Hero in the Floodwaters: A Business Owner's Dual Crisis
For Saud Abbasi, the owner of Pizza Bae on Bowness Road in Montgomery, the evening of December 30, 2025, turned from a routine pizza delivery into a life-saving mission. A catastrophic feeder main break along 16 Avenue unleashed a torrent of freezing water, trapping Abbasi's vehicle and many others in a rapidly rising flood.
Once he managed to escape his car, Abbasi immediately turned his attention to others in peril. "There were lots of people, traffic was stuck, and the water was moving at a very high speed… and it was really cold," Abbasi recounted. He waded into waist-deep water, focusing his efforts on helping families and children reach safety before emergency crews could arrive.
"As a young man and as a business owner in the community, my job was to protect," he said, noting his concern as a father of two daughters. "I did not want anyone to get hurt, or die."
Business Hit with a Double Blow
The heroic aftermath, however, was swiftly followed by a harsh economic reality. The next morning, Abbasi was notified that the water supply to his restaurant was unsafe for use without boiling—a directive that cripples a pizza shop operating with ovens but no stovetop. Forced to purchase bottled water for all operations, he faced a significant new expense just as customer traffic evaporated.
The combination of water contamination fears and major road closures has kept patrons away. On New Year's Eve, typically one of his busiest days, Abbasi estimates he lost approximately $7,000 in revenue. This blow is particularly devastating for the entrepreneur, who had opened Pizza Bae just three months prior to the disaster.
"It's a tough pill to swallow," Abbasi admitted, expressing deep concern that he may have to close his business permanently if he cannot recoup the staggering losses. His hope now rests on the community he has grown to love. "I love Montgomery," he said. "Very good people, very nice people."
A Community-Wide Struggle
The challenges extend beyond Pizza Bae. Oscar Alarcon, an employee at the nearby Bean & Cream coffee and frozen yogurt shop, confirmed a noticeable dip in customer traffic. The closure of the critical 16 Avenue artery has made access difficult for customers from other parts of Calgary.
Like Abbasi, Bean & Cream has been compelled to buy bottled water for daily use. Alarcon described the process as more labor-intensive and costly, with employees making regular grocery store trips to refill large water jugs.
In a show of support, Mayor Jeremy Farkas and councillors Kim Tyers, Myke Atkinson, and Landon Johnston visited businesses in Montgomery and Bowness on Friday, checking in on owners and staff. While city communication has been adequate according to Alarcon, the long-term financial toll of the water main break on these small, local enterprises remains a pressing and unresolved issue.
The rupture has not only tested the city's infrastructure but is now testing the resilience of the small business community that forms its backbone.
