Calgary city councillor pushes back against province's Green Line letter

Province criticized for Green Line back-out Fallout from the province nixing its Green Line funding continues, with some city councillors calling the decision political.

The fallout from the province's decision to stop funding Calgary's Green Line construction has turned into a personal and political battle between some city councillors and Alberta's transportation minister.

"They delay the Green Line after an election and then support it before an election and then delay it again after an election. They do it over and over again," said Courtney Walcott, speaking outside council chambers.

"Most recently, the Green Line was great and then Naheed Nenshi won the leadership race (of the NDP) and all of a sudden, the Green Line is a boondoggle."

At a press conference held outside the Eau Claire shopping centre, which was recently closed and scheduled for demolition to make way for the Green Line, Nenshi threw down the gauntlet, saying he's ready to fight but not willing to sacrifice Calgarians along the way.

"I said many times, this government will rather fight than win. All they do is pick fights," said Nenshi.

"I don't care. I've been better insulted by smarter people but don't use half a million Calgary citizens as your fodder – your political collateral – if you want to pick a fight, come after me."

In an interview with CTV News, Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen denied the province's decision to withhold funding had anything to do with political motivations, saying it was about ridership and economics.

"We as a province, we want to build the Green Line but it has to be an alignment that makes sense and so we are actually commissioning a new alignment that will take place within the next few months that stretches hopefully as far south as the hospital and the southeast part of Calgary to downtown," said Dreeshen, who implied the province's new plan would be presented as "take it or leave it."

"Essentially, it's back in the city's court when we have this new alignment. If it's something they don't agree with or that Calgarians don't support, then there's really nowhere to go with the Green Line."

In July, council learned the budget for the south leg of the Green Line LRT had swelled to just over $6.24 billion despite being reduced in length.

The city was funding the lion's share at $2.2 billion, with an additional investment in the future of $705 million.

The province had committed $1.792 billion until it announced it was pulling that funding on Tuesday.

The federal government has also committed $1.641 billion to the project.

CTV News reached out to the federal government to see if its funding would stay in place despite the province stepping away from the deal but did not hear back before deadline.