1. Technical Visit Q&A 1: River Flooding in Calgary: Journey from 2013 to Resilience

Technical Visit Q&A 1: River Flooding in Calgary: Journey from 2013 to Resilience

Hosted by Frank Frigo, Leader Watershed Analysis and Sandy Davis, Team Lead, River Engineering

June 2013 brought flooding to Southern Alberta resulting in the costliest natural disaster in Canadian history at the time. Impacts in the City of Calgary included neighborhood-wide evacuations, major transportation, economic and utility disruption, life safety risks and environmental impacts assessed at over $2 billion Canadian. Intending to not only recover but to build back with enhanced resilience, the City of Calgary assembled an Expert Management Panel on River Flooding, drawing on expertise from across the region and around the globe to guide a comprehensive flood resilience strategy. The strategy has resulted in a range of programs as well as investments in local and regional flood protection infrastructure, structural and non-structural measures, all configured to work synergistically and adaptably. Join us for a tour of some key local flood resilience measures and share insights with staff on regional hydrology, geology, economy, infrastructure design practices, climate change, bioengineering and ecosystem services, land use regulation, and citizen engagement.