Bushwakker ‘fairly confident’ to reopen brew pub early next month after major water main break

Bushwakker was closed on Wednesday and Thursday. June 18, 2026. (Wayne Mantyka/CTV News)

Regina’s Bushwakker Brew Pub has set a tenative reopening date after a water main break flooded its basement last week.

“We’re still remaining optimistic we will be able to reopen on Thursday July 2nd,” Bushwakker bar manager Grant Frew told CTV News Friday. “And just in time for ‘First Firken Friday’ the following day.”

It comes after the brew pub’s basement, including its brewery, was completely flooded after a leak in a city water service level near the building.

For multiple hours June 17, water levels in the basement rose to “above knee height,” according to the bar and restaurant’s Facebook page.

• Bushwakker Brewpub flooded after major plumbing issue on Dewdney Avenue

The leak comes following the completion of the two-year Dewdney Avenue Corridor Revitalization Project, which oversaw the transformation of Dewdney from Albert to Broad Street.

The project was intended to make significant upgrades to century-old underground infrastructure and also saw beautification improvements and more streetlights.

Bushwakker was one of the businesses which suffered from a loss of foot traffic during the Dewdney revitalization.

On Friday, the brew pub was able to reopen its offsale for customers, but not the restaurant ahead of a Friday night Saskatchewan Roughriders’ game at Mosaic Stadium.

“It’s one step closer to reopening,” Frew said. “Obviously for a football game Friday, we couldn’t let Rider Nation down without getting Wakker-ville beer. One step closer but lots of work yet to do so.”

Bushwakker reminds customers the offsale is open Friday and Saturday between noon and 6 p.m.

Work continues outside the building to fix the connection which was the source of the original break and leak.

City crews were seen Friday putting the finishing touches on the replacement sidewalk which was dug up to repair the lines.

Frew says the bar has pushed back its reopening timeline a few times, but updates he has received from the city make him optimistic about the July 2 reopening.

“We are seeing some light at the end of the tunnel,” he added. “It’s been a much longer tunnel of we’re anticipating. But yeah, we’re going to get there.”