Spring thaw: Calgary crews working to clear flooded streets and sidewalks
Spring thaw: Calgary crews working to clear flooded streets and sidewalks
There are about 60,000 storm drains in Calgary which capture water off sidewalks, streets and roads.
The City of Calgary is facing a barrage of calls to remove pools of water unable to drain down city catch basins due to a buildup of ice.
Corey Colbran, manager of wastewater services, said on Wednesday there's a backlog of nearly 1,300 calls they're trying to respond to.
"We've gotten through about 300 of them and we continue to plow through those," Colbran said.
Leftover snow piles throughout Calgary are being exposed to warm days and frigid nights, which leads to the pooling water freezing and continuing to cover over storm drains day after day.
"The last year we saw something like this was 2018, so we do deal with some degree of this every year, but certainly this year is a lot more just because of the amount of snow and how packed it's gotten," Colbran says.
Calgary has about 60,000 storm drains.
"We do know we have some problem areas, we are working to get to those," Colbran said.
There are about 60,000 storm drains in Calgary which capture water off sidewalks, streets and roads.Dean Dolph, a homeowner in Rutland Park, says he waited more than five days for the city to come, all while watching the water creep closer and closer to his garage.
He says he was eventually forced to sandbag.
"(The City of Calgary) told me if it started to flood the garage, give me a call and they'd bump up the priority," said Dolph.
He says he's frustrated with the slow response despite the threat to his property.
"If I don't clear my snow off of that sidewalk within two days, I can get a ticket from the bylaw officer," Dolph said. "But because of the city's negligence, the sidewalk has been underwater for five days."
As of Wednesday evening, the large puddle remained, lapping at the sandbags because the street was still not draining properly.
If you have a drain that needs clearing you can contact 311 online, through the mobile app or by calling.
🌞 Warmer weather is on the way, which may lead to melted snow that could block some storm drains.
If you see a blocked storm drain or water pooling on the road, here's how you can help:
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is pushing for special rapporteur David Johnston to 'step aside' from his role examining the issue of foreign interference before he embarks on public hearings.
New Democrat MP Jenny Kwan said Monday that Canada's spy agency has confirmed her long-held belief she is being targeted by the Chinese government, as the prime minister granted the NDP's wish to allow more party members to review top-secret intelligence.
William Karlsson, William Carrier and Jonathan Marchessault are finally getting another chance in the Stanley Cup Final, after the first one that came so quick for the Vegas Golden Knights.
Eastern Conference finals Most Valuable Player Jimmy Butler scored 28 points, and Caleb Martin had 26 points and 10 rebounds to help the eighth-seeded Miami Heat beat the Celtics 103-84 in Game 7 on Monday night and advance to the NBA Finals for the second time in four seasons.
Canadian political leaders and parliamentarians are denouncing a new law passed in Uganda that imposes harsh penalties, including the death penalty, for certain cases involving homosexuality.
There's a heightened risk of wildfires across the country during what has been one of the earliest fire seasons on record. From British Columbia to Nova Scotia, here's where the risk is highest.
New research from Penn State University found certain factors can contribute to reducing what’s known as the 'urban heat island' effect, and that climate knowledge can contribute to better city planning and design.
Over 170,000 elementary and high school students weighed in on the Alberta election and the NDP had to hope the real voters were listening, because they won the kids' vote.
On Monday, Fraser Health provided two senior leaders to address the latest letter outlining risks to patients, allegations of muzzling, and pleas for help from emergency physicians in the health authority's hospitals.
The president of the BC Trucking Association is issuing renewed calls for safety after a trailer truck smashed into an overhead pass Monday morning in Langley.
Capital Bike is encouraging Greater Victoria residents to choose cycling as a way to get around the region during "Go By Bike Week," which runs from May 29 to June 4.
The union representing the majority of Quebec's daycare workers is criticizing the government's decision to launch a skimpy 90-hour training program for people who want to be daycare workers but have no prior experience.
A Quebec driver who caused the death of another motorist when he swerved his truck to avoid hitting a family of ducks on the road has been sentenced to eight months in jail and a three-year driving ban.
The Sandy Hill Child Care Centre has an extra two weeks to get its new home up to code months after a fire destroyed its original site on Wilbrod Street.
Ottawa police are praising a local dad for quickly calling for help Sunday afternoon when he accidentally locked his keys in his car, and his infant child along with them.
Ontario Provincial Police say a driver from Augusta Township is facing an impaired driving charge after someone on Highway 416 spotted a vehicle moving erratically.
The rural Oxford County intersection where an OPP officer and a school bus driver were killed Monday was less than a month away from becoming a four-way stop when the deadly crash happened.
It was a night of indecision at Waterloo region's catholic school board as trustees went back and forth trying to find the best approach to fill a vacant seat.
In a province where there are vast distances between cities and towns, one local group is hoping to get public support for an idea to bridge those gaps with a rail line.
The body of a Winnipeg boy who fell into Sturgeon Falls on Saturday has been found following a desperate underwater search that lasted more than a day.
A Winnipeg family is asking for help to find their missing teenage son whom they haven't seen since he left for school in the Fort Richmond area last Wednesday morning.
The body of a Winnipeg boy who fell into Sturgeon Falls on Saturday has been found following a desperate underwater search that lasted more than a day.
The first twister of 2023 in the country touched down near Regina over the weekend, according to an analysis from the Northern Tornadoes Project (NTP).
One person from Estevan, Sask. is dead and another is seriously injured following a collision between a pickup truck and a motorcycle on May 28 near Fortuna, North Dakota.
There are about 60,000 storm drains in Calgary which capture water off sidewalks, streets and roads.
There are about 60,000 storm drains in Calgary which capture water off sidewalks, streets and roads.Dean Dolph, a homeowner in Rutland Park, says he waited more than five days for the city to come, all while watching the water creep closer and closer to his garage.
