Calgary, AB – Mayoral candidate Brian Thiessen has issued a statement to make his position crystal clear on the Greenline LRT project:

“The Province of Alberta must honour its $1.5 billion funding commitment or face legal action. The Green Line is about more than transit; it’s about economic opportunity, connecting communities, and positioning Calgary as a city of the future. If we have to go to court to get the Premier to honor her commitment, so be it.

“Premier Smith and Minister Dreeshen said in August that ‘we are good to go’ and a few weeks later changed their minds. That is unacceptable and the City must take legal action. The City, acting in good faith, relied on the word of the Premier. There must be consequences for the province’s recklessness and the Mayor and Council must stop trying to appease a combative Premier and take them to court.”

“The proposed elevated route downtown would require navigating through, demolishing or significantly altering, a parkade and at least three +15 pedestrian bridges. This approach risks creating a visual and physical disruption in the heart of the city, turning Calgary’s core into a construction and design disaster, and undermining the functionality and aesthetic of Calgary’s downtown.

“The province’s proposal will also destroy any future redevelopment along 10th avenue and 2nd street and will harm the businesses and residents who already have invested there. The Province has imposed these changes without consultation and without a clear cost estimate, with some estimating that it could be more expensive than the City’s plan.

“It’s time for Council to say we are done and pursue legal recourse not only for the promised $1.5 billion but also for any financial penalties arising from breaches of contracts already signed with construction firms.

“The City should add the Province as a third party to any lawsuits resulting from penalties or delays.We need to stand up to the Premier who is being a bully to a City she doesn’t value.Calgary’s taxpayers should not have to shoulder the burden of her broken promises.”

The Calgary Party is dedicated to transforming our city’s future by fielding a full slate of candidates in the 2025 municipal election. Our mission is to end the dysfunction at City Council, making Calgary safer, more inclusive, and more responsive to the needs of its residents.