Residents of Redwood Meadows, located west of Calgary, are hopeful that a 10-day boil-water advisory will soon be lifted. The advisory, issued on June 2, followed heavy rains and surging glacial meltwater that caused the Elbow River to overflow, increasing particle levels in the water and overwhelming the hamlet’s filtration system.
Advisory Could End Friday
Chief Administrative Officer Gord Tate reported that turbidity levels have dropped to better-than-minimal standards. “The advisory is still in effect although the numbers are well within the acceptable range,” Tate said Friday afternoon. “But we have to go through processes with Health Canada and have our (water) samples approved.” He indicated the advisory could be lifted as early as Friday.
The hamlet, home to about 1,050 people north of Bragg Creek, falls under federal jurisdiction as it is located within the Tsuut’ina First Nation, which leases land to residents under an agreement expiring in 2095.
Background of the Advisory
Health Canada’s notice stated, “Due to the potential microbial contamination that may cause illness … boiling the water will destroy any micro-organisms that may be present.” The advisory does not extend to the wider Tsuut’ina First Nation, but Indigenous communities across Canada have long faced similar measures. As of June 4, there were 38 active long-term water advisories in 36 First Nations communities, none in Alberta, according to the federal government, which also noted that 156 advisories have been lifted since late 2015.
Recent Infrastructure Challenges
Redwood Meadows has faced other public infrastructure issues. On Dec. 17, 2025, a fire at the Redwood Meadows fire station destroyed a secondary fire hall and multiple trucks. Insurance covered the building, with a replacement potentially opening by the end of November, Tate said. A fundraiser to collect $1.5 million for a lost pumper truck is nearly halfway to its goal.
Last July, the hamlet urged its 351 households to reduce water usage after water treatment plant pumps failed.
