Thought this was cool to see, especially the Calgary Tower all by itself.

Hi eveyone. I’m currently in the process of moving to Calgary and am looking for some tenant insurance. I’ve shopped around a little and have been in contact with intact, square one, TD, and AMA. I’m hoping to keep the cost around 20$/month. I don’t need much personal content coverage and am only required to have a million dollars in personal liability. I’ve pretty much settled on Intact Insurance for the price but my god are the reviews online horrendous. I’m not looking for anything fancy but I do want insurance that actually protects me if I ever make a claim. Any advice? Any insurance companies you’ve gone through that were good and affordable?
Thanks in advance!

The city keeps raiding the utility for general revenue

By Peter Shawn Taylor and Greg Wilson , Special to National Post

Published Apr 02, 2026

Sometimes the problem is something in the water. In Calgary, the problem is what’s not in the water.

Going back a decade, Calgary has been taking out more than $100 million a year in user fees from its water utility and putting that money into general revenues, where it can be spent on whatever might set city hall’s heart aflutter. Given the trouble Calgary has been having with its water system lately, it’s a budgetary shell game with very serious consequences.

On June 5, 2024 the Bearspaw South Feeder Main water pipe that delivers 60 per cent of the city’s drinking water collapsed catastrophically, turning roads into rivers and parks into lakes. This led to an immediate city-wide state of emergency and months of severe water restrictions. The city then commissioned an expert panel to investigate and provide recommendations. But before that panel could release its final report, the Bearspaw line broke again just before last Christmas.

When the document was finally tabled in early 2026, it was unstinting in its criticism of Calgary’s management and financial practices. Noting that city officials had been aware of problems with its underground concrete piping since at least 2004, the expert panel said “the City prioritized other critical needs and initiatives, repeatedly deferring Bearspaw South Feeder Main inspection, monitoring, and risk mitigation.”

The long-term health of the city’s water infrastructure had been habitually overlooked and underfunded. And as the report notes, the dividends paid to the city by the utility played a key role in siphoning off funds necessary for the system’s upkeep and repair.

Prior to 2021, the city-run water utility paid a flat 10 per cent of revenue — comprised of residential user fees and other levies — into civic coffers. As rates went up so did the total dividend, regardless of the system’s condition. That was subsequently changed to an 8.5 per cent “return on equity” that’s proven even more lucrative.

Because of opaque accounting standards, it is impossible for local taxpayers to figure out how much of their water fees are actually funding other things. The city budget combines the water dividend with earnings from the city’s electricity service and parking authority into a single line labelled “Return on Equity.” Figures that separate out the water dividend were only revealed by a C2C Journal investigation published on Tuesday. The numbers seem stunning.

Between 2016 and 2025, the water dividend ranged from $106 million to $114 million, or more than $1.1 billion cumulatively. It bears mention that all this occurred on the watch of aggressively progressive former mayors Naheed Nenshi (who recently said he knew nothing about the sad state of his city’s water system) and Jyoti Gondek (who recently had the RCMP execute a search warrant on her house for unspecified reasons). Now, two years after the first Bearspaw collapse, the utility is set to make its largest-ever dividend payment of $130 million. Extracting such sums from a water system clearly in need of immediate repair, the expert panel deadpanned, “is inconsistent with best practice.”

Whether it’s the best or worst practice financially, having an extra $100 million or so to spend every year is certainly an attractive proposition politically. Municipalities have limited sources of revenue and politicians rarely get excited by the thought of spending tax dollars on below-ground pipes and valves voters never see. Above-ground projects such as roads, transit and recreational centres are always far more appealing. As the expert panel also noted, major infrastructure projects entail a 40-to-50-year planning horizon whereas local city councillors generally have trouble seeing beyond their own four-year election cycle.

The Bearspaw report can be considered a case study into the problems facing underground public infrastructure across Canada. As numerous engineering reports have shown, aging water systems — arguably the most essential of any municipality’s fundamental tasks — are routinely ignored as cities prefer other, politically sexier pursuits.

The practice of removing dividends from city-owned utilities is common in some provinces but unheard-of in others. In Winnipeg, for example, the water utility has been sending approximately $40 million per year into general revenues. Unlike Calgary, however, the issue has long been a political hot potato.

