Calgary brings back Stage 4 outdoor water restrictions for about four weeks for final Bearspaw main repair

Calgary has brought back water restrictions, with citywide Stage 4 outdoor water restrictions in effect from Nov. 4 for about the next four weeks, a period that includes the Grey Cup festival. The move accompanies the final phase of work on the Bearspaw South Feeder Main, which the city is temporarily shutting down.

Under the rules, reported by The Canadian Press on Nov. 4 and confirmed in the City of Calgary’s Nov. 4 notice, there is no flooding outdoor hockey rinks and no making snow for ski hills. Indoors, residents are asked to take three-minute showers, not flush the toilet until necessary, and hold off on laundry and running the dishwasher.

The artery supplying 60% of the city’s treated water

The Bearspaw South Feeder Main provides 60 per cent of treated water for Calgary’s 1.6 million residents, along with neighbouring municipalities and the Tsuut’ina Nation. It failed in June 2024 and ruptured again in December last year; during off-and-on repairs over two years, Calgarians and surrounding communities have repeatedly been asked to restrict water use.

Mayor: “one, final, critical stretch”

Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas said this week: “We have one, final, critical stretch ahead of us. To get there we’re going to need Calgarians to come together one more time.” He acknowledged that residents have been through water restrictions, emergency repairs, disruptions to routines and a great deal of uncertainty over the past couple of years: “I know that there is frustration. I know that there is fatigue and, frankly, I share it too.”

Ski hill hit; indoor hockey unaffected

Dale Oviatt of WinSport, which operates Canada Olympic Park, said the timing “couldn’t be worse”, but with no snow on the ground, warmer weather would likely have delayed opening the ski and snowboarding hill anyway. There is no opening date right now, he said, and season passholders have mostly been understanding. He added that ski instructors depend on hours for their paycheques and many other operations are tied to the hill opening. The city’s water utility chief operating officer, Michael Thompson, said WinSport had asked for an outdoor watering exemption but one could not be provided; WinSport recycles water from ice shavings for toilets in its office tower and arena.

Kevin Kobelka, executive director of Hockey Calgary, said in an email that all of its programs operate in indoor facilities, all facilities are up and running for the year, and he had not been informed of any changes to its schedule. The city said it is still ready to welcome football fans and that Grey Cup organizers have been sharing the message to comply with the water rules; the Grey Cup festival starts Nov. 11 and wraps with the championship game on Nov. 15.

Photo: file photo of Calgary. Sources: The Canadian Press, Nov. 4, 2026; City of Calgary notice, Nov. 4, 2026.