Ward 5 Coun. Raj Dhaliwal said the approval of $65 million for the delivery of the Northeast Athletic Complex signals the end of “recreation discrimination” in the northeast.

Calgary city councillors unanimously approved an amendment in the 2026 budget adjustments to add $65 million from the Community Investment Reserve to the capital budget for 2026 to advance the project.

Numerous speakers during the public submission portion of the budget deliberations, including several youth athletes, talked about the challenge of going to athletic facilities all over Calgary because they didn’t have an accessible place to play in their area.

Hamza Tariq, founder of the Future Stars Cricket Foundation, told councillors during public submissions that many newcomers to Calgary first come to the northeast.

“That’s an area that should be looked at, because it’s overpopulated. There’s not enough facilities. I think the last facility that was opened up was Genesis Center back in, I don’t know when,” he said.

“If you go to Genesis, it’s overcrowded. It’s not a big enough space for families and kids to come out and be active. So, I truly hope that the council and the city will put their weight and their funds into this project, get it up and running, hopefully sooner than later.”

The Northeast Athletic Complex is expected to be one of the largest athletic parks in the city when complete. It will include a first-of-its-kind competition-ready cricket field, four outdoor multi-use turf fields, a 162,500 square-foot fieldhouse and a 35-acre development with pathways, green spaces, picnic areas and playgrounds, according to the City of Calgary’s webpage.

Coun. Dhaliwal said that originally, four regional fieldhouses were approved back in June 2021. When he was elected he said he was told they didn’t have the land and they were going to combine the Skyview fieldhouse and the Saddle Ridge park.

“We had some discussions with administration since I got elected, and the plan was for us to do it in totality as one, and that needed extra funds. So, (Tuesday’s) motion was to provide those extra funds,” he said.

‘Over the moon’: Dhaliwal

The City of Calgary said it already has $96.5 million of funding in place for the project. The additional $65 million brings the total investment to nearly $162 million.  In a November update, the City of Calgary said that GEC Architecture was hired to complete the design for the project. A development permit is expected for later this year.

Dhaliwal said this move is long overdue.

“I feel great. I feel over the moon,” he said.

“Finally, we are getting what we deserve. Enough of the recreation discrimination. This is about people who live in the northeast we’ve been contributing to the city. The story of two cities east and west of Deerfoot (Trail) has to end, and this is just the start of it, with recreation.”

City of Calgary Director of Recreation and Social Programs Heather Johnson told councillors that the GamePlan strategy for recreation was about creating a level playing field.

“We know that we have areas in certain growth communities that we call recreation deserts. There simply are no rec facilities,” she told councillors.

“Then we have areas of the inner city that may have quite a number of facilities, but facilities, frankly, that aren’t going to survive very long, and we need to really look at the replacement and upgrade of those inner-city facilities. So, providing service across the city equitably is an absolute goal of GamePlan.”

Johnson said that the Northeast Athletic Complex is going to be on the scale of Foothills Athletic Park and will provide services for Calgarians from all four quadrants.

The Calgary Minor Soccer Association issued a media statement on Wednesday, saying they strongly support city council funding the Northeast Athletic Complex.

“This facility will give thousands of children a safe, accessible space to play the game they love, while strengthening community pride and connection. Soccer is more than a sport—it’s a pathway for young people to grow, belong, and become part of the fabric of our city,” said Lyle Waldren, President of the Calgary Minor Soccer Association (CMSA).

Coun. Dhaliwal said that he’s happy that politics stayed out of this and that councillors voted to provide a better future for city youth.

“This will offer the opportunity for more affordable accessibility. This will allow for those who are shut out of facilities that are very expensive – northeast people, some of them don’t have the luxury to go sit in a new event center that is paid for by taxpayers to build a home for billionaires,” he said.

“This means a lot for them.”