The University of Calgary is exploring the construction of a new stadium on its campus for its various varsity sports teams, after years of quietly fundraising for the project.

Those teams currently play at McMahon Stadium, a shared home for the University of Calgary Dinos and Calgary Stampeders since it was built 66 years ago.

“We’ve known for some time that the Dinos will outlive McMahon Stadium,” said Nick Holt, the dean of UCalgary’s Faculty of Kinesiology.

“We need a long-term solution to ensure the future of Dinos programming.”

That long-term solution could come in the form of a “fit-for-varsity stadium,” in which UCalgary plans to seek bids for design work in the coming days after “quiet phase” fundraising $21 million alongside the Dino’s 5th Quarter, the football team’s alumni group.

According to university officials, the proposal being explored would be a training and competition stadium with a capacity between 3,500 and 7,000 seats that could support multiple Dinos field sports, including football, soccer, and rugby.

The stadium would include a “seasonal dome” to allow for year-round use, and would be open to the public when it’s not in use, Holt told Global News.

“A big part of our vision is making it available to the community,” Holt said. “We know there’s a huge shortage of facilities in Calgary, we also know there’s a massive shortage in the wintertime so our vision is to have a seasonal dome and make it available to the community in the winter.”

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According to Moshe Lander, an economist at Concordia University, the move signals McMahon Stadium is “not financially viable,” and opens the door to significant redevelopment on the site.

“Building something that’s much more in line with university athletics in Canada seems much more reasonable,” he told Global News.

“Once McMahon is no longer in use, there’s a huge opportunity there to build, whether it’s dorms, building or infrastructure to support a growing campus.”

The move is raising questions about where the Calgary Stampeders will play in the future as the university’s proposal is smaller than typical CFL venues.

In a statement, Calgary Stampeders president Jay McNeil said McMahon Stadium has been “an incredible home” for the team, but the building is “reaching the end of its functional life.”

“The conversation about what comes next must be led by the community it serves,” McNeil’s statement said. “This isn’t just about football — it’s about what Calgarians want for their city: a modern, accessible and welcoming gathering place that supports sport, culture and year‑round community use.”

While the building is owned by the University of Calgary, it’s the McMahon Stadium Society that oversees its operations and upgrades.

The McMahon Stadium Society’s chair, Steve Allan, told Global News he’s “rooting” for the university’s success in its proposal, as conversations are in early stages about a new home for the Stampeders.

“We’ve been working on this for about four years now when I realized we won’t be getting any more money to put into McMahon,” Allan said Thursday.

Last month, Calgary Stampede officials hinted future planned upgrades to the infield seating at GMC Stadium could make way for field sports to be played on the site.

According to Allan, moving the Calgary Stampeders to an upgraded facility on the Stampede Grounds is a logical step.

“The Calgary Stampede already has the guts of a stadium, they attract people down there, they have transportation, they have parking,” Allan said, “They’ve got a lot of what we need so I think it makes a ton of sense.”

Back at the university, officials expect to receive initial designs for a potential stadium by the fall to firm up timelines and costs, with a “more public” campaign to raise funds for the project in the coming months.

According to Holt, officials continue to assess potential locations for the stadium on the campus’ west side, noting the project is “years, not decades” away.

“The key thing is to be on campus to bring the energy to our campus and give something for our students to really get behind,” he said.

McMahon Stadium is set to host the 113th Grey Cup game later this year.

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University of Calgary 60th Birthday Celebration

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Calgary city council has voted in favour of repealing citywide rezoning after weeks of public feedback and debate.

Council voted 12 to 3 in favour of repeal with councillors Nathaniel Schmidt, Myke Atkinson and Andrew Yule the sole votes against.

The vote comes after eight public hearing sessions over two weeks where 411 Calgarians addressed city council, and nearly 3,300 written submissions were also received.

“This vote was about restoring the voice in the community, understanding that change will continue to happen,” Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas said following the vote. “But on a go forward, Calgarians will have more of their voices heard and respected through that process.”

The move means 306,774 residential properties across the city will be redesignated back to their original low-density residential districts.

Approved back in 2024 by the previous city council after the longest public hearing in city history, citywide rezoning made residential grade-oriented infill (R-CG) the default residential zoning district across the city.

It allowed a variety of housing types to be built on a single property, including rowhouses and townhouses.

“Blanket rezoning does not reduce the cost of building, it hasn’t sped up development timelines, it does not get homes built faster or cheaper,” said Ward 13 Coun. Dan McLean in his debate. “What it has done, however, is divide communities.  It has created uncertainty, it has eroded trust and it’s attempted to fundamentally change the character of communities across our city.”

