Big, bold and on budget: An inside look at the BMO Centre expansion
A major transformation is well underway on the Calgary Stampede grounds, with the 565,000 sq. ft. BMO Centre expansion project just a year away from completion.
Journalists got a tour of the interior of the massive building on Thursday, showing off the site's progress amid a mass of activity.
"The team didn't sit around during the pandemic and just wait and ponder and see what was going to happen," said Kate Thompson, the president and CEO of the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation.
"They drove, and because they drove we're here today and able to say it's on time and on budget."
The budget is $500 million and the expected opening date is next June -- in time for the 2024 Stampede.
More than 600 workers are on-site each day, six days a week. At this stage, they're putting up about 30,000 square feet of drywall every day.
While the exterior is a swooping mix of materials, the inside is home to spanning ballrooms and exhibit halls. The are 38 new meeting rooms and two ballrooms that will total 70,000 square feet.
Inquiries are already being made about hosting weddings and events on the 11,000 square foot outdoor covered patios, officials say.
"You know, there's a tremendous amount of excitement about the BMO Center, and as our sales team goes around the globe, people are in awe of the building," said Joel Cowley, the CEO of the Calgary Stampede.
There are 34 conventions booked for when the expansion opens, Cowley says, with one booking as far out as 2032.
"And that's really what generates economic impact, is when individuals from outside of this market come here and spend money on hotels and restaurants. That's the true economic impact," Cowley said.
The convention centre expansion is just one part of an overhaul in the area: the 17th Avenue extension is underway and the CTrain station is being rebuilt. The promise of a new event centre is also set to add another draw to the Victoria Park area.
The only scheduled construction pause from now until completion will be the ten days of the 2023 Stampede.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Inspires a sense of adventure': Sask. man conquers Mount Everest
A Saskatchewan man made it to the summit of Mount Everest earlier this month.
Grayson Murray's parents say the two-time PGA Tour winner died of suicide
Grayson Murray's parents said Sunday their 30-year-old son took his own life, just one day after he withdrew from a PGA Tour event. The family asked for privacy and that people honor Murray by being kind to one another.
Some birds may use 'mental time travel,' study finds
Real quick — what did you have for lunch yesterday? Were you with anyone? Where were you? Can you picture the scene? The ability to remember things that happened to you in the past, especially to go back and recall little incidental details, is a hallmark of what psychologists call episodic memory — and new research indicates that it’s an ability humans may share with birds called Eurasian jays.
This type of screen time has the worst effect on kids: experts
According to some experts, there is one type of screen time that is continuously excessive, and it's having a severe effect on our children.
Hamas rocket attack from Gaza sets off air raid sirens in Tel Aviv for the first time in months
Hamas fired a barrage of rockets from Gaza that set off air raid sirens as far away as Tel Aviv for the first time in months on Sunday in a show of resilience more than seven months into Israel's massive air, sea and ground offensive.
Blaine Higgs 'furious' over sexual education presentation
New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs has shared his anger on social media over a presentation in at least four high schools.
Trump confronts repeated boos during raucous Libertarian convention speech
Donald Trump was booed repeatedly while addressing Saturday night’s Libertarian Party National Convention.
Indianapolis 500 delayed as strong storm forces fans to evacuate Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The start of the Indianapolis 500 was delayed as a strong storm pushed through the area Sunday, forcing Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials to evacuate about 125,000 fans who had already arrived for "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing."
Driver, 18, gets $3,000 ticket, 32 demerit points after speeding on Laval boulevard
A young driver received a hefty fine from Laval police after they say he was driving nearly 100 km/h over the posted speed limit.