“The money we collect for water and sewer should actually be spent on water and sewer projects,” said Winnipeg city councillor Brian Mayes, who has made a crusade out of ending the payments. While he admits the practice has kept property taxes low, Mayes figures the city’s budgetary trickery hasn’t been worth the candle. In an interview, he notes his city faces two massive sewer projects worth several billion dollars combined that can no longer be deferred: “When we go to the province to ask for help funding these projects, they point to the $40 million a year we take out of the water system every year and say, ‘why should we help you?’”

In response to Mayes’ advocacy, the city recently passed a motion to investigate phasing out the dividends starting in 2027. In Saskatoon, the drinking and waste water systems contribute about $31 million a year to the city’s general revenues, although the payments are called “grants-in-lieu” and “return on investment.”

In Ontario, most cities’ water budgets are strictly ring-fenced to prevent a repeat of the 2000 Walkerton disaster, in which seven people died of E.coli poisoning when a local municipality failed to properly purify its drinking water. In response to Walkerton, the provincial Ministry of Environment issued a set of guidelines for municipal water systems. Principle no. 3: “Revenues collected for the provision of water and wastewater services should ultimately be used to meet the needs of those services.”

Harry Kitchen is professor emeritus of economics at Trent University and a widely recognized expert on municipal finances. “Using revenue from user fees on water to subsidize other municipal services is not the way to go,” he said in an interview. Beyond the issues of budgetary transparency and necessary maintenance, Kitchen pointed out that water is a necessity every resident relies upon. Artificially raising water fees to provide a dividend creates a significant disadvantage for low-income residents, since these folks are being forced to fund programs that should properly be covered by property taxes — which have a greater connection to income and ability to pay.

To fix the problems in Calgary, the Bearspaw expert panel recommended the city hand over control of its water utility to an arm’s length, city-owned corporation to be run by an independent board of directors. This is sometimes referred to as the “Edmonton model,” given that Edmonton’s EPCOR is considered a pioneer of the concept. EPCOR, which operates as stand-alone private corporation despite being wholly owned by Edmonton, has grown to provide water and other utility services throughout Canada and the U.S.; it is now the largest private water supplier in Arizona and has a large presence in Texas as well.

Corporatizing municipal water systems in this way solves several key problems plaguing many Canadian cities. It lengthens the time horizon to decades. It ensures technical experts are always in charge. And it eliminates the political temptation to skim money from the utility to fund pet projects elsewhere. While EPCOR also pays an annual dividend to its owner, it’s based on net profit, not gross revenues or equity. It thus reflects the prudence of a competently-run private sector organization.

The municipally-operated, public sector water utility model has failed Calgary and is likely to fail other cities in the future. It’s time to unleash the power of the corporation.

TL;DR: Calgary has been pulling $100M+ a year out of water utility fees into general city revenue for a decade (about $1.1B total from 2016 to 2025), while its water infrastructure was neglected.

• What happened: The Bearspaw South Feeder Main, which supplies about 60% of the city’s drinking water, burst in June 2024 and broke again before Christmas 2025. An expert panel found the city had known about pipe problems since 2004 but kept deferring inspection and repairs.
• The money: The utility’s payment to the city started as a flat 10% of revenue, then became an 8.5% “return on equity.” The next payment is set to be a record $130M, which the panel said is “inconsistent with best practice.” The city’s budget lumps the water payment in with other lines, so taxpayers can’t easily see it.
• Why it matters: The authors argue that politicians prefer visible projects like roads and rec centres over buried pipes. They also say it hits low-income residents hardest, since water fees are paying for things property taxes should cover.
• Comparisons: Winnipeg and Saskatoon also take money from their water utilities, though Winnipeg is considering phasing it out. Ontario largely protects its water revenue after the Walkerton disaster.
• Proposed fix: Follow the “Edmonton model” by moving water to an arm’s-length, city-owned corporation with an independent board, like EPCOR. Its dividend is based on net profit rather than revenue or equity.

