Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver fell short of promising to fully or partially foot the costs to repair Calgary’s ruptured water main.
Perhaps he is too young a civic and provincial politician to know that the water main was approved under The Clean Water Act in place from 1971 to 1993. The construction cost may even have been partially funded by the government under the then-existing municipal assistance program for upgrading water supply and sanitary infrastructure facilities across Alberta.
Hence, there is a legal responsibility of the Alberta government to pay for the repair cost of a specified pipe installation that was approved by a government ministry.
Last year, $400 was frivolously doled out to every Albertan. This year, we have no tax relief as promised and a Municipal Affairs minister who won’t commit to legal responsibilities.
Kurt J. Hansen, Calgary
Be thankful for water supply
Thanks to Heather Campbell for her opinion regarding Calgary’s water supply and how we need to conduct ourselves as citizens in this civil society.
Whining and complaining is not the Canadian way. Sure, it has been inconvenient not having a ready supply of water on hand at the turn of a tap. But thanks are surely due to all of the leaders and workers who put both mind and muscle to restoring our normal water supply. We all need to get out the pots and pans, to bang them in a big round of applause.
There are people living in Canada who don’t have water on hand. And I’ve seen first-hand how the same is true in some countries outside of Canada.
Now that we have developed some good habits of water conservation, let’s continue to practice them.
And get down on our hands and knees to give thanks that we are so fortunate.
Yvonne Hodges, Calgary
Immunity for all?
About the recent U.S. Supreme Court presidential immunity decision: If the president is immune from prosecution, why not state governors, mayors or any elected official?
Aren’t they all equally vulnerable? Should the rule of law only apply to non-politicians?
What is going on down there?
Cameron O’Rourke, Calgary
Councillors must serve constituents
I agree that the people involved in the water main pipe repairs should be thanked but I would like to go one further. I commend all Calgarians for their gracious and co-operative behaviour. Not a single time during the water crisis, which lasted just under one month, was there any danger of us running out of water. I feel proud to be a Calgarian.
I wonder if city council understands how exceptionally we have behaved.
We have very little choice in who we elect to run our city. Every four years we get the chance to elect one councillor and the mayor. I live in Ward 8, my councillor is Courtney Walcott. I have tried to contact him to ask for a meeting, which was refused. Later, concerning a different issue, I requested a phone call but all I received was a dismissive email from his administrative assistant.
I wish council would appreciate the city they are in charge of. Calgarians’ only point of contact is their councillor, and if it is impossible to contact them it makes our voice unheard.
Philip Hefter, Calgary