Green Line Funding Announcement

 GREEN LINE FUNDING BY THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT 

“The energy, work, and sheer determination to get the funding, which was no easy feat, must now be channeled to ensure that the Green Line continues north as promised.”

I am excited about today’s announcement for the final funding announced from the Province to fund the Green Line. This has been a long time coming.

This is a massive project, and will mean a lot for Calgarians, and for Ward 4. It was only a few years ago that many saw this project as something far off, on a to-do list – but with determination, and the vision that my colleague in Ward 12 saw, and then me for Ward 4, we are here today!

This is a great day for Calgary. It was June 2015 that I stood in Mount Pleasant with only three of my colleagues and saw one hurdle overcome, but also saw what was needed next. I pushed my municipal colleagues for funding, and was successful – against some who wanted this project to fail. Today, I was pleased to be at 4^th Street for the announcement, and see this two-and-a–half year fight for full funding come to a conclusion. Thank you to those that were a part of it: you know who you are. Finding this kind of funding, in this time frame, is truly unheard of.

While I am very proud to see this funding come forward, there is still much to be done. The energy, work, and sheer determination to get the federal, then municipal funding commitments was no easy feat, and that energy must now be channeled to ensure that the Green Line continues north as promised. The full 46km line, Seton to Keystone.

I will keep pushing for ways to cut costs off the current phased plan, I will look for funding grant programs federally, and look at new technologies that are available to us to extend the line but cut costs. As Calgarians we must look outside the box, outside what we think of as an LRT, and in doing so can find innovative ways to extend the line north with new technologies. This is my pledge to you.

While I am very happy that today finally came, I am still resolved to give the North and Deep South the Green Line as promised.

Thank you to our local MP Michelle Rempel for being a steadfast supporter of the Green Line from the start. Michelle, like me, saw what this meant to the North who for too long have been ignored. Thank you to my colleagues who, who eventually saw this as a City shaping project. A massive project that just made sense, and would transform communities with new transit stations. It would also help build upon our community’s halls as hubs, and change how we move around the City.

Finally, thank you to the Provincial Government for stepping forward and providing their share of the Green Line funding, to a total of $1.53 billion. This means we can finally get this project going.

Thank you to everyone who has worked on this project. From the City team who worked hard to make this a realty with such time constraints; to my colleagues who have been a part of this from day one; and finally to Calgarians who took part in open houses to give feedback on what the Green Line could mean for them, their community, and Calgary – thank you!

Today was a good day, but there is much still to do – let’s get to work!