Ontario Construction News staff writer
The City of Calgary has unveiled the expanded BMO Centre at Stampede Park – Western Canada’s largest convention centre, after a 565,000-square-foot. expansion.
The construction project was approved by the City of Calgary in December 2018. Hazardous material removal and utility relocation took place in 2020, and the facility broke ground in April 2021. The project reached substantial completion in March 2024.
PCL Construction was the project contractor and Stantec Group was the architect.
“Today, it is with immeasurable pride that we open the doors to the BMO Centre at Stampede Park,” said Joel Cowley, CEO of the Calgary Stampede. “The BMO Centre expansion was built for Calgary and southern Alberta, with the vision of creating a world-class facility both in terms of design and the ability to provide exceptional guest experiences through our signature western hospitality.
“We built this for our future, and we look forward to realizing the success of the expansion in the decades to come.”
“We are proud to celebrate the grand opening of this remarkable expansion – brought to life by collaboration, partnership, and true dedication,” said George Chahal, Member of Parliament for Calgary Skyview, on behalf of the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities. “A milestone for Calgary, the BMO Centre will be a beacon of community pride, offering new spaces for gatherings, exhibitions, and experiences, while making the city a destination for national and international meetings and events. We are excited to see the countless opportunities it will bring to Calgary.”
Designed by Stantec, Populous and S2, the site represents “the next generation of convention facilities”.
“When we began design with our partners in 2019, we asked ourselves how we could design a facility that pushes the boundaries of convention centre design and experience, and every decision we made from that point on was with that goal in mind,” said Kate Thompson, President and CEO of Calgary Municipal Land Corporation, Development Manager for the project. “CMLC is incredibly proud to have delivered this project on time and on budget, and to have delivered on the world-class promise we and our partners set out to achieve. With the completion of this catalyst project, we have set the tone for the coming years of development in
“The Culture + Entertainment District, and we are looking eagerly ahead to building on this momentum as we continue to transform this district together.”
BMO and the Calgary Stampede have renewed their decades-long partnership for another 10 years, through until the end of 2033. As a part of this agreement, BMO has extended the naming rights of the BMO Centre to the BMO Centre expansion, which will welcome guests from our community and around the world.