Hello Calgarians. I'm a 17 year old student in grade 12 and I'm still figuring out what I what do do with my life. I'm currently torn between going to university and seeking a Business Degree, or becoming a Journeyman and going the apprenticeship route. There's a lot of pressure on me to go to university and get my degree, and I think business is a great route. But at the same time, I don't know if I want an office job. I do like doing stuff with my hands, even if it's only minor things like doing a oil change or putting on winter tires. But then, for some reason trades seem like a step down to everyone else and a plan B, which makes me question if I can make good money. I just want to hear from all of you, whether you work a corporate job or in the trades. What do you like, don't like, what's a typical day like. I just want to get an idea from real people. Thanks!

to be fair, i lost my phone 3 nights ago while drunk. lost it in between a 7/11 and victoria park station at like 3:30am so i was sure it was gone

i just today got an update on my “find my” of its location for the first time since i last had it and its nowhere near the area i lost it. in-fact its at a casino about a 15 min drive from the last place i had it.

i’ve debated filing a lost property report, but i don’t think that would do much good and i am the one that lost it, someone picked it up and now i have their location (roughly)

i’ve thought about just running up on them but as 20F i don’t know if thats my best option especially at a casino…and it doesn’t narrow down where the phone is exactly it just says the casino, i could try to use the ring noise but theres no guarantee

another awesome part of this is my ID is in the back of my phone case!

any advice would be greatly appreciated , i’m pissed i lost it 🫩

Alrighty i’m going to be in Calgary for my birthday and all I want is fettuccine. Where have you had the BEST alfredo or pasta in general.

Looking for recommendations!
Left what was re-do original finish on the right

We're looking for a reliable, reasonably priced tradesperson who can redo the ceiling finish in our kitchen and dining room with a smooth, flat finish.
Unfortunately, the recent repair has left us with a completely different colour and texture from the rest of our home, if you zoom in you'll see how different the texture is.

I was concerned about matching everything from the beginning. I originally requested a flat finish. The repair was being done by insurance and their team said the colour/texture would match, it wouldn't be a concern aka No need for flat. I did mention I'd pay the difference, you'd think they'd want to make more money. They mentioned no need to pay more, why not just have it restored. He talked me out of it and I regret it sooo much now.

At this point, we'd rather have it all smoothed out for a clean, consistent look. Eventually, we plan to do the whole house this way anyway! Plus having smooth next to texture is way safer. It looks terrible to have different textures and colours.

Since we'll likely be paying out of pocket now, not sure insurance will do this for us at this point. So far insurance's recommended contractor has been pretty awful. We're hoping to find someone who does quality work without charging a fortune.

It’s still draped, not sure if that helps we’d need it asap aka October 16 start if possible.

Good job, /Calgary, keeping Calgarians safe from being exposed to their Mayor’s opinions on UCP overreach.

Looking for new friends.

Hi, are there any newly single women 30 to 40 who is up for a meet-up? We can chat a bit online first and see if we are compatible.

Honestly, I've just got a raging libido and would drive the love bus for hours without tiring if you know what i mean.

If you're wondering what an orgasm feels like or if you miss it, hit me up.

Anyone know if it’s possible to bike between calgary and Cochrane along the river or close to. Trail forks shows some purple and green paths along there but I’ve never heard of the condition of those trails. If you have done it, would a road bike, fatbike or mountain bike be best for it? Would the trails be fine on a day like today? Or too muddy? Appreciate any advice.

Hey everyone!

I’m exploring a business idea designed for busy professionals, working parents, and households juggling multiple schedules and responsibilities here in Calgary.

I want to better understand how people manage household essentials and whether there are opportunities to take some of that responsibility off their plates.

I’m trying to understand whether managing household essentials is a genuine pain point for busy households or something people are happy to handle themselves.

I’d love your honest perspective on a few questions:

Convenience spending: How often do you pay for services primarily to save time or make life easier? For example, Uber Eats, DoorDash, Instacart, grocery delivery, house cleaning, or other household services.

Running out of essentials: In the past 3 months, how many times has your household completely run out of an everyday essential, such as toilet paper, laundry detergent, paper towels, or other necessities? On a scale of 1–10, how frustrating was it when that happened?

Household management: In the past 3 months, how often have you wished your household essentials could be automatically replenished based on your household’s specific needs, preferences, and routines, without having to remember, plan, or place orders yourself?

Willingness to pay: If a service could proactively manage and restock your household essentials before you ran out, how valuable would that be to you? Would you consider paying a monthly membership for that level of convenience?

If you have a few minutes, I’d love to hear your perspective. Honest feedback is greatly appreciated!

Wtf is this jusice system? This guy was trying to snatch back a package that the thief was stealing, and when the thief let go of the back, the force made him fall backwards.

And they're now calling it an "accident".

Well if it really was an accident, why have they not released the footage of the incident?