Calgary crews to help Edmonton with post-storm cleanup efforts

There is so much debris in downtown Edmonton from recent storms that the city has called in a crew from Calgary to help with the cleanup.

Edmonton and Calgary have established a temporary mutual aid agreement following incessant severe storms in the capital.

Certified forestry crews from the City of Calgary will begin arriving Wednesday for up to seven days at a time assisting Edmonton crews with tree removal and debris cleanup.

Edmonton officials say the city’s urban tree canopy damage is extensive, and calls for help have “outpaced the existing capacity of city forestry crews and local contractors.”

Calgary will also provide waste and recycling services crews and equipment as the week goes on.

“The City of Edmonton and its parks and roads services team is extending their appreciation and deepest gratitude to the City of Calgary and its teams,” the city said in a media release late Tuesday afternoon. “This rapid mobilization is a powerful example of Alberta municipalities working together in times of need.”

There are an estimated 12.8 million trees in Edmonton, including 380,000 maintained boulevard and open space trees. City crews have responded to more than 3,000 storm-related issues since June.