CALGARY—The federal government has backed a $500 million mega-project to double the size of Calgary’s largest convention centre.
Infrastructure Minister François-Philippe Champagne was in the city March 12 to announce Ottawa’s $166.6 million contribution to expand the BMO Centre, which houses the annual Calgary Stampede, to one million square feet — making it the second largest facility of its kind in Canada.
The project is expected to create more than 1,800 jobs during construction. Alberta and Calgary will each pony up a matched $166.6 million in funding. The Calgary Exhibition and Stampede Ltd. has previously committed $3.9 million.
Photo: Calgary Stampede/Twitter
“I am happy to see this significant investment in Calgary’s cultural infrastructure,” Alberta Infrastructure Minister Sandra Jansen said in a statement. “Projects like the BMO expansion not only foster business development and investment in Calgary, they also create thousands of new jobs building world-class facilities.”
Naheed Nenshi, Mayor of Calgary, and David Sibbald, president and chairman of the board at Calgary Stampede, were also present at the announcement alongside Champagne and Jansen.
