Calgary council votes to close roads leading to Bearspaw Reservoir

A pair of roads the public has used to access the Bearspaw Reservoir will be closed after a Calgary city council vote on Tuesday.

Council voted to approve a proposal to shut down the undeveloped road allowances, which members of the public have been using to access the reservoir through Haskayne Park, and to get to a marina business that opened on the water just last year.

TransAlta, which operates the Bearspaw Dam and Reservoir and owns land adjacent to the water, called on the city to close the roads to discourage people from going to the reservoir for on-water activities.

The company cited risks to public safety stemming from sudden changes that can occur in water levels that create strong currents and waves, and the potential risk that unmanaged activity on the reservoir could have on water quality.

"We're required to own the land around the reservoir as a safety buffer, and we can't take on the liability of allowing the public access through a safety buffer... to access the water for recreation purposes," TransAlta manager of external affairs Duncan Webster told council on Tuesday.

The Bearspaw Reservoir supplies 60 per cent of Calgary's drinking water.

Last year, Bearspaw Marina opened, setting up docks on the reservoir. The marina offers canoe, kayak, row boat, pedal boat and paddleboard rentals, but TransAlta argues it was set up without proper authorization from the city.

On Tuesday, Bearspaw Marina co-owner Rick Skauge defended maintaining public access to the reservoir and denied that the marina was set up improperly.

"The marina operates legally on a federal waterway under the [Canadian Navigable Waters Act]. It has been confirmed by Transport Canada as a minor works project, and Alberta and Rocky View County have both stated their permission is not required. We are fully compliant," he said.

"The closure of this road allowance would kill this vision. It would deny the public access to a safe, stunning lake."

Skauge said he has boated on the reservoir for years and argued that concerns around safety on the water are overstated because the changes in water level are barely noticeable. He noted that the marina maintains a rescue boat and enforces life jacket rules for renters.

The city received hundreds of letters ahead of Tuesday's discussion from members of the public opposing the plan to shut down the roads, and arguing in favour of public access to the water.

Without that, the marina won't be able to operate, said Skauge, who has lived in Bearspaw and managed the nearby Tree Farm for decades.

Weighing safety risks with public access

Ward 1 Coun. Sonya Sharp voted to close the roads, which run through her ward, citing her concerns about public safety and the need for a better understanding that the recreation could have on water quality.

"The conditions at the Bearspaw Reservoir is a real and urgent risk," said Sharp. "If someone were to drown there this summer, I actually would not be able to live with myself if I didn't support this."

Ward 9 Coun. Gian-Carlo Carra argued council should be focused on whether it supports active recreation on Bearspaw, and criticized their inability to get to the table to find a responsible and safe way to allow that effort.

"This is in the spirit of everything we believe in terms of our public recreation goals, our river access strategy goals," said Carra.

Some councillors noted they would be open to discussing reopening the roads and public access to the reservoir in the future.

The reservoir falls inside Rocky View County's boundaries, but the city partners with the county and TransAlta to ensure public safety and protect infrastructure on and around the reservoir, to protect the environment around the area, and to ensure water quality for the water treatment plant.