Albertan officials comment on flooding and price gouging reports

Many Calgarians are wondering if water flows on the Bow River have reached their peak.

Mayor Naheed Nenshi says although it’s a great question, there are other factors at play that will ultimately determine the answer.

“This event has largely been about managing the flow of the Bow River through various dams and in fact if we have an over-cresting further up stream upstream, for example like at Lake Minnewanka, then we will see surges through the river. The good news is they are upstream we will have some warning if that is happening,” says Nenshi.

Nenshi was asked what the odds of that happening is, and will only say it’s “not an unlikely outcome.”

Ward Eight Alderman John Mar says he’s had about 90 minutes sleep over the last few days and is crediting Calgarians from all stripes for coming through for each other.

Mar was over by the under construction St. Patrick’s Island Bridge this evening and says it looks ‘dodgy’ and that water might be going over the structure.

“Certaintly it looks like it’s very close to being over. It’s very concerning for us, we’ve never seen this type of water before,” says Mar.

Mar’s Ward Eight contains many areas under evacaution.

There are also several reports on Twitter involving price gouging.

Products such as water and ice are being sold at jacked up values.

Fire Chief and head of the Calgary Emergency Management Association Bruce Burrell says there are laws against it which protect the consumer.

“Under the emergency management act in province of Alberta, price gouging or price fixing above normal levels during a state of local emergency is illegal and it would take some cooperation between ourselves and police but individuals could be prosecuted for that,” says Burrell.

Burrell adds the legislation states the cost of goods before a local state of emergency should be the cost of goods during the local state of emergency.

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