Editorial: Water crisis not enough to justify canceling Stampede

We are now in the second week of a full-scale water crisis hitting Calgary, a crisis that has resulted in water restrictions for more than a million people and changed the way we live and operate.

It’s normal to feel angry, disappointed, or maybe even confused about what’s happening. It is admitted that the City of Calgary’s communication was confusing at the start of the crisis. No one seemed to know what to say or how to say it, but once the message was mastered, it was pretty coherent.

It has been difficult to reduce water consumption. Now that it is necessary to monitor how and when you use water, it has become painfully clear how much waste there is when the tap is left on for a few seconds longer.

Last week, city halls in Calgary, Airdrie, Chestemere and Strathmore asked residents to reduce their water consumption, saying it was necessary to avoid the total collapse of water infrastructure.

But the Stampede is approaching and an important decision comes with it.

Individual residents must reduce their number of showers and can’t run their dishwashers, but for now, a week-long party that draws hundreds of thousands of people will surely cause water levels to skyrocket. the city, if all goes well.

The City of Calgary still has time to change course, play it safe and cancel. Or maybe the fixes will be made in time and everything can go back to normal.

Or maybe the repairs aren’t done on time and the party goes on anyway. If that were the case, the City of Calgary would see its legitimate power to force the public to follow the rules collapse.