Calgary's state of local emergency lifted as approaching weather system tracks south
CBC
The City of Calgary rescinded its state of local emergency Friday, with Mayor Jyoti Gondek saying an approaching weather system was tracking farther south than originally anticipated.
The special order went into effect on Monday as the city braced for significant rainfall.
Although river levels are high, the risk of flooding in Calgary has passed for now, Gondek said, and the order is no longer needed.
"We are still in the midst of flood season … please make sure you are staying safe," she said.
"For households that may be in flood prone areas, please make sure that you're either ready to move anything in the basement or you've already done so. We're still anticipating that rain."
The temporary berm installed on Memorial Drive will be removed beginning Saturday at 7 a.m. Road closures will be in effect to accommodate crews and equipment, with the road opening for regular traffic by Monday at the latest.
Installing the berm cost the city about $115,000 — with at least $17,000 in additional funds to have it removed — but Sue Henry with the Calgary Emergency Management Agency said it was well worth the expense.
"The cost … protected $53 million in Calgarians property and critical infrastructure. There comes a point in response where you have to make a decision because things take time to put into place," she said.
"I think this was an incredible example of how much we've learned since the 2013 floods."
A boating advisory is still in effect for both the Bow and Elbow rivers. Officials warn that high and fast moving water continues to create dangerous conditions. Calgary's high river flow season runs from May 15 to July 15, according to the city.
In a news release Friday, the province also said no major flooding has been reported across Alberta despite significant rainfall and some localized floods.
Wet weather is still on the way this weekend, says Francois Bouchart, director of water resources with the city, but this latest system will mostly miss Calgary.
The city has been working with Environment and Climate Change Canada to track the weather system, and the current models show the risk has dissipated.
"We're seeing the jet stream tracking south of us, taking that system actually farther south," he said.
When Stephanie Gamble watched her mother model the first dress she made, smiling wide and walking an imaginary runway, she knew that was what she wanted to keep doing in her life.
'Tis the season for cuddling on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate and watching holiday movies. And for people in B.C.'s Interior, that can increasingly mean seeing their home communities on display.
Every year, snowy owls spread their wings and migrate down to the Prairies, where they enjoy access to plenty of rodent prey in vast open spaces.
This month has been a busy stretch at the Upper Room Food Bank in Charlottetown.
N.W.T. Education Minister Caitlin Cleveland says she has received the final report from an independent investigation into education bodies in the Dehcho region.
P.E.I.’s auditor general says he’s concerned and disappointed that the projected deficit has doubled what government initially estimated it would be — and he's urging the province to balance its budget.
A man found not criminally responsible for stabbing five people to death at a Calgary house party is getting more freedoms but not an absolute discharge.
A man has been found guilty of second-degree murder in the shooting death of a Toronto mother outside a supervised consumption site in Leslieville.
Russian olive trees — sometimes known as silver berry or oleaster — are small, ornamental plants with silvery leaves and black bark, and small yellow flowers and silver fruit that look like miniature olives. They’re pretty, but they’re a problem.
The Yukon Legislative Assembly’s fall sitting ended on Thursday after the territorial government introduced and passed a supplementary budget.
A Canadian military counter-intelligence operative, who stands accused of passing sensitive information to Ukraine, was involved in an investigation into allegations that a leading Canadian defence journalist was a longtime Russian asset.
An Alberta panel aimed at finding ways the province can strengthen its autonomy has offered up seven recommendations, including options for referendum topics.
People won't be able to travel along B.C.'s Highway 3 without significant delays and detours over the holiday season, says the Ministry of Transportation.