Every day, thousands of operational services employees ensure the essential services Calgarians rely on are available, rain or shine. Our community has experienced times of adversity over the past decade, in extreme conditions they have maintained and restored critical infrastructure, utilities, transit, roadways, pathways, transportation networks and made sure public parks and spaces were clean, accessible and safe. 

This webpage pays tribute to the work of our operational frontline teams. We are proud to share their accomplishments and extend our deepest thanks to them for being there for our community, in the good times and the bad.  

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 viral disease a pandemic. Cities and communities across the world responded to public health restrictions and physical distancing protocols were put in place to reduce the transmission of the virus, protect at risk individuals and minimize strain on public healthcare systems. The City of Calgary is responsible for delivering many essential services to Calgarians, huge operational adjustments were made to enable employees to continue serving Calgarians while remaining safe.

City employees played a significant role in maintaining the health, safety and vitality of our community during the evolving conditions of the pandemic.

• Water Services continued providing water, wastewater and stormwater services throughout the pandemic, ensuring Calgarians and the region had safe, reliable drinking water, and the health of our watershed was maintained.
  
• City parks enhanced programming to ensure Calgarians had outdoor space for year-round socializing when the risk of indoor viral transmission was high. Fire pits and skating features were introduced to many city parks for winter season activities. 
• Expanded pathways and adaptive roadways were created for Calgarians who needed more space and were spending more time outside.
• Waste & Recycling Services maintained collection services with minor adjustments. Demand for collections and landfill services increased as Calgarians spent more time at home, including increased home improvements and yard maintenance. Service changes and landfill hours were communicated to Calgarians through calgary.ca, the Garbage Day app  and social media.
• Calgary Transit services were adjusted and service changes communicated to Transit customers. The Plan a Trip  feature of the Calgary Transit website enabled customers to easily connect with the latest information.
• Temporary patios on public property were approved with no fee for restaurants wanting to add outdoor space for customers.
• As more people began to work from home, downtown parking demand declined. Calgary Parking converted the upper levels of the City Centre Parkade (Lot 25) to an expansive outdoor park (High Park] ) for Calgarians and Beltline community members in need of additional outdoor space for recreation and socializing.