By Bryan Alary
January 9, 2009

Reader question: Has the City repaid the $300,000 contribution for the relocation of the AltaLink transmission line, with interest, to the province? (Assuming they have not spent it on some other project).

Answer: St. Albert’s CFO, Dean Screpnek confirmed this week the city has indeed returned the $300,000, plus the $18,600 interest accrued since receiving the payment in June 2007.

Reader question: Has the province made any commitments that leaving the AltaLink high transmission line where it is will potentially not interfere with a nature interpretive centre within the City of St. Albert in the South Riel area near Ray Gibbon Drive?

Answer: No one has ruled this out at this point. City manager Bill Holtby told the Gazette this week that it’s possible the power line will not hamper the vista near the interpretive centre, depending on where it’s located.

The last part is key. The location has not been finalized, which a provincial official said could be a few years away. At this point, the delay isn’t being seen as a deal breaker but a reflection of the economy.

“It’s a long way away from being a dead issue as far as I’m concerned,” said Archie Landals of Alberta, Tourism, Parks and Recreation.

Gazette environment reporter Kevin Ma has all the details in Saturday’s newspaper.