Cost & funding timeline
Every milestone in the Green Line’s cost and funding, in order, with each figure’s scope qualifier attached. The load-bearing spine is primary-verified; two non-load-bearing rows (the wind-down scenario, the framing dispute) carry a visible tier chip so you can see exactly which figures rest on a press carrier or a contested City claim.
- Nov 25, 2013capital
Council establishes the Green Line Fund
$52M/yearCity seed commitment — annual City contribution; '$520M total commitment'
- Jul 24, 2015capital
Government of Canada pledge
$1.53Bfederal commitment — 'single largest federal infrastructure investment in the history of Calgary'
- Dec 14, 2015capital
Council commits to Green Line
$1.56BCity commitment — extends the $52M/yr base by 20 years
- Jul 2017capital
Government of Alberta commitment
$1.54Bprovincial commitment (as announced) — headline provincial pledge
- Jan 2019capital
Tripartite funding agreement signed (Canada + Alberta + City)
all three governments — binds the 2015–17 pledges
- Jul 2020capital
Stage 1 approved budget (tunnel→bridge); Business Case
$5.543BStage 1 (bridge, fuller line) — 2020 BC funding total = fed $1.641B + prov $1.702B + City $2.200B; total construction $4,903M ($4,098 direct + $805 indirect)
- Jul 30, 2024capital
Council approves revised Phase 1 (EC2024-0871)
$6.248Bshortened core (Eau Claire ↔ Lynnwood/Millican) — recorded motion: 'revised cost … of $6,248 million' incl. '$451 million' financing + '$503 million' Budget-ID-869 increase; City adds $705M; DBF→multi-contract saves ≈$600M; >$1.4B spent
- Sep 3, 2024capital
Province of Alberta withdraws Phase 1 funding
$1.53B (provincial, withdrawn)provincial funding withdrawal — cited the downtown tunnel + 'reduced benefits'
- Sep 17, 2024capital
Council authorizes wind-down (C2024-1045/1048), coupled with collaboration + cost-recovery
$2.1B (= $850M min + ~$1.3B sunk)wind-down SCENARIO (path not taken) — decision + recorded 10–5 vote are primary; the $ figures were a VERBAL presentation, never booked (the Oct-10 continuation overtook the wind-down; not in the Mid-Cycle Adjustments) — a path-not-taken estimate, NOT money spent
press quoteprimary source ↗ - Oct 10, 2024capital
City + Province reach continuation agreement
governance — stepped back from the wind-down
- Dec 18, 2024capital
Province releases AECOM Alternative Alignments Assessment
downtown alternatives study — entire Costs section (Tables 12–14) + preferred-alignment figure REDACTED — no public cost for the elevated option (see redactions.json)
- Dec 17, 2024capital
City says AECOM estimate omits $1.3B in known costs/risks
$1.3B (alleged omission); City '$7.5B' vs '$7.2B'competing cost framings — City claim, stated in the City's own news release (the AECOM report itself 'remains confidential' = council record C2024-1327); Province rejects the premise ('pre-existing or already spent costs were not part of the review'). Distinct from the Sept-2024 '$1.3B already spent'
City claim · disputedprimary source ↗ - Jan 28, 2025capital
Council votes yes — start SE Segment + downtown Functional Plan (C2025-0133)
restart authorization — within the $6.248B envelope; confidential verbal report — restart carried ~8–6 (Mayor Gondek among those against)
- Mar 18, 2025capital
Government of Canada approves the revised business case
federal re-approval — 'Funding is now confirmed from all three levels of government'; condition (press, Dreeshen): connect Red/Blue + event centre + south to Shepard; deadline Mar 31 2025
- Jun 26, 2025capital
Official groundbreaking — SE Segment; Phase 1 construction begins
construction milestone — SE Segment = 16 km / 10 stations, Shepard → Event Centre/Grand Central
- May 29, 2026capital
Current approved Phase 1 (City pages last-updated)
$6.248BShepard to 7 Avenue S.W., 17.2 km / 12 stations / 28 LRVs — split Canada $1.641B / Alberta $1.702B / Calgary $2.905B; ≈$1.6B spent to date; opening 2031, ≈55,000 daily riders
Who pays — and the $705M question
Per-government split is primary-verified via the 2020 Stage 1 Business Case. The funders' own pages headline only their ICIP/URA portion ($1.53B each); the City counts the full commitment (incl. PTIF + GreenTRIP). Federal and provincial shares are UNCHANGED 2020→2026; the entire $5.543B→$6.248B increase is the City's 2024 top-up.
| Partner | 2020 | current | Composition |
|---|---|---|---|
Government of Canada | $1.641B | $1.641B | $1.530 Investing in Canada Infrastructure Plan + $0.111 Public Transit Infrastructure Fund (Phase I) |
Province of Alberta | $1.702B | $1.702B | $1.530 Ultimate Recipient Agreement + $0.055 PTIF (Phase I) + $0.117 GreenTRIP and prior grants |
City of Calgary | $2.200B | $2.905B | $52M/yr×30yr (2013 Tax Room) + $23.7M/yr×27yr (2017 Tax Room); +$705M July-2024 top-up → $2.905B |
| Total | $5.543B | $6.248B |
6.248 − 5.543 = 0.705 = the City's July-2024 increase (Calgary $2.200B → $2.905B); federal & provincial shares unchanged.
For the figures the public is not allowed to see behind these numbers — the redacted AECOM costs, the confidential council records — see what’s redacted.