The Calgary Stampede, seen in progress last year, is set to run from July 5 to 14, falling within the estimated timeline for when Calgary’s water infrastructure repairs are expected to be completed. Last summer’s event was attended by more than 1.3 million people.Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press
The Calgary Stampede and top municipal officials expect the province’s flagship festival to go off without a hitch despite a massive water-main break that has placed the city under a state of emergency.
Stampede chief executive officer Joel Cowley said Monday that they are prepared to haul treated water from outside Calgary to the grounds to support livestock and attendees, and use non-potable water for things such as grooming the track and performance areas. He added that “conservation measures” will be implemented where the Stampede has no choice but to use the local water system.
“The show will go on, but it will go on in a very responsible manner,” Mr. Cowley said during a press conference alongside Mayor Jyoti Gondek and other officials.
He added that “it’s important it moves on for a number of reasons,” pointing to “the $282-million of economic impact generated for the province of Alberta.”
He said the 10-day festival may be a “bit different” than normal, but he is hopeful that guests will be understanding. He said they may wash the Grandstand Show’s seating less often and set up hydration stations rather than access to water fountains, in addition to asking guests to be mindful of their water usage.
The Stampede, which was attended by more than 1.3 million people last summer, is set to run from July 5 to 14 – falling within the estimated timeline for when Calgary’s water infrastructure repairs are expected to be completed.
Water restrictions have been placed on residents of Calgary and nearby municipalities, including Airdrie and Chestermere, since the major water line burst on June 5, cutting supply in half.
Officials at the press conference on Monday said the site where the pipe originally ruptured is now fixed, and work is under way to fix five other problem areas that were discovered after further inspection. It is estimated that everything will be completed in three to five weeks.
Cowboyaki, gator pizza and cheeseburger ice cream on 2024 Calgary Stampede menu
Coby Duerr, acting chief of the Calgary Emergency Management Agency, said workers are moving “heaven and literally earth” to fix the hot spots as soon as possible.
“I say earth because shovels are in the ground, and we are ripping up 16th Avenue to get these critical repairs,” he said.
Calgary’s water consumption on Saturday and Sunday hit roughly 440 million litres each day, remaining low compared with the 580 million litres typically consumed daily at this time of year.
Mr. Duerr said records of daily water demand showed there was not a “significant uptick” during Stampede over the past five years, but did not provide specifics. He said this is because Calgarians travel elsewhere during the Western event, and that big storms in July have reduced the need for water outdoors.
In large part, city officials are banking on the goodwill of Stampede visitors to aid in water conservation.
Ms. Gondek encouraged people to visit Calgary but to do so in a thoughtful manner, including by packing up their dirty laundry to wash when they return home.
“Why do we have such confidence that people who come to visit our city will be actively engaged with us in water-saving measures? Because we just did this 10 days ago,” she said at the press conference.
“When this situation started, we had a major conference in town – it was the Federation of Canadian Municipalities – and we had 3,000-plus delegates, and all of them understood how important it was for them to be saving water.”
Multiply that number by 46 and you have 138,000 – the number of people expected to stay in the city’s hotels during the Stampede, according to Alisha Reynolds, president of Tourism Calgary. She said they are communicating with hoteliers and hospitality workers about best practices to reduce water usage, such as encouraging guests to take shorter showers and washing linens only when there is a full load.
Meanwhile, locals are still being encouraged to take shorter showers, wash less laundry and flush their toilets less. Residents are still banned from outdoor water use for such activities as watering their lawn or washing their vehicles. Violations can result in fines starting at $3,000.
Mr. Duerr said bylaw officers continue to take an education-first approach for complaints of outdoor water usage and that 117 complaints are currently pending investigation. He said 552 written warnings have been issued, in addition to 685 verbal warnings and two violation tickets issued to unnamed corporations.