The Rescuer: Man who helped pull families from water main flood sees pizza biz suffer

For one Montgomery business owner, the water main break has had impacts in more ways than one.

Saud Abbasi, owner of Pizza Bae on Bowness Road, was out delivering pizzas when the water main ruptured along 16 Avenue, flooding the road and his vehicle — as well as many others. 

As soon as he was out of his car, he began trying to help others get to safety.

“There was lots of people, traffic was stuck, and there was water at a very high speed … and it was really cold,” Abbasi said. “I managed to get out and try to give my support to the people who needed help.”

In particular, he looked for families and children who may need help getting out of the rushing water, which he said was up to his waist. He was able to help a few families before first responders arrived.

“As a young man and as a business owner in the community, my job was to protect,” he said. “I have two daughters, so I did not want anyone to get hurt, or die.”

Business hit hard

The next morning, he was notified the water at his restaurant wasn’t safe for use unless it was boiled, but his pizza joint doesn’t have a stove, only ovens. He’s had to buy bottled water to use instead — an added expense when business is already down. 

“Due to the water contamination, people are afraid to come out and eat and support the businesses,” he said. On New Year’s Eve alone — normally one of his busiest days of the year — he estimated a loss of $7,000.

It’s a tough pill to swallow, he said, having just opened the restaurant three months ago. He’s worried he’ll have to close down if he can’t recoup the losses.

His hope is that the community will be able to come together to support small businesses in some way. Despite being new, he feels he’s already made a good impression on the residents and other businesses — and vice versa.

“I love Montgomery,” he said. “Very good people, very nice people.”

Oscar Alarcon, an employee at the nearby coffee and frozen yogurt shop Bean & Cream, said he’s noticed a dip in customer traffic since the water main break. With the closure of 16 Avenue, he said, it’s harder for customers who come from elsewhere in the city to access the area.

They’ve also had to purchase bottled water to use, which Alarcon said is both more work and more expensive, adding he and other employees are making regular trips to the grocery store to refill the large jugs of water.

The city’s communication so far has been good, Alarcon said, but the shop wasn’t around during the 2024 feeder main break, so he didn’t have that basis for comparison.

Bean & Cream was also one of several business throughout Montgomery and Bowness that was visited by Mayor Jeromy Farkas and councillors Kim Tyers, Myke Atkinson and Landon Johnston on Friday to check in and show their support.

The group also visited Montgomery restaurant NOtaBLE, which head chef Richard Pilkington said was a nice gesture, adding the city has been in direct communication with them “from the get-go.”

“They seem like they’re really on top of it,” he said. However, after having been through the same ordeal in 2024, it’s all the more exasperating the second time around.

“I understand things break down, things need maintenance and all that, but obviously this is very frustrating with it being an issue that we thought was resolved a few summers ago,” Pilkington said.

They’ve been shipping in clean water and ice from their sister restaurant, The Nash, to serve to customers, and using boiled water for cooking. On New Year’s Eve, the staff also called each of their reservations for the evening to confirm they would be remaining open with all the necessary safety protocols in place.

“It’s just been a little bit more extra work,” he said. “It’s very taxing. It’s definitely not something that we plan for.”

But the team has been “making the best of the situation,” he said. “The show must go on.”

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Nikita Kobushko, manager at Fringe Coffee, said it’s been easier to deal with affects of the water main break the second time around.

“We know what to expect,” he said. Their coffee and espresso machines already boil water to a safe temperature, so the biggest impact is using to-go cups and containers rather than their usual dishware, which would require boiled or bottled water to wash.

“It’s quite expensive,” he said, adding they’ll definitely feel the impact if, like last time, the advisory and restrictions last several months.

In terms of the possibility of more water main breaks in the future, Kobushko said he doesn’t see a point in worrying about what’s outside of his control.

“I can be worried, but would it be helpful? I don’t think so,” he said.