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Calgary city council wraps up citywide rezoning public hearing

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According to city administration, there have been 639 development permits enabled through citywide rezoning including 386 rowhomes, 41 single detached homes, and 53 semi detached homes.

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City data shows most of those permits, 165, were approved in Ward 7, followed by 86 in Ward 11, 83 in Ward 9 and 78 each in Wards 1, 4 and 6.

Wards 2, 3 and 12 had zero development permits enabled by citywide rezoning, according to city data.

“Too often we spoke of housing like it’s pollution, something that needs to be relegated to places that are less desirable and kept away from places we value now,” Schmidt said during the debate. “That’s not how we build a vision for the future and that’s not how we build communities.”

Ward 10 Coun. Andre Chabot, who introduced the motion to repeal citywide rezoning, said council’s decision opens the door to a new plan to enable housing in growth in a more targeted way.

“Ultimately, we need to increase our intensity of use to make our city more affordable and more sustainable,” he told reporters. “We can’t just continue to grow out, we have to grow up as well so a made-in-Calgary solution, I think, is going to be the best path forward and that’s going to require a lot of work.”

Calgary’s mayor also ran on a platform to find a replacement for citywide rezoning.

Some city councillors expressed frustration the housing policy was being repealed without a replacement plan.

“I believe in good governance,” Atkinson said. “This wasn’t good governance. You don’t repeal and then figure something out later.”

After nearly two years of concerns around the impacts from citywide rezoning, the group Calgarians for Thoughtful Growth was encouraged that city council “really did listen” to the feedback from residents.

Chris Davis, a representative from the group, told reporters Wednesday that they recognize there needs to be meaningful planning work to get housing built.

“I don’t think any of us are so naive as to think we don’t have to respond positively and effectively to density, it was all about how we did it,” Davis said. “This is an opportunity now for all Calgarians to come together and work collaboratively to find solutions.”

Housing advocates like More Neighbours Calgary said there wasn’t much surprise by council’s vote, but there remains disappointment and concern over the impact the repeal will have on housing.

“We should be trying to build as much as we can… we should be letting the market meet the housing needs of Calgarians,” said the group’s co-founder Kathryn Davies. “We just seem committed to restraining that as we can.”

According to city administration, the changes and repeal won’t take effect until August.

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The Calgary Police Service (CPS) is preparing for a “significant” request for resources from city council in the upcoming four-year budget, according to the city’s police chief.

Chief Katie McLellan made the remarks when answering questions Wednesday after presenting the service’s year-end report to the city’s Community Development Committee.

McLellan said the service and Calgary Police Commission continue to work on what exactly the budget request will include.

“We haven’t got that number finalized quite yet,” McLellan said. “We’re close with what that number is.  I don’t want to share it pre-maturely without putting additional context into it, but it’s going to be significant.”

It comes as McLellan said CPS is facing significant staffing gaps with funding available for 830 positions, however, just 653 are currently filled.

In her comments to committee, McLellan said that figure includes a shortage of six detectives in the homicide unit, another six detectives in the sexual assault investigation unit and ten officers on the domestic violence team.

“There are numbers we need in each area because we’ve looked at the call load, we’ve looked at what’s required, so it’s not a number that was just dreamt up,” she told reporters.

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According to the police chief, the vacancies are due to attrition, turnover, and nearly 20 per cent of officers that remain on leave or in administrative duties; 13 per cent of officers are in accommodated roles and six per cent are on leave.

McLellan said hopes to hire an additional 660 officers over the next four years.

According to Doug King, a justice studies professor at Mount-Royal University, growth in the city’s population and footprint have also contributed to a strain on the police service.

“The Calgary Police Service was required to take fewer officers for the last five years while the city of Calgary has exploded,” King said. “It’s going to put some stress on recruiting.  One of the challenges with hiring more officers is can you get enough applicants? But one problem at a time.”

The net budget for the Calgary Police Service is grew from $541 million to $613 million in 2026, and included funding to increase staffing to 3,209 uniformed members and 3,242 civilian members.

Calgary mayor Jeromy Farkas placed blame on the provincial government, after a significant clawback on photo radar enforcement last year.

“This is an issue the province could erase in a single instant,” Farkas said. “The fine revenue that they defunded our Calgary Police by, $28 million, that fine revenue would accommodate for at least 200 of the positions the chief is asking for without raising a single cent or a single dollar of taxes on Calgarians.”

Alberta’s Transportation Minister has long said the province has “no plans to expand photo radar beyond the current framework,” while continuing to support police led enforcement and “data driven safety solutions.”

