The Wastewater Lift Station
The Forest Lawn Lift Station is an example of a pumping station which moves sewage and wastewater from a lower elevation to a higher elevation. From here the sewage can flow by gravity to the Bonnybrook Wastewater Treatment Plant. These stations are important parts of Calgary's sewage collection system. This one was built in the 60s but it reached capacity and required revamping. So this new one was built.
The Public Art
As part of the project, which was completed in 2015, the city commissioned Calgary-based Sans façon as part of the Watershed+ initiative. This is a group of artists that work with the Utilities and Environmental Protection (UEP) department to provide public art within this part of Calgary's services.
Entitled simply "Forest Lawn Lift Station", the side of the station now includes a map of LED bar lights that represents the pipes around the area. The lights change colour depending on how much sewage is flowing through the pipes. The installation is particularly striking at night with the changing colours.
The Controversy
In 2016, the project won the Teddy Waste Award, an honour given by the Canadian Taxpayer's Federation to the municipality with the most wasteful spending. The project cost about $236,000, and it was considered ridiculous to spend this much money on something that many think should be dealt with discreetly and quietly. Also, some think that it is an eyesore on the landscape.
In response to its construction some of the locals decided to call this, amusingly, the "poop palace".
In any case, this curiosity is here, and we can celebrate it and the surrounding scenery with a geocache!