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A participatory process is a sequence of participatory activities (e.g. first filling out a survey, then making proposals, discussing them in face-to-face or virtual meetings, and finally prioritizing them) with the aim of defining and making a decision on a specific topic.
Examples of participatory processes are: a process of electing committee members (where candidatures are first presented, then debated and finally a candidacy is chosen), participatory budgets (where proposals are made, valued economically and voted on with the money available), a strategic planning process, the collaborative drafting of a regulation or norm, the design of an urban space or the production of a public policy plan.
Calgary's Water Future: Community Input on the Water Main Crisis and Long-Term Resilience
Calgarians deserve a voice in how the city prepares for, responds to, and recovers from critical water infrastructure failures
About this process
The 2024 Glenmore Trail water main break exposed serious vulnerabilities in Calgary's aging water infrastructure. This process invites residents to engage with the long-term questions of how Calgary should invest in water resilience, equity, and transparency going forward.
In June 2024, the catastrophic failure of a water transmission main near Glenmore Trail disrupted water service for hundreds of thousands of Calgarians, triggered emergency restrictions, and revealed how dependent the entire city is on aging infrastructure that the public rarely thinks about until something goes wrong.
The incident raised urgent questions that go beyond the immediate repair: How old is Calgary's water network, and which parts are most at risk? How are repair and replacement priorities set, and by whom? What role should residents play in decisions about water infrastructure investment? Are the costs and risks of infrastructure failure distributed equitably across the city?
This participatory process creates space for Calgarians to learn about water infrastructure challenges, submit proposals for policy and investment improvements, and collectively prioritize what the city should do differently. The outcome will be a community brief to inform Calgary's water resilience strategy and capital planning conversations.