Alberta Opposition NDP Chief Naheed Nenshi says Premier Danielle Smith’s United Conservative Occasion authorities is taking part in politics with the failure of a key water principal in Calgary by pointing the finger of blame at him.
“Would the premier be blaming me if I wasn’t chief of the Alberta New Democrats as we speak? After all not,” Nenshi mentioned Tuesday, responding to questions from reporters.
“They’re nonetheless on this fishing expedition as a result of they’re searching for political acquire.”
Final week, Smith’s authorities introduced it could conduct a overview courting again 20 years into selections and oversight on the Bearspaw South Feeder Important.
Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams has requested for reams of associated paperwork to be delivered to the province by the top of the month.
The feeder principal provides 60 per cent of the handled water to town of 1.6 million.
Late final month, it ruptured for the second time in lower than two years, prompting a renewed spherical of water restrictions for residents.
Earlier this month, metropolis council acquired an unbiased panel report on the 2024 break. It broadly blamed the failure on 20 years of underinvestment, lack of communication and co-ordination, in addition to inadequate information of the chance of pipe failures.
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Nenshi was Calgary’s mayor throughout a part of the time when, the report says, initiatives to examine and carry out upkeep on the road have been deferred for different priorities.
Commenting on the report, Nenshi mentioned senior metropolis staffers and politicians weren’t conscious of the water principal points and that they have been cleared of fault.
“Senior determination makers and politicians weren’t knowledgeable of these things, and to me that’s truly an issue,” he mentioned.
Smith mentioned earlier this month that extreme floods in Calgary in 2013, brought on by heavy rainfall, ought to have led town to do widespread investigations of its water system.
“And you need to ask the query, properly, ‘Who was the mayor after the floods of 2013 till he determined to retire?’ And that was Naheed Nenshi,” Smith mentioned.
Smith posted on social media Tuesday that she had met with the chair of the overview panel and “findings level to critical systemic failures, together with unclear accountability that allowed identified dangers to stay unresolved for years.”
“Our authorities will work with the Metropolis of Calgary to make sure accountability and related suggestions are acted on,” the submit mentioned.
Each side are gearing up a provincial election scheduled for October 2027.
With the NDP dominating Edmonton and the UCP doing the identical in rural areas, Calgary is predicted to be a vital electoral battleground.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
