Alberta pulled financial support for the Green Line LRT. Could Calgary’s event centre be next?

After the Province of Alberta pulled its financial support for Calgary’s Green Line LRT project last week, questions are being raised about whether the city’s new event centre could face the same fate.

Dump trucks, backhoes, and all other types of machinery are hard at work at a construction site in Calgary that will be home to Alberta’s newest sports and entertainment venue, Scotia Place.

Just a week ago, the scene was similar at Green Line construction sites across the city. Now, that project is on hold indefinitely.

Should this raise questions on the future of Calgary’s event centre project given the province’s significant financial interest?

“Do I anticipate something similar will happen to the event centre? I certainly hope not,” Major Jyoti Gondek told CityNews. “We have to make sure that we’re delivering on the type of infrastructure that we need in this city. But, we have market confidence absolutely shaken right now.”

The $1.5 billion project is partially funded by the provincial government.

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Some Calgarians also seem to have had their faith shaken.

“I am concerned and I think we’ll end up as taxpayers, paying a lot more more,” one woman said.

Bob Hunter, the event centre project lead for the City of Calgary, says despite the province pulling funding for the Green Line, the Scotia Place project is alive and well.

“The province has been a great partner so far. I mean, they’re supporting the construction of the community rink, indoor and outdoor plazas, and the street network, some of the utility relocation. They’ve been a great partner so far so we have no doubt that they’re going to continue.

The construction of Scotia Place started on July 22 and is expected to be finished by 2027.

“We want to hit certain timeframes before winter so it just makes it easier to work on site,” “They’ll be working through the winter.

“Needless to say, there’s a lot going on.”