That is not where the inspection ends.<\/p>\n
Related<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will follow decision-making timelines,\u201d says Williams, Alberta\u2019s municipal affairs minister.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen were issues identified? What escalated? What was acted upon? What was not acted upon? What was deferred?<\/p>\n
\u201cRisk assessment. The reporting process through administration to city council. Communication. Public monitoring. Internal controls. The scope on this is broad.\u201d<\/p>\n
A broad scope of investigation, says Williams, because Albertans, and Calgarians in particular, expect to have basic core services provided and there has been a massive failure to deliver those services.<\/p>\n
The work of the inspector will go on until the fall. Findings and recommendations will be made to the government and they will be made public.<\/p>\n
Williams says this kind of inspection is tough stuff.<\/p>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0da83ee6daebe86a3cedfa45bfbdf2dc.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n
Alberta Minister of Municipal Affairs Dan Williams speaks on the final day of the Alberta Municipalities Convention at the Telus Convention Centre in Calgary on Nov. 14, 2025.<\/p>\n
Smith\u2019s point man says he is \u201cnot presupposing anything\u201d and \u201cwants to see the process play out in an above-board way.\u201d<\/p>\n
He wants \u201cthe whole truth and nothing but the truth.\u201d He is just overseeing the process. The inspector will be free to do his work.<\/p>\n
And make no mistake. Going this route, with an inspection, a full-blown investigation, the government of Alberta has the hammer.<\/p>\n
If Calgary city hall is found to have been \u201cmanaged or governed in an improper, irregular or improvident manner\u201d the Alberta government can force the city of Calgary to \u201ctake corrective actions.\u201d<\/p>\n
They can tell the city what must happen.<\/p>\n
That direction from the Alberta government would be legally binding.<\/p>\n
Of course, there will be the boobirds. There will be those who say the Smith government should not stick its nose in Calgary city hall\u2019s business.<\/p>\n
Williams says the city failed and anyone who disagrees should tell him why there are water-use restrictions in Calgary.<\/p>\n
He adds if it\u2019s not the provincial government who keeps the city accountable, who should it be?<\/p>\n
\u201cWe take seriously the catastrophic failure of the delivery of the water service. It\u2019s been two times in two years when Calgarians have been told into a microphone by prominent leaders that if it\u2019s yellow let it mellow,\u201d says Williams.<\/p>\n
In other words, don\u2019t flush every time after urinating.<\/p>\n
Williams points out how, at one time, there was the possibility of Calgary hosting the 2026 Winter Olympics. What if there had been this water failure while the world was watching?<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not a First World city problem we should be facing. Anyone who says this wasn\u2019t a failure really needs to talk to a Calgarian.\u201d<\/p>\n
Williams does say the current city council has done \u201ca great job\u201d meeting the water issue head on.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey came in and were saddled with a very, very big load and task in front of them and they\u2019ve been doing the heavy-lifting.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/42fd67d433f9f77b3a991cdc4549645a.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n
The city hall council room is seen in Calgary on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025.<\/p>\n
As some readers know, the city hall did fork out taxpayer dollars for an expert panel to look into the water pipe explosion<\/a> and the city water system issue.<\/p>\n The panel criticized how the file was handled by city hall before the pipe exploded and exploded again and was found to need more serious repair work requiring further shutdowns.<\/p>\n For the province, the inspection they have ordered has a lot of teeth. The province, unlike the panel, can tell Calgary city hall what to do.<\/p>\n At the end of the day, Williams says he wants to see accountability.<\/p>\n And who doesn\u2019t want as much accountability as we can get?<\/p>\n