October 2026 newsletter

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  • October 21, 2026

Beyond the Bowl: Scotia Place is being built for Calgary's future

As the Saddledome enters its final season, Scotia Place is rising across the street, bringing together iconic architecture, sustainable design and a vibrant fan experience.

Designed to be the heart of sports and entertainment, the new event centre will feature more than 600 rooftop solar panels spanning 1,500 square metres, roughly the size of an NHL ice surface, generating enough clean electricity to power approximately 30 homes annually.

Scotia Place will also connect to Calgary's District Energy System, a shared network that supplies heat to buildings across downtown and East Village, helping reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions while improving operational efficiency.

Built to withstand Calgary's changing weather, the facility will include stormwater management features that help manage flood risk and support long-term sustainability.

Learn more about the sustainable features being incorporated into Scotia Place, visit Scotia Place - Sustainable design.

September progress at Scotia Place

As summer transitioned to fall, significant progress continued at Scotia Place. Work advanced on both the main arena and the ESSO Community Arena, with several key construction milestones reached throughout September.

Highlights include:

  • The main arena officially reached its "topping off" milestone with the installation of the final structural steel piece.

  • Main arena roof deck installation complete.

  • Steel installation beginning for the reassembly of the historic Stephenson Building.

  • Glass installation progressed at the southwest entrance.

  • Installation of the first cauldron fins.

  • Construction advanced on the indoor public plaza and north-side restaurant spaces.

  • Installation of all ESSO Community Arena roof trusses , with roofing nearly 50 per cent complete.

Did you know?

The Saddledome opened on October 15, 1983.

Known for its distinctive saddle-shaped roof, the arena hosted hockey and figure skating during the 1988 Winter Olympics and has been at the centre of Calgary's sports and entertainment story for more than four decades.

Watch this month's timelapse video to see the latest progress at Scotia Place:

Stay up to date on construction progress at calgary.ca/ScotiaPlace.

6 Street S.E. Underpass: Upcoming traffic changes on 9 Avenue S.E.

Beginning October 22, traffic on 9 Avenue S.E. will shift to the newly reconstructed north lanes, where it will remain until October 2027 while construction of the future 6 Street S.E. Underpass continues.

The traffic shift includes:

  • Reopening 6 Street S.E. north of 9 Avenue S.E.

  • Restoring west driveway access to The Confluence.

  • Opening a new multi-use pathway along the north side of 9 Avenue S.E.

To learn more about the project, visit calgary.ca/6StUP.

Plan your visit to The Culture + Entertainment District 

Construction continues across Calgary's Culture + Entertainment District. Visitors can expect periodic lane restrictions and road closures as work progresses on Scotia Place and surrounding public infrastructure.

Visit The C+E Access Map for real-time construction and access updates, and to plan your visit to Calgary's next great city neighbourhood.

Categories: Construction, Newsletter, Project updates

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Land acknowledgement

Calgary sits on fertile land where two rivers meet, where Indigenous Peoples have been gathering for thousands of years, sharing knowledge and storytelling, and planning for future generations. The traditional names for this place we know as Calgary are Moh-kins-tsis, Wîchispa Oyade, Otos-kwunee and Guts-ists’i — the land that has given so much to so many.

Elders teach us the importance of acknowledging the land of where we gather, settle or visit, and offering gratitude for the generosity of the gifts that Mother Earth has shared with us. With this, we offer respect for those who traditionally lived on this land, and welcome those who have made Calgary their home.

Calgary is located on the traditional territories of the people of the Treaty 7 region in Southern Alberta. This includes the Blackfoot Confederacy, made up of the Siksika, Piikani, and Kainai First Nations; the Îethka Nakoda Wîcastabi First Nations, comprised of the Chiniki, Bearspaw, and Wesley First Nations; and the Tsuut’ina First Nation. Calgary is also homeland to the historic Northwest Métis and to Métis Nation of Alberta, Region 3. We acknowledge all Indigenous urban Calgarians who have made this city their home. Together, their spiritual and practical relationships to the land create rich lessons for our life as a community.

We are thankful for the opportunity that this sacred place provides us to engage in reconciliation and to make life better every day for all who call Calgary home.

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Media credits

Video footage and images provided by: C&B Advertising, Cakewalk, Calgary Economic Development, Calgary Stampede, Glenbow, Sean Thonson, Colin Way, Sherpas Cinema, Tourism Calgary, Travel Aberta, Calgary Tower, Calgary Sports & Entertainment Corporation.

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