Golder study predicted bad flooding in Calgary

News reports were flying on December 10 that a study by Golder Associates had warned the province and the city that Calgary would suffer unprecedented damage during a flood but the study had not been publicly released.

In June much of the city’s downtown went under water when the Bow and Elbow rivers overflowed, flooding major facilities and buildings, including the Saddledome.

In a CBC report, MLA Jeff Wilson (Calgary-Shaw) said his “heart sank a little” when reading the Golder report. “It felt rather bizarre reading it, almost like it was a road map for what we saw happen in the city this spring. It was almost eerie,” he said.

The Golder study was carried out between 2009 and April 2012. Commissioned by the province and the city, it mapped out what a 1-in-100-year flood would look like, and had correctly identified that wastewater treatment plants and communities would be at risk.

City officials and the mayor said they were still comparing the Golder report with others, but had used it to coordinate the emergency response. They said it was considered too technical to release it to the public.

To read the CBC report, click here.