With the help of multiple layers of government, Calgarians and world-class athletes alike are set to enjoy the Olympic Oval for years to come.
The Governments of Alberta and Canada have announced a $52 million investment into Calgary’s Olympic Oval. According to a Government of Alberta release, the funding will secure the iconic facility’s future and upgrade its current amenities.
On behalf of all the athletes who use the oval, whether at the Olympic level or just learning, Canadian Olympic speed skater Isabelle Weidemann thanked all the officials and representatives who fought for the investment.
“I was 15 years old the first time I stepped into the Olympic Oval, and I remember being absolutely captivated by this building,” she said.
“I had dreams of being an Olympian, and I had never been here before, and coming here absolutely ignited that for me.”
Weidemann said her four Olympic medals are all thanks to the community built at the oval.
Adam van Koeverden, federal Secretary of State for Sport representing the Government of Canada, said that this investment is one the feds are happy to make.
“We’re investing $26 million right here at the Olympic Oval to rehabilitate and modernize this legendary facility on the University of Calgary campus, which has helped host Canada’s first-ever Olympic Winter Games and has helped us win countless Olympic medals,” he said.
“Beyond that, it has helped so many young kids embrace the power of sport and physical activity. We’ve been working on this for a year now, and I’m so proud and so grateful that the government of Alberta is stepping up alongside us and matching our investment here at the Calgary Olympic Oval, dollar for dollar.”
Andrew Boitchenko, Minister of Tourism and Sport, said that the oval is a landmark sport facility. He thanked Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who continuously advocated for athletes behind the scenes, he said.
“I’m very proud of collaborative efforts for partnering on this important investment,” he said.
“The athletes and Olympians gathered here today know firsthand the impact that Alberta’s Olympic Oval has in athletes’ lives and their growth in their sports.”
Big city with bigger community: Deputy Mayor
Calgary’s Deputy Mayor and Ward 4 Coun. DJ Kelly said that Calgary is unparalleled in the number of world-class athletes who call the city home.
“We are a city where almost every single Calgarian can say that they have met an Olympian. We must be the largest city in the entire world where you can say that,” he said.
“It’s because we are a city where champions come to train because our facilities are second to none.”
Passion for sports often starts at a young age, Kelly said. A space like the Olympic Oval allows for Olympic athletes, new Canadians and kids learning to skate to all share a sheet of ice.
“We can’t wait to see what you do with the place next, because we know that all of these athletes and all Calgarians are ready for it,” he said, speaking to University of Calgary representatives who run the facility.
Ed McCauley, president and vice-chancellor, University of Calgary, thanked the federal and provincial governments for their advocacy.
“Today’s announcement is so much more than infrastructure, because the Olympic Oval, as you have heard, is so much more than just a venue. The Oval is a place where excellence is pursued every single day.”
McCauley said that since its opening, the Oval has been, and will always be, for Calgarians.
“At the grand opening of the Olympic Oval in September 1987, one of my predecessors, Dr. Norm Wagner, University of Calgary president at the time, told nearly 4,000 guests at the ceremony, ‘Welcome to your Oval, please come back often,’” he said.
