The Alberta NDP and Canadian Taxpayers Federation posted similar responses to the UCP government's announcement Tuesday that provincial government funding will be part of a new Calgary arena deal. The City of Calgary is set to spend $537 million in taxpayers' money for the new arena, while Danielle Smith's government is promising $330 million in taxpayer funds for the surrounding area.
“Taxpayers money should not be paying to build new arenas for wealthy sports teams,” said Kris Sims, Alberta Director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. “Professional hockey players are paid millions of dollars and the Flames franchise is worth hundreds of millions – they shouldn’t be taking money from taxpayers.”
In a statement, Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley said the Alberta NDP is committed to revitalizing Calgary's downtown, but the ballooned pricetag for the arena is cause for pause.
“The cost of the latest proposed arena deal has doubled in size in 18 months and while the original version laid out a 50-50 private-public partnership, taxpayers are now responsible for more than 70 per cent of the cost.
“We believe all voters would expect their elected representatives to do due diligence on the economics and fiscal value of a capital project this size. We will be consulting directly with Albertans about its contents and will have more to say in the coming days.”
The Alberta government and City of Calgary announced $867 million in funding for the construction of a new sports arena in Calgary.
The City of Calgary is spending $537 million to build the hockey rink while the provincial government is kicking in $330 million for the transit system and bridges around the area and for a smaller amateur sport arena next to the bigger professional one.
The facility is intended to host games for the NHL’s Calgary Flames hockey team along with other events.
In 2019, the City of Calgary had agreed to split the cost of building a rink with the Flames owners, spending about $275 million each. That price tag later ballooned to $608 million before the deal was scrapped.
“Politicians should not be hitting up the taxpayer to bank roll arenas for big league sports teams,” said Sims. “The costs for this project ballooned quickly last time around and there’s a huge risk taxpayers will hit with runaway bills on this project.”
