Calgary city council has unanimously approved rezoning the former CBC building site where creosote has been found. The toxic substance is harmful to people and the environment—if disturbed. An environmental assessment accepted by the province says construction would be safe, but residents of Hillhurst don’t buy it. On Wednesday, council voted all in favour to rezone the land, paving the way to build up a six-storey complex. But it’s what’s beneath the surface of the vacant lot on Westmount Boulevard N.W. that caused considerable community concern. Creosote is a toxic chemical once used to preserve wood on the south side of the Bow River. Canada Creosote Company used the waste chemical for decades until the 1960s. Domtar later owned the site. It has never been fully cleaned out of the soil and has since seeped under the river. High remediation costs helped kill the CalgaryNEXT proposal a decade ago. “So, it has, according to what the city has found, migrated to the other side of the river,” said Cathy Ryan, a professor with the earth, energy and environment department at the University of Calgary. Some Hillhurst-area residents opposed the land-use change during public hearings and expressed disappointment on Wednesday. “When you look at the process, it’s pretty clear the public were cut out of the interaction,” said Jim Stirling, a community advocate and engineer. Stirling says this has eroded his trust in both the province and city hall, which share different responsibilities to address creosote at the site. “Engagement is tough, but we’ve got to do it, but we’ve got to do it right, and if we do it right, the confidence and trust of our corporation and the citizenship of our governance will be there,” said Terry Wong, Ward 7 councillor. The developer, Anthem Properties, is on the hook for any issues it may encounter. “Monitoring, reporting protocols will endure with the land. So, that does provide confidence for the community,” said Rose-Mary Damiani, senior director for Anthem Properties. Next is the development permit process, which will be more detailed regarding community impact. There’s opportunity for public input, but Stirling is not confident it will affect the proposal. As for the root issue in Sunalta, minor cleanup and monitoring are ongoing, but the province hasn’t announced any plans for a thorough cleanup, and the mayor says there are no development plans on the table. Meanwhile, the environmental assessment in Hillhurst did not find high enough levels of creosote to be of concern.
