Scotia Place may not be the only new major sporting facility coming to Calgary.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Calgary Stampede CEO Joe Cowley outlined several ideas as part of the city’s new 20-year master plan for Stampede Park. Part of that plan is already well underway, as construction on Scotia Place, the new home of the Calgary Flames, began in July of 2024.
As it turns out, yet another professional sports team could be playing at Stampede Park in the coming years.
While the Saddledome has been an outdated venue for several years, the same can be said about the home of the Calgary Stampeders, McMahon Stadium. The Stampeders have played out of McMahon for over 65 years.
As reported by CBC’s Karina Zapata, Cowley said that the master plan put together includes the possibility of building a new home for the Stampeders at Stampede Park. He did confirm, however, that the project would need to be “city-led.”
Conceptual rendering of the Calgary Stampede Master Plan (Calgary Stampede)
A new building for the Stampeders has long been a topic of discussion in Calgary, and has been talked about even more in recent years after former CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie made it clear that McMahon Stadium no longer meets league standards.
“I won’t back away from the fact that I believe the city needs a new stadium for the CFL and the Calgary Stampeders,” Ambrosie said. “It would be disingenuous to say anything else.”
Cowley seemingly agrees with Ambrosie’s comments from two years ago, referring to McMahon Stadium as “probably beyond its expiration date.”
Thematic Zones for the Calgary Stampede Master Plan (Calgary Stampede)
There is still plenty of work to be done in order to make this happen, but it’s clear that at the very least, effort is being put in to give Calgary and the Stampeders a much-needed new facility.
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