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The Saddledome, situated along the Elbow River, was under three metres of water, ruining everything below Row 8 of the lower bowl.

Photo by Jonathan Hayward / The Canadian Press/Herald archives

Calgary Flames president Ken King dismissed the risk last week when he was asked about the new area being built in a floodplain, suggesting it’s out of the flood zone.

“The preliminary research on it would say it’s out of the floodplain,” he reiterated in an interview Friday. “In 2013, it flooded across the river.”

Still, a 2012 city study suggests the area could flood in an event larger than the one seen in 2013.

Photo by Ted Rhodes / Calgary Herald

Pomeroy and others say it’s a question of when — not if — the proposed location along the Bow River will flood, and there could be major consequences.

“We saw it with the Saddledome,” said Pomeroy. “There will be extremely extensive damage to the facility, and we have to remember that the flood in Calgary was not even a one-in-50 year event, and so there’s a likelihood of another flood that size or larger occurring over the lifetime of the building.

“The other thing is we’re building for the future now and we’re entering a period of climate extremes, including extreme flooding, so it’s not reasonable to assume that things will not be any worse than the past.”

Kim Sturgess, chief executive of Alberta WaterSmart, said she’s torn on the CalgaryNEXT proposal as a Flames season ticket holder.

“It’s a tough call,” she said. “I certainly understand the need to have downtown development.”

However, as an engineer and founder of the non-profit organization committed to the management of Alberta’s water resources, she said it’s essential to allow enough room for the river to flow in as natural a way as it can.