The Bow River is under Attack!

The city of Calgary, close to one million in population, is bursting at the seams and expanding in all directions. The north bank of the Bow River is now developed or under construction all the way from Highway 22X bridge down to the new Deerfoot Trail bridge. Calgary is annexing land as fast as possible and the city limits is speeding downstream at an alarming rate. This expansion is also occurring in the surrounding Municipal Districts. MD 31 Foothills is currently contemplating a proposed development.

This proposed development called "Sanctuary on the Bow" is to be built on the south bank of the river just downstream of what used to be Policeman's Flats access point. Last year's 200 year flood event wiped out this access and the Alberta Government dragged its feet all year and the access point has not been repaired. I'm told by the Fish and Wildlife people that it will not be repaired but rather a new access point in the vicinity will be created as a temporary access for 2006. With some good fortune and much prodding of the Gov't, we might have a permanent access by 2007. But I digress - back to this ill conceived housing development. This will be the first, of what I believe to be many, proposed for the Bow River valley downstream of the Calgary City limits. Once this development is approved, the next one comes just a little easier and before we know it both banks of the river are cluttered with housing developments. Within 5 years we could have residential developments as far downstream as the confluence of the Bow and Highwood Rivers and after that - Carseland! The Bow River is the Sanctuary - not a housing community!

This is a slide show of the June 2005 flooding in the Policeman's area. The boat launch parking lot is under water and the once placid wet land (foreground) is a raging back channel. Photos courtesy of Bow River Shuttles.

The last photo is of the proposed development "Sanctuary on the Bow". It is just a few yards downstream of the now deceased Policeman's Flats access point.

An outside bend of any river is especially vulnerable to flood damage. Policeman's Flats was completely destroyed. The "Sanctuary on the Bow" is just down stream and out of range of these photos. Is this not a wake up call to this developer? This might be the future of any development on the Bow River flood plain. 

As a fly fisher and someone that guides the Bow, I'm appalled that the Bow River valley downstream of Calgary is at risk. Surely there are other tracts of land that can be developed as housing. Is it really necessary to rape the Bow River valley and in so doing put these pricey developments on the flood plain? Is it really necessary to put the Alberta tax payer at risk for yet another neighborhood in jeopardy? I think not. It is time for anyone and everyone that cherishes our natural resources, our green spaces, to stand up to the greedy landowners and developers and put a stop to this project. I urge you to phone, write, email and fax anyone that is in a position to help.

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