According to the Calgary Police Commission, the province did approve the use of speed cameras in 11 locations across the city outside the mandated construction and school zones.

“We’ve put cameras back up,” said commission vice chair Kelly Ogle. “It’s a proactive approach and hopefully they’ll see our light.”

Aside from personnel, McLellan added there would also be a request for capital funding to modernize the service and catch up on maintenance deferrals and vehicle repairs.

Ward 5 Coun. Raj Dhaliwal, who chairs the Community Development Committee, said public safety was a big concern that councillors heard during the election campaign in October.

“Public safety, pedestrian safety, personal safety, and we will have an opportunity in November to put our money and send a strong message that the City of Calgary is a safe city and we as policy makers are serious about making sure that our residents feel safe,” he told reporters.

The next four-year budget will be released to the public in the fall.

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Calgarians will once again pay more on their property tax bills this year, however, the increase is mostly due to another provincial request for an increased share of property taxes from Calgary homeowners.

Calgary city council finalized the property tax increase Tuesday, which included an 8.1 per cent overall residential property tax increase, a combination of both the municipal and provincial portions.

The jump comes after city council whittled down the proposed property tax increase to 1.2 per cent for both residential and non-residential properties during budget deliberations last year.

However, the provincial portion of property taxes is increasing by 19.8 per cent for residential properties this year, and 8.8 per cent for non-residential properties.

“Our city council team did the hard work, we lived within our means, we spent responsibly,” Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas told reporters Tuesday.

“To see that massive increase in property taxes due to provincial government decisions is extremely jarring.”

For the typical single-family homeowner with a median assessment of $706,000, the changes result in a nine per cent property tax increase, or an additional $32.25 per month.

The changes will also mean an increase of four per cent for condo owners, which is an extra $7.41 per month for the typical residential condo assessed at $347,000.

The typical multi-residential property is set to see a 16.2 per cent hike this year, while the median assessed non-residential property will pay an extra 2.5 per cent in property taxes this year.

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In total, Calgary will remit over $1.2 billion in property taxes to the province after a $200 million increase to the education property tax requisition from the city in this year’s provincial budget.

According to the city, it’s the highest amount of any Alberta municipality classified as a city on a per capita basis.

“There was a loud cry for more teachers, more schools, more supports, which comes at a cost,” Ward 13 Coun. Dan McLean said. “I can’t support that but I know a lot of my residents wanted those things.”

The move means 42 cents of every dollar in property taxes collected in Calgary is sent to the provincial government, city officials said.

Farkas said he is looking for flexibility from the provincial government to allow Calgary to issue two property tax bills to reflect “which portion of the taxes are going where,” but the city must legally send just one bill to property owners.

However, Farkas noted he is hoping for more provincial funding given higher than budgeted oil prices, which is expected to generate additional revenue for the province this year.

“The provincial government indicated that the lack of support for municipalities and infrastructure time around was based on the lack of resource royalties,” Farkas said.

“We’re hoping now, based on what’s happening, that we’ll see a significant increase in infrastructure.”

According to a spokesperson for Alberta’s finance minister, higher oil prices can strengthen the province’s fiscal position and “hypothetically” help offset deficits.

However, the province said nothing in this year’s budget has been impacted by the current high oil prices.

“The higher oil prices, up until April 1, go toward offsetting the 2025-2026 deficit, not the current projected $9.4 billion deficit for Budget 2026,” read a statement from a provincial spokesperson.

“Even with the high price of oil over the last few weeks, fiscal year 2025-26 is still projecting a deficit due to sustained low oil prices over an entire fiscal. A few weeks of strong oil prices is not enough to offset an entire year.”

The statement added provincial officials look forward to seeing Farkas’ submission during the 2027 budget consultation period.

Other city councillors said they plan to keep an eye on the response from residents and businesses to the latest property tax increase.

“A lot of our established communities need paving on our roads, recreation centres, new playgrounds, those things all cost money,” Ward 4 Coun. DJ Kelly told reporters.

“Certainly if we don’t see Calgarians getting upset about the province increasing their property taxes, that maybe gives us a little bit of licence to do things a little bit faster than what we originally thought.”

According to the city, property tax bills will be mailed out in May and payments are due by June 30 for those who pay a lump sum once a year.

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A Calgary city councillor denies knowing why the RCMP seized his devices last week, but said he is cooperating fully with the investigation.

Ward 10 Coun. Andre Chabot told reporters Tuesday that he was “completely surprised” when RCMP officers executed a search warrant at his home on Thursday, which is believed to be connected to a corruption investigation first reported by CBC News.

