Calgary Mayor Farkas will shower with CJAY92’s Tyler Middleton if water use stays low

Tyler Middleton (left), a generic shower photo (middle) and Jeromy Farkas (right). (Photos via CJAY92, Unsplash/Natalia Menin and The Canadian Press/Dayne Patterson)

Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas says he will shower with CJAY92’s Tyler Middleton if citizens can keep water usage at sustainable levels for seven days straight as work to fix the Bearspaw South feeder main continues.

During an on-air Tuesday morning interview with the mayor, CJAY92’s Jesse and JD said their fellow on-air host Tyler Middleton had been calling Farkas’ office and emailing him to ask a very special question.

They then played a clip of Middleton’s mysterious inquiry.

• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App

“I just have one question about water conservation,” he said. “Will you have a shower with me? And I know that sounds weird, but I’ve got a good idea, I think. It’s a PSA-style video: you, me, sharing a shower, saving water and reminding Calgarians to do the same.”

“I have sent you a couple emails about, including a picture of my Speedo; it bounced back and it wasn’t going through… it got lost somehow, and we didn’t hear back from you,” Middleton said.

Jesse and JD clarified the shower would be clothed.

“I have to apologize; I think our email system only allows for a certain size of attachment so that Speedo photo must have been too big!” Farkas said.

“If we go seven days in a row in the green zone, yes, Tyler, I will have a shower with you,” he confirmed. “It’s up to Calgarians if you want to see that.”

Calgary’s problematic Bearspaw South feeder main has suffered two catastrophic breaks since June 2024, both prompting long-lasting water restrictions.

The ongoing work, which started March 9, will fix nine segments of the pipe experiencing enhanced deterioration until a new parallel steel pipe is completed.

Calgary used 504 million litres of water on Sunday, slightly higher than the daily target of 500 million.

On Monday, usage was once again in the target zone, with 497 million litres of water used.