Calgary Chamber supports City’s bold action in approving new Event Centre

CALGARY – “The Calgary Chamber would like to commend the Calgary City Council on their bold decision to approve the proposed Event Centre. Council has shown inspired leadership in the approval of this game changing project, which will serve as an important step forward for Calgary to become the globally competitive city it deserves to be.

“The City outlined seven critical project principles to ensure the new Event Centre fulfilled the ever-changing needs of our city. In our July 26 letter of support, we acknowledged that the most recent project proposal reflects those principles. Our strong support for the project continues following Council’s vote today.

“This project is not only going to create jobs and bring numerous economic benefits to Calgary, it is going to bring social benefits as well. It will significantly contribute to the revitalization of Calgary’s Victoria Park area and put our city back on the map as a destination for world-class entertainment, events, and tournaments.

“City Council now needs to continue to push this project forward and involve Calgarians every step of the way. Continued transparency is key for this project to be a success, and we encourage the City’s elected officials and administration to share information whenever and wherever possible.

“With this decision, Calgary City Council has shown great conviction in improving the business climate in our city. However, there is still important work to be done. Council must continue this bold leadership and commit to further positive changes to the business environment. A structural review of the City’s outdated and inequitable property tax system would have a dramatic impact on the future of our great city. We await this critical debate this fall and our business community can be assured that the Chamber will continue to take a leadership role on this issue.

“For Calgary to be globally competitive, both capital projects and operational spending decisions need to be visionary and robust. Vibrant communities and vibrant business go hand in hand.”

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For all media inquiries, please contact media@calgarychamber.com or (403) 750-0401.

ABOUT THE CALGARY CHAMBER

The Calgary Chamber is an independent non-profit, non-partisan business organization. For 128 years, the Chamber has worked to build a business community that nourishes, powers, and inspires the world.