City in hot water with West End businesses over leak By: Malak Abas Posted: 5:45 PM CDT Friday, May. 22, 2026

West End business owners say the city left them high and dry by shutting off their water for days and keeping them in the dark while a leak was being investigated.

The city shut off water Wednesday to Goodies Bake Shop and several nearby businesses on Erin Street between Ellice and St. Matthews avenues. The reason given was repairs to the water main.

Goodies owner Linda Peters said she was told the water would be turned off for a few hours, but it stretched into Friday, so she had to scramble to get enough water to sanitize the bakery and use to make the many cakes and desserts crafted by her 40-person staff.

“I called repeatedly, got different stories, saying, ‘Someone’s already there fixing it,’ which I was told six times — but I can literally see it on my (security) camera down the street, there’s nobody there fixing it,” she told the Free Press Friday.

“They stated it was a big concern, they were making it top priority, they were contacting people straight from the top — and still, nothing has happened.”

On Thursday morning, city staff had dropped off a water tank for use by the affected businesses, but Peters, afraid Goodies would use up too much of the water, offered to rent her own tank.

She said the city delivered a water trailer to the Goodies parking lot later that day — and charged her for it — but took the other tank away at the same time.

“They stated it was a big concern… and still, nothing has happened.”

As of Friday afternoon, the city’s water and waste department map showed a single water tank available by the water main break, listed at the same address as Goodies.

Rental of a city-owned water tank costs $363 for the first day of use, $27 per day of subsequent use and $300 per water refill.

Several other businesses near the water main break told the Free Press their water had also been turned off and they were not told when it would be turned on.

A city spokesperson said the leak was traced to a property owned by a business and was therefore not the city’s responsibility.

During the city’s investigation into the leak, it provided a free water tank to the businesses. However, it took it away when the leak was found on private property.

“We only repair leaks on city-owned water mains and usually do so within two days. Water leaks on private water service lines are the responsibility of the property owner to repair using a licensed water and sewer contractor,” city communications co-ordinator Abigail Saseniuk said in an email.

“In these cases, we issue a notice to the property owner advising they are responsible for completing the repairs. We did so at this location. We cannot guarantee repair timelines for private water service repairs.”

“Water leaks on private water service lines are the responsibility of the property owner.”

An employee at Quest Metal Products Ltd., at 889 Erin St., confirmed a valve on one of its sprinklers had broken, and said city staff told them the water main would remain off until the owner repaired the leak.

He said they were told they were responsible for the repair on Thursday and the biz has rushed to hire a repair crew.

“You’ve got to excavate, you’ve got to dig up the street, you’ve got to tie it to the line again. So it’s a lot of work, but it looks like it’s going to get done (Friday) and (Saturday),” the employee, who declined to be named, said.

Some of the business owners wonder why the city would let them go without water in the meantime, regardless of what caused the break.

Noris Zeid, the owner of Noris Heating and Cooling, at 946 Erin St., said his staff have had to haul water buckets to flush toilets and wash their hands.

He said he wasn’t informed about the water main shut-off ahead of time and was offended when, after repeated attempts to reach the water and waste department, he was accused of not paying his water bill.

“We pay all this money and we’re getting no service … Really, I’m fed up with the way it operates there,” said Zeid.

“As a business, we’re responsible for everything, but yet, if something goes wrong, we’re still responsible? Why am I responsible if somebody else’s water goes down?”

“Why am I responsible if somebody else’s water goes down?”

Cindy Gilroy, the councillor for Daniel McIntyre, called the circumstances “unique” and said she would look into how communication could be improved for future situations.

“It’s hard for me to understand how we cannot provide water to some of the other people that are affected,” Gilroy said.

The water shutdown has cost Peters a few thousand dollars and a lot of frustration as staff hauled water while preparing desserts for corporate events. The water tank she rented has run dry. She requested the city refill it Friday afternoon, and was informed it would cost $300.

“I’m a local business that has 40 families that depend on it, I can’t shut my business down … but it seems like the city doesn’t really care.”

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca