Demolition starts on former Calgary poultry plant ahead of Green Line LRT construction

Demolition of former Lilydale poultry plant begins The first walls of the former Lilydale poultry plant in Ramsay came down as part of the facility’s demolition. Bill Macfarlane reports.

The first bricks came off the former Lilydale poultry plant as demolition started Wednesday.

An excavator operated by Priestly Demolition CEO Ryan Priestly tore into a former garage building shortly after 9 a.m. in front of a small crowd of neighbours and Green Line LRT employees.

When the poultry packing plant first opened it was on the edge of the city in a mostly industrial area. But the city grew up around it, and with time, came problems.

"The gut bins were exposed, and chicken parts would rain out of the sky into people's backyards during barbecues, dropped by birds," said Ward 9 Coun. Gian-Carlo Carra.

"They had real cooling leaks that could have become real problems."

Despite decades of rallying to have the plant closed, it hung on until shortly before the city took possession of the property in 2022.

"We envisioned a neighbourhood with less industry and more people," said Robin Tufts, who has lived across the street since 1992.

"That being said, this plant was part of what made this neighbourhood grow up the way it was."

Demolition is expected to take up to five months to complete. The new Green Line LRT will run along the east side of the property.

"It's going to be exciting times for the community of Ramsey," says Ramsay Community Association president Kolja Vainstein.

"Hopefully this area will be redeveloped, you know, potentially some new residential buildings that will go into this space, the green line."

During construction of the LRT, the land will be used for logistics and staging. Eventually it will be redeveloped as the city looks to encourage growth and business along the line.

"Every LRT, you know, park and ride and stuff has to become a mini downtown," said Carra, adding the city needs these places in order to balance growth and encourage density over the coming decades.

"If we don't do that, it's going to bankrupt us. We're never going to meet our climate targets. And we're not going to be able to nurture the diversifying economy that we're working so hard to get to."