Alberta premier assigns provincial representative to Calgary event centre talks

Just as negotiations to bring an event centre to Calgary to replace the Saddledome restarted, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith assigned a provincial representative to support the talks.

In a letter addressed to Mayor Jyoti Gondek, Event Centre Committee Chair Sonya Sharp, and head of the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation (CSEC) John Bean, Smith asked MLA Ric McIver to be the province’s “representative for this initiative.”

“I’ve asked [McIver] to reach out to both the city and CSEC to request feedback on how the province can be helpful in this regard.”

It appears as though the premier wants the deal to go through as soon as possible, adding “Calgary needs a new world-class event centre and arena, and the time to commence with this project is now.”

She says the Saddledome served its purpose, but its time is up, as it’s not able to compete with other arenas in North America.

"Calgary needs a new world class event centre and arena, and the time to commence with this project is now."
– Premier Danielle Smith#yyc #abpoli #ableg pic.twitter.com/O7zzMApvV9

— Danielle Smith (@ABDanielleSmith) October 25, 2022

The city and CSEC agree “time is of the essence,” indicating they will be pursuing a new event centre deal as soon as possible, while keeping both sides happy.

It’s unclear how the province will factor into the talks beyond offering support.

Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek told reporters Tuesday that Smith’s letter surprised her, and adds that she is pleased with the province’s interest and help.

“Right now there’s no money on the table, but I would assume there would have to be, otherwise I don’t know why we would have a liaison with the province, so I think this is good news,” Gondek said.

“Anytime we have more partners interested in helping us upgrade our infrastructure and bring a world-class facility to our city, [I’m] happy to have those conversations.”

The previous deal, which was made in 2019, fell apart in late December 2021, when the estimated cost of the project rose and CSEC, which owns the Calgary Flames, withdrew.

Shovels were scheduled to hit the ground this year for a 19,000-seat hockey arena and concert venue to replace the Saddledome, which has been the home of the Flames for 39 years.

The initial estimate of a new arena was $550 million split between the two parties, but that figure increased to $634 million.

There’s no word yet on any specifics about where talks have progressed to at this point.

Meanwhile, Ward 1 Coun. Sharp and CSEC CEO John Bean previously said they are looking forward to working out a deal.

The City of Calgary will be represented by CAA ICON, which helped negotiate Edmonton’s Rogers Place, going forward.

–With files from Pete Curtis and The Canadian Press