CALGARY — A Calgary water park has been temporarily closed while health officials investigate three confirmed cases of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) associated with the facility.Alberta Health Services said its Primary and Preventative Health Services Calgary Zone Medical Officer of Health and Environmental Public Health are investigating the cases connected to the Prairie Winds Water Park in northeast Calgary.The spray park and wading pool were voluntarily closed for one week beginning August 7 while officials continue their investigation, cleaning and testing.AHS said people who visited the water park between July 25, and August 4 may have been exposed..STEC is a type of E. coli bacteria that can cause gastrointestinal illness. Symptoms can include diarrhea and abdominal cramps, and some infections can lead to more serious complications.The Prairie Winds closure comes amid previous public-health concerns involving recreational water in the Calgary region.On August 8, 2025, Alberta Health Services issued a water-quality advisory for Cove Beach at Chestermere Lake after routine testing detected elevated levels of fecal bacteria.AHS advised people not to swim or wade in the affected area because exposure to the water could increase the risk of gastrointestinal illness, as well as skin, ear and eye infections. The advisory applied specifically to Cove Beach and did not affect other Chestermere Lake beaches.The Chestermere advisory was a water-quality finding rather than an identified outbreak of STEC infections. AHS did not publicly identify the bacteria detected at Cove Beach as STEC..In September 2023, AHS declared an outbreak of STEC among children and staff connected to Calgary-area childcare facilities. The outbreak ultimately involved 448 confirmed and probable cases, including 359 confirmed cases, according to AHS's investigation report.The outbreak was linked to a central kitchen that supplied food to childcare facilities. AHS investigators found that beef meatloaf served on August 29, 2023, was the food item most strongly associated with illness and concluded that contaminated beef was the most likely explanation for the outbreak.The outbreak strain was identified as E. coli O157 producing Shiga toxins. The investigation also found genetically related STEC cases outside the childcare outbreak, although AHS said there was no established epidemiological connection between those cases and the childcare facilities. Both the City of Calgary and AHS have said they are continuing to investigate the source of the infections, evaluate any potential risks and prevent further cases.
