Come Hell or High Water — or none at all — the show will go on.That’s the word from city officials scrambling to fix multiple hotspots on the water main break even as the city gears up to host almost a quarter million visitors to this year’s edition of the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.Stampede and Calgary Tourism representatives appeared alongside Mayor Jyoti Gondek to assure city residents contingencies have been put in place to ensure a — mostly — memorable Stampede experience next month.And preserve the $250 million or so that it brings into the local economy.“The show will go on, but it will go on in a very responsible manner,” Gondek said.Thus far, it’s not entirely clear what that might entail or how fairgoers will have to adjust.That might mean a dirtier rear end to forego bleacher washing. It also might mean carrying a water bottle instead of cooling off at the drinking fountain. According to Stampede CEO Joel Cowley that will also mean trucking in fresh water for any of the 1,000 or so animals on site and using non-potable water to wet down the infield and keep dust down..The fact that the mayor’s office went to such lengths to emphasize the point underscores the importance of the Stampede both to the city’s cultural fabric and its economy.Already, Calgary Tourism boss Alisha Reynolds said local hotels have already booked more than 180,000 rooms for the ten day event that runs from July 5-14.Hoteliers are already looking at ways to reduce water use, ranging from fewer laundry loads to curbing ice machines — and closing pools and spas.But city numbers suggest that water use isn’t significantly higher in July in any event. That’s because the first weeks of July are known for freak thunderstorms and almost as many people who come to the city head for the hills when the cowpokes come to town.The bigger challenge, she said, will be letting all those visitors know what to expect when they come to town. It might even mean packing their laundry with them when they leave.“We just ask that when you're in our city, you're one of us. Follow all of our restrictions. Make every drop count. Take three minutes showers or less and take pictures, memories but also take your laundry home when you with you when you go and don't do it here,” she said.Gondek jokingly laughed and said she “loves” the laundry recommendation. She was sporting the same purple blouse she’s worn all weekend since the new repairs were first announced — at 5 pm on Friday afternoon followed by the imposition of a local state of emergency on Saturday morning. .“There's a woman (on social media) who talked about using rainwater to wash her hair. And her suggestion is if you try this at home, please make sure you heat up the kettle beforehand,” she quipped.Humour aside, the break is serious business. Barricades went up on 16th Ave through Montgomery — up to Memorial Drive — to begin emergency work on four more ’hotspots’ in need of repair. Crews began diverting traffic along Bowness Road and excavating on Monday morning.Sections of pipe — steel this time, instead of the 1970s-era concrete culverts — are being ordered from San Diego. The first arrived this weekend to patch the original main break which has been repaired.But it’s going to mean traffic chaos for the next three to five weeks while the repairs are made.In response to a question from The Western Standard, city infrastructure officials said it was impractical to stage or even delay the work. Three of the identified ‘hotspots’ are located on one single isolated segment which had reportedly been inspected as recently as April.Following the restoration of full service, the city will then make an assessment of the entire system and prioritize what it thinks are priority repairs..In 2013 crews had just three weeks to clean up and repair virtually the entire Stampede grounds, which saw the Saddledome flooded to the sixth row bleachers.It came to be known for its ‘Hell or High Water’ mantra and went on to be one of the most successful — if not memorable — events the city has held. The same can’t be said for the 2021 edition held in the midst of the pandemic, which former Premier Jason Kenney — and then mayor Naheed Nenshi dubbed ‘the best summer ever’.
