Rachel Notley has pledged support for a new Bow River dam to protect Calgary from flooding

Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley says she's open to building a new dam along Calgary's Bow River if her party wins the provincial election.

Notley made the pledge Friday morning at a campaign event at Rotary Park overlooking the river and downtown.

“The safety of Calgary is too important to leave to chance,” he said. “Also, Calgarians need a government that makes important decisions for the future.”

as This was reported by CBC News last yearNotley said three options are being considered: a new dam at Glenbow Ranch Parks upstream of Birspaugh, a new reservoir at Stony Nacoda Conservation Area or expansion of existing infrastructure at Ghost Reservoir.

Notley said the NDP will invest $1 billion in new flood mitigation infrastructure from Alberta's Climate Leadership Plan.

Notley did not provide a timeline for any of the options, but previous reports suggested the projects could take up to 20 years to complete.

“Work is now underway to explore these options through a series of technical studies that will help inform the impact on waterways, communities and the environment,” he said.

Notley also reiterated his party's support for continuing to build Springbank Reservoir in Rocky View County, west of Calgary, which would divert emergency flood flows from the Lock River into a reservoir where water would be stored until the peak of the flood had passed. , instead of flooding Calgary's Glenmore Reservoir.

Notley said UCP leader Jason Kenney was unclear about where he stood on the project.

“At Springbank, he first said I was, quote, non-committal. Then he said he might have a position. Then he dodged the question in the media. Now he says he's going to hire another so-called expert and delay it further,” he said. . .

“One thing is clear, Kenny is not willing to do what it takes to protect this city.”

Albertans will vote in the provincial general election on April 16.