hikes
Don’t worry Calgary, the mayor and council know that if the money from other sources to repair our water supply doesn’t come through, they can just hike our property taxes again. After all, money grows on trees under our blue skies.
It doesn’t matter that the city has a few billion in excess funds because they have overcharged us for electricity, hiked our taxes year over year and reduced services. They can waste money on their personal ideologies and making our city “pretty.” This excess money is not for providing Calgarians with water. Water is only a necessity.
I am choked by the comments made by councillors Andre Chabot and Sonya Sharpe and I have no water to wash down the bile. They are only setting us up for another huge tax increase.
Geneva Kananen, Calgary
Council’s priorities are out of line
Re: Calgary is shaping up nicely but more can be done, Opinion, June 22
Attending the opening of the spectacular BMO Convention Centre was amazing. A world-class downtown library rose in the East Village. A music centre engages young people down a musical pathway.
Meanwhile, Calgary is in the midst of a water crisis. Money spent on the BMO Centre, downtown library and music centre could have been used to build a second water main to service the additional people the city council wants to put into the various communities.
The city’s priority is not a music centre, but water.
Apologies to the opinion writer, but the priorities of council is very wrong.
Colin Pratt, Calgary
Follow coal dust to source of climate change
Re: Study finds coal mine contaminants blown onto snowpack in Alberta, British Columbia, June 20
For years I have said that this black dust and pollution probably will be found around Arctic snow and ice sheets — melting them faster, turning permafrost into sliding mud much earlier than otherwise would be the case and making life difficult for many animals in the north.
The prevailing winds plus the jet stream are quite happy to oblige to move the dust.
Keep going on that research, follow the trail around the world if necessary. But then India and China (despite renewables) produce colossal amounts of muck and dwarf ours.
Let us get our oil flowing to the coast before we make too much fuss but then watch out, Grassy Mountain et al; our mountains, glaciers and river water are way too important to us.
John Groeneveld, Calgary