Update on new Calgary event centre expected
UPDATE: Calgary arena deal signed, construction set to start this year. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
Calgarians may feel a sense of déjà-vu as the event centre committee prepares for another meeting on Thursday morning.
It's been eight years since the Calgary Flames ownership first announced plans for a new arena for the team to call home.
That plan, dubbed CalgaryNEXT, promised an arena, multi-sport fieldhouse and other facilities to host major events and entertainment acts, but it never came to fruition.
Roughly two years later, then-mayor Naheed Nenshi proposed a 'plan B' partnership with Flames ownership, with a portion of the project's pricetag to be covered by the city and the rest covered by the team on top of user surcharges.
However, the team shot down the idea, claiming ownership would end up footing too much of the bill.
Fast forward to the summer of 2019, and it seemed like Calgarians would finally see the mega-project come to fruition.
Calgary city council approved a new $550-million plan to construct a state-of-the-art arena with capacity for around 19,000 people.
Construction on the project could have begun a little over two years later, but cost overruns and disagreements over funding slowed the process to the point where the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation (CSEC) pulled out of the deal in late 2021.
In April 2023, the city once again partnered not only with CSEC but also with the Alberta government and the Calgary Stampede to breathe new life into the project.
The agreements, in principle, with the province, Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation (CSEC) and the Calgary Stampede pave the way for creating the Culture + Entertainment District in downtown Calgary, in the Rivers District, including a new and publicly-owned event centre.
The deal is valued at $1.2 billion.
The city is contributing 44 per cent, or $537.3 million, and 56 per cent is being contributed by both the province ($330 million) and CSEC ($356 million).
The province has since earmarked $39 million for things such as land acquisition, site preparation and roads near the future arena.
A new $800-million arena for the Flames to call home is part of the deal, and it comes with a 35-year lease that includes a commitment from the owners of the Calgary Flames to stay in the city, according to city officials.
The exact details of the plan have not yet been finalized, but Calgarians could soon get a more complete look at the deal's structure following Thursday's event centre committee meeting.
Premier Danielle Smith will join Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek at a 1:15 p.m. news conference updating the public on the new event centre.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Stamp prices rise for the third time in five years amid financial woes for Canada Post
Canada Post is increasing stamp prices for the third time since 2019, a move the Crown corporation says is a "reality" of its sales-based revenue structure.
NDP calls out Conservatives for effort to squash pharmacare legislation
The federal New Democrats are calling out Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his party for trying to block the bill that could pave the way for millions of Canadians to access birth control and diabetes coverage.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
Ontario MPP asked again to leave Ontario legislature over keffiyeh, Speaker loosens ban
An Ontario MPP was asked again to leave the Ontario legislature on Monday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that was banned by the Speaker last month due to its political symbolism.
WATCH Avian flu: Risk to humans grows as outbreaks spread, warns expert
H5N1 or avian flu is decimating wildlife around the world and is now spreading among cattle in the United States, sparking concerns about 'pandemic potential' for humans. Now a health expert is urging Canada to scale up surveillance north of the border.
Trudeau Liberals to unveil new bill Monday aimed at countering foreign interference
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc will be tabling legislation on Monday aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada. Federal officials have scheduled a technical briefing on the incoming bill for Monday afternoon.
Human remains were found at a former Hitler base, but decay prevents determining the cause of death
Polish prosecutors have discontinued an investigation into human skeletons found at a site where German dictator Adolf Hitler and other Nazi leaders spent time during the Second World War because the advanced state of decay made it impossible to determine the cause of death, a spokesman said Monday.