As the City of Calgary begins its wind-down of the Green Line LRT project, it’s left many wondering what the future holds for Eau Claire after residents and businesses were forced out earlier this year.
Homeowners of the River Run townhomes vacated their homes in May after a lengthy and challenging expropriation process with the city.
“No one wanted to leave,” former River Run resident Joel Gaucher told Global News.
“It definitely felt as not only our homes, but our livelihoods, were robbed of us by the city.”
The terminus station for the first phase of the Green Line was set to be built underneath the site of the Eau Claire Market, with additional track to be laid below the townhomes so the trains could turn around.
Those plans forced residents into negotiations beginning in 2019 — a fight with the city that is still ongoing.
It’s a fight residents feel was needless, after city council voted to wind down the Green Line project Tuesday due to the province’s withdrawal of its share of funding for the line.
“We witnessed the city bully us, intimidate us and eventually kick us out of our homes for nothing,” Gautier said.
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Patrick Lindsay, another former River Run resident said he “wasn’t surprised at all” by council’s decision to terminate the project.
“We didn’t think it was ever making it to river on because they didn’t have the budget,” Lindsay told Global News.
The city acquired the River Run townhomes earlier this year through the provincial Expropriation Act, and homeowners were compensated based on an independent appraisal in January.
After formally rejecting the city’s expropriation process, the homeowners commissioned a provincial inquiry into whether the “intended expropriation is fair, sound and reasonably necessary.”
The inquiry produced a scathing 61-page report which scrutinized the city’s conduct and communications during the expropriation process, and found “transparent and forthright communication from The city to the owners was in short supply or clearly absent.”
Inquiry officer Sharon Roberts also ruled the city “ought to pay the objecting landowners’ reasonable costs in connection with this inquiry.”
The former residents told Global News those costs amounted to $315,000, which the city has not paid; they’re now appealing the inquiry’s ruling in the hopes of receiving that compensation.
“Right now, we’re delayed in applying to the Land Rights Tribunal for compensation, because we’re waiting for the city to reimburse our legal fees for the inquiry,” Lindsay said. “So this could go on another year or two.”
The City of Calgary did not respond to Global News’ request for comment.
Ward 7 Coun. Terry Wong said he “feels for the residents” and noted the situation is with city administration.
With the Eau Claire Market building also sitting vacant, Wong said there are conversations about the future of the area in the hopes of achieving the vision of turning the area into a festival and market destination in Calgary.
“We need to wait to see what the province wants to do and then reimagine what this place can be, tied to the Eau Claire promenade improvements that have been done,” Wong told Global News.
Demolition of the Eau Claire Market and River Run townhomes is on hold awaiting province’s review of a new alignment for Calgary’s Green Line. However, the provincial government has stated no desire to tunnel under the downtown core.
The province’s desired alignment, expected at the end of the year, would see the Green Line run at-grade from the downtown to Seton, all within the project’s $6.2 billion budget.
The former residents feel there isn’t a possibility of returning to the townhouse complex, but hope to get a ruling on their appeal soon to continue their ongoing expropriation dispute.
“I think it’s important for the city to realize that it can’t treat its taxpayers in this fashion,” Gaucher said. “Hopefully we’ll be able to institute some change going forward.”
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