🤡Sharp Leads Council Capitulation on Green Line

🖍️Councillors commit Calgary to 'reckless' downtown "Dreeshen Drawing" plan

On Tuesday, January 28th, Councillor Sonya Sharp and her UCP-controlled Billionaires First municipal political party led a block of city councillors in a capitulation to the Provincial Government's 'reckless' elevated Green Line alignment through the Beltline and downtown. The spineless decision commits the City of Calgary to carry 100% of the liability and cost overruns of the riskier, more expensive elevated alignment that at only 5% design maturity has already been determined to be at least $1.3-billion over budget by City Administration.

❌ Ward 1 - Sonya Sharp

(Billionaires First)

❌ Ward 4 - Sean Chu

 

❌ Ward 7 - Terry Wong

(Billionaires First)

❌ Ward 9 - Gian-Carlo Carra

 

❌ Ward 10 - Andrew Chabot

(Billionaires First)

❌ Ward 12 - Evan Spencer

 

❌ Ward 13 - Dan McLean

(Billionaires First)

❌ Ward 14 - Peter Demong

 

The above city councillors voted in favour of recommendation 2(b) to begin planning on the Province's "Dreeshen Drawing" for elevated alignment through the Beltline and Downtown.

 

✅ Thank you to the Mayor and 5 councillors who voted against the Province's disastrous downtown alignment

Shout out to the Mayor Gondek and the councillors below who stood their ground in calling the Provincial Government's bluff to impose a riskier, more expensive and disastrous elevated Green Line alignment through the Beltline and downtown on Calgary taxpayers.

✅ Mayor - Jyoti Gondek

✅ Ward 2 - Jennifer Wyness

✅ Ward 3 - Jasmine Mian

✅ Ward 5 - Raj Dhaliwal

✅ Ward 8 - Courtney Walcott

✅ Ward 11 - Kourtney Penner 

The above city councillors voted to reject the Province's disastrous "Dreeshen Drawing" elevated alignment through the Beltline and Downtown. 

 

💸Disastrous Dreeshen plan risks bankrupting the City of Calgary

The disastrous "Dreeshen Drawing" plan for elevated alignment through the Downtown risks bankrupting the City of Calgary and putting our local government and essential services at greater risk of further provincial interference. City Administration has already identified the "Dreeshen Drawing" plan would cost $7.5-billion, which is an additional $1.3-billion over budget from the combined municipal, provincial and federal Green Line funding available. Furthermore, by voting to capitulate to the Province's plan, the City of Calgary will now liable be liable for 100% of all cost overruns.

Councillor Sonya Sharp led a group of eight Councillors in capitulation to the Province's hair-brained $7.5-billion "Dreeshen Drawing" plan.

 

💰City of Calgary will be legally liable for $100's of millions in downtown property value impacts

In addition to the extra $1.3-billion to pay for the "Dreeshen Drawing" plan, under the terms of the Municipal Government Act, the City of Calgary and its taxpayers will be liable for the anticipated negative property value impacts to downtown properties caused by the imposing elevated alignment. The City of Calgary estimated the cost of these liabilities to fall in the order of $100's of millions of dollars in liabilities. A substantial drop in downtown property values would also transfer a greater share of the City's tax burden onto all taxpayers outside the downtown.

 

🎪Foreshadowing of potential future under a UCP-controlled city council

Image source: City of Calgary

In the upcoming October 2025 municipal election, electing an independent local government in Calgary will be crucial to saving our public funds from being diverted to elitist millionaires and billionaires, and to ensure the city becomes more livable for everyone. The rural majority-controlled UCP provincial government continues to increase their overreach and bold attempts to take control of the lives of Calgarians and decisions of our local government with the help of pliant city council politicians.

The next city council will decide whether to:

  • sell off land adjacent the new arena to the billionaire Calgary Flames owners at potentially discounted below-market prices;
  • approve and subsidize even more new sprawl developments to the tune of $100's of millions on the edge of the city while infrastructure in existing communities deteriorates;
  • gatekeep building of more housing in Calgary or allow re-investment and growth within existing communities;
  • take direction from Calgarians or take orders from Danielle Smith and the rural-controlled UCP government attacking local democracy in Alberta.

 

🤑Province backs underground arena and coal mine for foreign billionaires, but refuses to fund efficient underground public transit for Calgarians

The Alberta Government of Premier Danielle Smith, left, is backing Australian coal billionaire Gina Rinehart's (right) quest to build underground coal mines in the ecologically sensitive eastern slopes of the Rockies. (Image source: The Tyee)

Danielle Smith and her UCP Government are contributing $55-million in taxpayer funds to build an underground arena for one of the richest billionaires in Canada (who lives in Switzerland). They are also aiding an Australian billionaire to circumvent environmental protections to build a new underground coal mine on the eastern slopes of the Rockies. Meanwhile, Smith is refusing to contribute to build efficient underground public transit for taxpayers in Calgary.

 

🤠 United opposition to "Dreeshen Drawing" elevated alignment through Beltline and downtown

Calgary's downtown business, real estate and construction industry associations have issued a decisive joint statement to the Alberta Government calling Transportation Minister Dreeshen's proposed elevated Green Line plan through the Beltline and downtown 'reckless'. The letter dated January 24th, 2025 was sent to the Alberta Government from NAIOP Calgary, BOMA Calgary, Calgary Construction Association and the Calgary Downtown Association. It echos the chorus of concerns raised by residents and local businesses.

It's official: nobody supports the disastrous Dreeshen-doodle plan.

 

📣Keep up the pressure!

✉️ 1) Email Calgary City Council

Ask City Council to stand up to the Alberta Government to restore funding for the City's underground alignment previously approved by all three orders of government.

 

EMAIL CITY COUNCIL

 

✉️ 2) Email the Alberta Government - Ditch the Dreeshen Doodle🖍️

The Alberta Government's own report confirmed Devin Dreeshen failed to find a better or cheaper plan to build the Green Line through the Beltline and downtown Calgary. Calgarians deserve the same level of respect the Alberta Government gives to the foreign billionaires they worship.

The Alberta Government must also release to the public Ric McIver's confidential 2021 technical assessment that agreed with the City's underground Green Line alignment and support the City's cheaper/better underground Green Line alignment previously approved by all three orders government.

EMAIL DANIELLE SMITH AND DEVIN DREESHEN

📣 3) Help spread the word

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