CANADA - Calgary politicians have voiced their suspicions concerning the city’s World Expo 2017 bid.
According to documents given to the Sun group of newspapers, the early plans for the 2017 World Exposition included a pedal-powered monorail, personal rapid-transit vehicles, a ‘solar forest’ vehicle charging station with tree-like panels, algae biofuel batteries, solar ‘lily pads’ to collect sunlight on the Bow River, and a commuter rail connection from Calgary to Banff.
All this was part of a plan to give Calgary’s run-down west end an extensive renovation. However, as the bid deadline approached, city officials decided the Expo was not financially feasible. Focus shifted instead to the redevelopment of the ‘West Village’.
Now, almost a year after the city gave up its bid, Calgary politicians are asking if the city ever really had its eyes on the Expo in the first place.
“It was a classic bait-and-switch,” says alderman Joe Connelly. “This was a great opportunity and we passed on it so we could redevelop the west side. At the time I said it was one of the greatest acts of sleight-of-hand since David Copperfield came to town.”
Alderman Diane Colley-Urquhart says: “I wondered at the time whether this was an Expo bid or just a smokescreen for the West Village. We were expecting a report on the Expo and instead it became a presentation about all the amazing things that could happen in the West Village.”
Photo by Kevin Saff
