While construction crews assess and begin repairs following a major water main break in Calgary’s northwest on Tuesday night, residents and business owners are once again grappling with a water advisory for the second time in less than two years.On Wednesday morning, officials confirmed the break was connected to the Bearspaw South Feeder Main — the same water line that ruptured in June 2024, triggering water supply restrictions in Calgary and surrounding communities..Once again for nearby businesses, the impact has been immediate.Sabrina Lawlor, a manager at Pazzer’s Saskatchewan Pub in the Montgomery neighbourhood, said the boil-water advisory forced the popular local bar to load up on supplies, inconveniencing regular operations.“We’re on a water advisory... and we’re not open this evening,” Lawlor told the Western Standard.“We had to go to Safeway and buy bottled water and bottled pop because we’re on a fountain. Everything had to be purchased brand new.”.There is also growing uncertainty surrounding how long the boil-water advisory will last, which only adds to the strain for the popular pub.“This is the second time the water broke,” Lawlor said, referencing the fact that the 2024 water main break happened in very close proximity to the pub.“My phone hasn’t stopped ringing today with people asking if we’re open.”Lawlor added that the repeated infrastructure failures are taking a toll on customer confidence, which has been particularly frustrating on what should have been a busy New Year’s Eve day.“It’s gonna affect our business dramatically,” she said.“We were supposed to be busy today... We have all of our regulars come during the day, and [today] we had a handful of people.”.In the nearby Parkdale neighbourhood, Leah Fehr, front-of-house manager at the Lazy Loaf and Kettle café and bakery, said the advisory has been disruptive but manageable so far.“We haven’t been able to serve tap water to customers — only bottled water,” Fehr said.“We’ve been boiling all of our water for prep, cooking, anything in the kitchen.”Fehr said the café may need to purchase additional bottled water if the advisory continues, adding costs during an already busy and important time of year.“It is a busy period for us,” she told the Western Standard..“We’ve had a lot of phone calls asking if we’re still open. There’s definitely a chance people might not come in as often because of it.”While the Lazy Loaf and Kettle was not significantly impacted by the 2024 water main break, Fehr said repeated infrastructure failures are frustrating for local businesses trying to operate reliably.“It impedes the work we’re trying to do,” she said.“Hopefully it doesn’t keep happening again in the future.”Fehr encouraged Calgarians to continue supporting affected local businesses during the disruption.“I would encourage people to reach out to restaurants, and always try to support local as much as possible,” she said.“It really makes a big difference when people make that extra effort to call or come by... so reach out and don’t stop showing up for us.”Online reaction to the break has been predominantly critical, with many people raising questions about whether previous City of Calgary administrations failed to adequately address aging infrastructure issues in the city..Kirk Lubimov took to X, saying, “It's clear that the City of Calgary has no idea what is going on with its infrastructure or its integrity. We need accountability. Heads better roll.”.The Western Standard’s own Cory Morgan echoed the sentiment, adding that it was the “Same area where the water main burst in 2024. Only this time, they have to deal with winter conditions. Calgary has some serious infrastructure issues.”
