A last-ditch effort to garner provincial funding for the airport tunnel was denied after a meeting yesterday afternoon, but a Calgary alderman pledged the fight isn’t over.
The city and the Calgary Airport Authority were to strike a deal by March 1 to secure further funding for the $287-million airport tunnel. The airport has indicated it will go ahead with runway plans if funding wasn’t secured.
Ward 3 Ald. Jim Stevenson said he is disappointed the province won’t commit to funding the project, but added he has several ideas in his war chest.
“Calgarians should be disappointed in their provincial and federal government’s lack of leadership, but the city got itself into this mess and we’re going to find a way to get out if it now,” Stevenson said, hinting more information would come later this week.
Grant Galpin of the Airport Trail Access Committee said he is worried about what the lack of funding could mean for the city.
“Calgary needs to, en masse, speak up because this will make it very difficult to get to the airport in the future. It’s deeply frustrating there is no accountability,” Galpin said.
