Alberta commits $500,000 towards revitalizing Canada Olympic Park

Calgary’s hometown ski hill will be getting a boost from the Province this winter.

According to a release from the Government of Alberta, $500,000 has been contributed towards making repairs on Canada Olympic Park’s Frank Day Lodge, upgrading snow-making equipment, and developing an outdoor activity space.

See also

• Calgary City Council approves 2026 Olympic bid going forward to plebiscite
• $700 million offered by Government of Alberta for Calgary 2026 Olympics
• Here's why you're wrong about choosing not to get the flu shot

The half a million dollars is not tied to the $700 million that the province stated would be put towards the 2026 Winter Games if Calgary were to win their bid. It will instead be used for the renewal project regardless of the city-wide plebiscite on November 13.

“Each year, more than 850,000 Albertans are among the 1.2 million visitors who are introduced to active, healthy living through sport at Canada Olympic Park,” said Ricardo Miranda, Alberta’s minister of culture and tourism, in the release.

“This investment in the renewal of the park will not only help to support the development of young athletes, but help grow the local and provincial economy.”

The upgrades will be part a renewal that saw 33 projects completed between Fall 2017 and Fall 2018 in the aim of making WinSport’s Canada Olympic Park not just a suitable training grounds for Canadian athletes, but a recreation destination for Calgarians and visitors alike.

“This funding helps WinSport continue to renew its end-of-life legacy assets and maintain our new ones to world-class standards so we continue to serve Calgarians and Albertans for generations to come,” said WinSport President and CEO Barry Heck.

More than 500,000 people visit the park recreationally each year, and nearly 30,000 students participated in school programs at Canada Olympic Park in 2017 alone.