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Take a look inside the now complete BMO Centre expansion

With Calgary’s new BMO Centre expansion complete, the venue is the largest convention centre in Western Canada.

The expansion project cost $500 million and took six years to complete

Taylor Braat · CBC News ·
The outside of a massive venue is seen on a sunny day. A blue art sculpture is set up outside, and benches are also out front.
The outdoor public plaza at the BMO Centre features a 170-foot curved canopy, a 70-foot tall 'Spirit of Water' art sculpture, and more than 50 species of plants. (Helen Pike/CBC)

At long last, Calgary's BMO Centre expansion at Stampede Park is officially complete — just in time for the 2024 Calgary Stampede. The $500-million project makes it the largest convention centre in Western Canada.

After six years of planning and work, the finished centre is now one complete piece of the future Culture + Entertainment District.

"We had a common goal for what we wanted to create here and we were true to that and conscious of budget and supply chain issues all the way along," said Kate Thompson, president & CEO of the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC).

"We made hard choices and smart decisions about where to spend the money and how to spend it."

The outside of a curved building with a balcony and steps down to the ground.
The CMLC says the expanded BMO Centre was funded in equal parts by the Government of Canada, the Government of Alberta and The City of Calgary. (Helen Pike/CBC)
Bright natural light shines through into a big venue's main area with seating and floors.
The BMO Centre's first convention post-opening is the Global Energy Show running from June 11-13. Over 500 conventions and events have already been booked in the new space. (Helen Pike/CBC)

The Stampede and CMLC officials expect the 565,000-square-foot expansion to put Calgary on the map in the convention business. According to the CMLC, over 500 conventions and events have already been booked in the space, with the very first being the Global Energy Show from June 11-13. 

"This place is incredible," said Jyoti Gondek.

"From an economic perspective, anybody that comes here and takes part in what's happening in this space is going to go back and tell others and that's going to drive more tourism, and that is absolutely one of the pillars of our economic success. This place is going to do marvels for us."

A venue corridor is carpeted with chairs and tables on the ground floor. Natural light shines through big glass windows.
Calgarians can tour the new space on Saturday, June 8 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. during the Calgary Stampede’s ENMAX Community Round Up event. (Helen Pike/CBC)
Several cocktail glasses are laid on a bar upside down in a naturally lit room.
The expanded BMO Centre is expected to increase Calgary's economic impact, and be able to host events with a greater scale. The CMLC says the "economic impact to Calgary will equate to approximately upwards of $100 million a year." (Helen Pike/CBC)
Two escalators and a set of stairs lead up to a higher level in a massive venue. A wall shows decorative flames beside the escalators.
This 70-foot tall indoor fireplace is placed at a gathering area called "the Exchange." It's one of the highlights for the CMLC in the expanded BMO Centre. (Helen Pike/CBC)

Calgarians can tour the expanded BMO Centre this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. during the Calgary Stampede's ENMAX Community Round Up event. 

The Calgary Stampede runs from July 5-14. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Taylor Braat

Taylor Braat is a multiplatform journalist with CBC News based in Calgary, where she was born and raised. She has worked in newsrooms across the Prairies. You can reach her at taylor.braat@cbc.ca.

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