The Alberta and federal governments are jointly spending $52 million to modernize Calgary's Olympic Oval, a project aimed at extending the life of one of Canada's premier high-performance sport facilities while ensuring it continues producing future Olympic athletes.The funding will see each government contribute $26 million toward major upgrades to the University of Calgary facility, including replacing the original refrigerated concrete slab beneath the 400-metre speed skating oval and its two ice rinks.The project will also include a new ice plant and upgrades to the building's mechanical, electrical, structural and life-safety systems.Alberta Tourism and Sport Minister Andrew Boitchenko said the funding will help preserve a key piece of Canada's sports infrastructure."We are happy to see this project moving forward through joint efforts with the Government of Canada," Boitchenko said. "This spending will preserve one of Canada's premier sport facilities, supporting high-performance athlete development while helping strengthen Canada's sport system and encouraging healthier lifestyles in communities for years to come."Federal Secretary of State for Sport Adam van Koeverden said the upgrades will help maintain the Oval's international reputation."The Olympic Oval is a legendary facility, and together with the Government of Alberta, we are ensuring the long-term operation of the fastest ice in the world, where Olympic medalists have trained, won, and set countless world records," he said.Housing and Infrastructure Minister Gregor Robertson said the project represents a broader commitment to Canada's national sport infrastructure."Today's spending is of paramount importance to building a stronger Canada," Robertson said. "We are working together with sporting organizations and the provincial government to spend in national training centres, including the Olympic Oval, that will provide both athletes and broader communities with world-class facilities.".Advanced Education Minister Myles McDougall said the Oval has become a centre for athletic excellence, research and innovation since opening for the 1988 Winter Olympics."The University of Calgary's Olympic Oval has helped generations of athletes pursue excellence while advancing research and innovation in sport," McDougall said.University of Calgary president Ed McCauley said the funding will also support internationally recognized research in human physiology, injury prevention, recovery and sports equipment design.Olympic Oval director Mark Messer said the facility's impact extends well beyond speed skating."We want to keep turning out medallists from this building, and it's not just speed skaters – we have hockey players, bobsledders, lugers and biathletes," Messer said. "This funding will allow us to be the medal factory that continues to train athletes for the Olympics on a national level."Two-time Olympic champion Catriona Le May Doan welcomed the announcement, saying the Oval has served both elite athletes and the broader community."It's a place that belongs to everyone – a world-class facility where our community can come together, be active and dream big, and now, thanks to this funding, the next generation can continue to dream," she said.Since opening in 1987 ahead of the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics, the Olympic Oval has earned the nickname "The Fastest Ice in the World" and remains an International Skating Union Centre of Excellence.The facility has trained 26 Canadian Olympic medallists who have captured 40 Olympic medals, including 12 gold. It has also served as the training base for athletes such as Catriona Le May Doan, Cindy Klassen, Clara Hughes, Christine Nesbitt, Denny Morrison, Isabelle Weidemann, Ivanie Blondin, Kristina Groves and Jeremy Wotherspoon.Beyond elite competition, the Oval hosts more than 40,000 recreational skaters annually.According to the governments, events held at the Olympic Oval between 2022 and 2024 generated more than $33 million in economic activity for Calgary while attracting visitors from across Canada and around the world.
