In June, 2013, large swaths of downtown Calgary were swamped with massive flood waters – and the Stampede grounds were not spared. Everything, from the horse barns up to the grandstand, was covered in silty brown water. But once the river receded, a force of 900 workers was marshalled for cleanup and rebuilding. The rodeo and exhibition, by an extraordinary feat of logistics, still went ahead two weeks later.
Crucially, Stampede organizers promised then-mayor Naheed Nenshi that their cleanup would put no more strain on the city, which was struggling to deal with ruined homes and 80,000 displaced residents.
This summer, the Stampede is again vowing to go on – despite a massive break in Calgary’s main water artery that has led to a shutdown, cutting supplies in half and putting the whole city under voluntary and mandatory water restrictions. The Stampede begins on July 5, but repairs could go on for weeks after that. “Come hell or high water,” was the slogan in 2013. This year, “Come hell or no water” is circulating.
This might not be as big a disaster as the 2013 floods were. But........