EDMONTON -- A public interest review of a proposed reservoir that could protect Calgary from future flooding has begun.
The hearing by the Natural Resources Conservation Board, which is an arm's-length agency of the Alberta government, is expected to last up to 14 days.
It will determine whether the project is in the public interest by looking at its social, economic and environmental effects.
Alberta Transportation, which has proposed the project, has started the hearing with its opening statements.
Officials say the reservoir, which would divert water from the Elbow River, is a direct response to the massive flooding in Calgary in 2013.
They note that flood led to five fatalities and more than $5 billion in damages across southern Alberta.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 22, 2021.
