Calgary Citizen Newsletter Thursday Aug. 29

Advertise | Sign Up

Good morning !

And just like that, it’s officially the September long weekend! As with most long weekends, there’s no shortage of things to do and this year there’s another option; Heritage Park partnered up with the provincial government to celebrate Alberta Day with FREE ADMISSION. From 10am-10pm, get free entry to Heritage Park with a ticket on Showpass. You must register ahead of time with this link and it’s expected to be popular so snap your free tickets up fast!

Heritage Park will have live music, kid-friendly activities, a local market and an evening drone show, all celebrating Alberta’s rich cultural heritage. The celebration includes free shuttle service and parking available from Anderson LRT station. Happy long weekend!

👀 In today's edition:

• YYC water main crisis: What you need to know

• Dog attack in city’s northwest injures senior, chihuahua

• Calgary film fest celebrates milestone with big names

Get your story told! Promote your business, event, or restaurant in front of 34,000+ engaged locals! Contact our team today.

WORTH KNOWING

☀️ Today: High 24C, Low 10C. See the 7-day forecast.

🚗 Driving today? Check the current traffic situation, and find the city’s traffic report and road closures.

⚠️ Here’s the current smoke forecast / check Calgary wildfire and fire restrictions and the Alberta Wildfire Dashboard.

QUICK POLL

Calgarians did better—but more water needs to be saved to ensure taps keep running

“If we do not reduce our water usage by 25% and stay under that 450 million level, we will be in a lot of trouble,” Mayor Jyoti Gondek said on Wednesday during a water update. “We will run out of water and if we run out of water, you will turn on your tap and nothing will come out.”

The city says while Calgarians reduced their water usage, more needs to be done or the city will be “in dire straits.” City general manager of infrastructure services, Michael Thompson, said 497 million litres of water was used on Tuesday, down from 533 million litres the day before. Calgarians need to keep that number down below 450 million to ensure the city doesn’t run out of water.

More repair work on the city’s troubled water main means Calgary returned to Stage 4 outdoor water restrictions, meaning outdoor watering of any type is prohibited and reduced indoor water use is encouraged. These are the easiest ways you can do your part:

• Reduce the number of times you flush your toilet; even once less a day per household makes a huge difference

• Keep showers to 3 mins, only shower every second day

• Reduce the number of laundry and dishes loads, make sure they are full and do less often

In case you missed it the first time

Need to know

💔 Dog attack in Thorncliffe leaves Calgary woman and Chihuahua injured: 'It was horrible.'

🐝 Wild number of wasps in Calgary is keeping local pest control companies busy.

🛌 First-year University of Calgary students feel the squeeze of student housing shortage.

🏨 Calgarians are being asked to take part in an online survey to help shape city regulations surrounding short-term rentals.

✈️ Calgary airport says hail damage repairs to take at least 18 months.

🌈 Calgary Pride Parade and Festival kicks off this weekend, and a variety of Calgary businesses and venues are behind it.

👮 Saskatchewan gangster who killed teen now charged in Calgary murder from 2022.

📽️ Alberta filmmakers Dominique Keller and Neil Grahn’s thrilling new doc series called Horse Warriors is premiering on APTN on Sept. 2.

🎒 Be the first to know about the best events, insider tips, and jaw-dropping deals and contests—all delivered every Thursday straight to your inbox. Subscribe to Calgary’s free newsletter to find out what’s up!

The Calgary International Film Festival is just around the corner and there is so much to look forward to for the 25th anniversary

The Calgary International Film Festival (CIFF) is celebrating its 25th anniversary with more than 200 films and there is no shortage of new and exciting things happening this year. In celebration of its Silver Anniversary, the Calgary International Film Festival’s Opening Gala returns to the Jack Singer Concert Hall at Arts Commons on Sept. 19, featuring the Calgary-shot feature film The Thicket, produced by Chad Oakes and Michal Frislev of Calgary-based Nomadic Pictures. The Thicket is a dark western thriller about vengeance, justice and unlikely companionship and brings star Peter Dinklage of Game of Thrones to Calgary for the red carpet and Q&A on opening night. How cool is that!

CIFF acting executive director Katherine Penhale says she is proud to launch the festival into its new Constellation strategy era with such a high profile opening gala film. “Launching the festival with a film that was made right here in Alberta with Alberta crews is a perfect fit for our Opening Gala and having the most high-profile red carpet in CIFF’s history with guests like Peter Dinklage means we get to demonstrate Alberta’s place in the film economy on a star-studded stage,” Penhale adds. “This event really lets us show off just how far we’ve come, and where we’re headed.”

Other highlights include The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal, an intimate and emotional documentary. Calgary is one of only four cities in the world where Hip fans can catch this on the big screen. Get the whole list of films here.

Where to eat and drink

🍴 Ollia Macarons & Tea: Ollia has perfected this decadent dessert using simple ingredients, offering classic and unique flavours such as Earl Grey, Cotton Candy, Blue Cheese, and Pear & Pecan, to name a few.

🍴 Cabin Brewing: This craft brewery, family-friendly taproom, sunny patio and cozy getaway in Calgary’s Manchester brewing area is the perfect spot to grab some food and snacks on any given day.

Have a food or drink suggestion? Message us and we might share it!

Things to do

🎟️ Field of Crosses volunteering: Volunteers are urgently needed for cross preparation, installation and take down, as well as site preparation for this annual Remembrance Day event. Volunteer shifts are available as early as Sept. 5. Check the link to check out the available options.

🎟️ BBQ On The Bow Festival: From Aug. 31-Sept. 1, head to the Calgary Shrine Tables for this free, fun, family-oriented annual culinary festival featuring one of Canada’s oldest sanctioned BBQ competitions.

Have an event suggestion? Message us and we might share it!

From our readers

That’s it!

Thanks for reading today. If you found something interesting, please forward this email to another Calgarian and tell them to sign up!

And before you go, we’d love to know…

We’ll see you back here on Tuesday, same time, same place!