No flooding rinks or making snow: Calgary water restrictions back for final fix

CALGARY — Water restrictions are back in Calgary and, along with taking shorter showers, it means there’s no flooding outdoor hockey rinks or making snow for ski hills.

The rules, starting Wednesday for about the next four weeks, will also be in effect during the Grey Cup.

“The timing couldn’t be worse for us, but at the same token since Mother Nature’s not co-operating for us anyway, I guess there’s a little bit of leeway there,” said Dale Oviatt with WinSport, which operates Canada Olympic Park.

Oviatt said with no snow on the ground right now, warmer weather would likely have delayed opening the centre’s ski and snowboarding hill anyway. Right now there’s no opening date, he added, and for the most part season passholders have been understanding.

“We certainly want to get open as soon as we can,” said Oviatt.

“We have ski instructors who are depending on hours to get their paycheques. We have so many other operations that are tied into the hill and we want to get them open.”

It has been described as the last chapter in fixing Calgary’s water woes.

The giant Bearspaw South Feeder Main, which provides 60 per cent of treated water for the 1.6 million residents of Calgary, along with municipalities on its boundaries and the Tsuut’ina Nation, failed in June 2024.

It ruptured again in December last year.

During off-and-on repairs over the two years, Calgarians and those in surrounding communities were asked to restrict their water use.

With a final stretch of repair work, the water main is being temporarily shut down. And residents are again being asked again to take three-minute showers, not flush the toilet until it’s necessary, and hold off on washing clothes or running the dishwasher.

That’s in addition to the ban on outside watering affecting outdoor rinks and ski hills.

“We have one, final, critical stretch ahead of us. To get there we’re going to need Calgarians to come together one more time,” said Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas said this week.

“I recognize that we’ve been asking a lot. Over the past couple of years, Calgarians have been through water restrictions, emergency repairs, disruptions to our regular routines and a great deal of uncertainty.

“I know that there is frustration. I know that there is fatigue and, frankly, I share it too.”

Michael Thompson, chief operating officer of water utility for the city, said WinSport had asked for an outdoor watering exemption but one couldn’t be provided.

The restrictions don’t appear to be affecting minor hockey.

“All of our programs operate in indoor facilities, and all facilities are up and running for the year,” Kevin Kobelka, executive director of Hockey Calgary, said in an email.

“As for how (ice) floods are managed, this will be a decision of the facilities. But I have not been informed of any changes or effects to our schedule.”

Oviatt said WinSport has come up with a way to deal with water restrictions in its arenas and office tower.

“In our arena complex, we actually use the ice shavings when we do our cleaning of the ice, and we recycle that water for our toilets in the office tower and arena.”


Thompson said the city 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 CFL game on Nov. 15.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 4, 2026.

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press