“I have no idea what the investigation is about. I do know that I was asked to provide my devices for them to gather evidence. That’s about as much as I know,” Chabot said.

“I’m fully cooperating with the police. I’m hoping that somehow it will result in something that they can utilize, but at this point I have no idea what they’re investigating.”

Chabot said he was not questioned by police nor does he believe he is under investigation.

The representative for Ward 10 said he would’ve been “more than happy” to have given officers his phones had they asked.

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“This is a bit of a distraction, no question about it, but I’m fully complying,” Chabot said. “I have nothing to hide.”

Defence lawyer Alain Hepner confirmed he has been retained to represent Chabot, who reiterated his client has nothing to hide and is cooperating with police officials.

Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas said he is aware of the situation and that he has not been contacted by the police.

“Because this involves an ongoing investigation with potential legal implications, I have no further comment at this time,” he told reporters Tuesday.

When asked about the investigation, the Calgary Police Service confirmed it received a complaint that was referred to the RCMP in October 2025.

“To protect the integrity and confidentiality of the ongoing investigative process, no further details will be released at this time,” the police service said in a statement to Global News.

The complaint was referred to the RCMP’s Federal Policing Northwest Region, which confirmed the ongoing investigation “relating to a referral we received from Calgary Police Services in October 2025.”

“To protect the integrity of this ongoing investigation, we have no further comment at this time,” an RCMP spokesperson said in a statement.

More to come… 

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Alberta Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams is set to announce “next steps” in the province’s review of Calgary’s maligned water system on Friday.

Williams will be speaking to the media at the McDougall Centre at 11 a.m.

The news conference comes more than a month after the province requested thousands of documents from the city, following a second critical failure of the Bearspaw feeder main on Dec. 30.

Following that break, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said the province would look into whether or not more oversight is needed.

The City of Calgary had until Jan. 27 to provide all documentation.

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Since the break was repaired in mid-January, the city has embarked on an ambitious plan to replace a large section of the pipe, which Mayor Jeromy Farkas has deemed “critically ill.”

The project, along with other water infrastructure concerns, has city officials asking council for an extra $600 million injection of cash over the next two fiscal years.

“(I) really welcome that … really appreciative of the minister’s engagement,” Farkas told Global News on Friday morning.

“I think it’s appropriate for them to be checking our work, doing their own due diligence. What we’re seeing here in Calgary isn’t necessarily unique to our municipality.”

Farkas says other mayors from across the country have reached out to discuss the broader issues of infrastructure deficits and governance in the wake of Calgary’s crisis.

“I think we’re proving we can do here in Calgary what no other place can,” Farkas said, speaking of the expedited timeline for the replacement project.

On Monday, crews began critical repair work to several damaged sections of the existing pipe, resulting in stage four water restrictions across the city and surrounding communities.

In a letter to the city, Williams says while he recognizes city officials have taken “commendable steps” to review the circumstances leading to the first break of the pipe in June of 2024, he believes Calgarians and those living near the city have “valid concerns” the feeder main could rupture again.

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While there may only be a week left of official winter, Calgary is once again blanketed in snow. Flakes started falling overnight, making for a tricky commute Thursday morning,

According to the Calgary Police Service, there were 12 crashes between midnight and 8 a.m. Thursday, including three injury collisions. Meanwhile, RCMP are advising of winter driving conditions on highways north of the city.

Chris McGeachy with the City of Calgary says crews are out clearing major roads such as Crowchild and Glenmore Trails, as well as Memorial Drive.

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“We’re plowing through lanes and applying material to those routes,” says McGeachy. “We also have a number of hand crews out dealing with pedestrian infrastructure like LRT stations, pathways and pedestrian overpasses.”

City road crews work on rotating shifts into April, and McGeachy says they are monitoring the snowfall and, as long as temperatures stay below zero, they are responding in the same way as any other snow event throughout the winter.

“We’re just reminding people to drive to winter conditions,” says McGeachy. “Although the calendar may say we’re in spring, it is still winter unfortunately on the roads, so we just want to remind people to leave plenty of time to get to where you need to go.”

More snow is expected to fall throughout the day and into Friday.

As the City of Calgary deals with an alarming rate of serious collisions on its roads, experts and parents of students alike say they’re shocked by the behaviour of bystanders following a recent hit-and-run.

Just after 7 a.m. Tuesday, a youth was walking in a marked crosswalk in Calgary’s Taradale neighbourhood when they were struck by a white sedan, which then fled the scene.

Security video from a nearby home shows the boy writhing in pain on the ground, trying to crawl out of the roadway.

Police say the boy ended up in hospital with a broken leg.

Making matters worse, several vehicles drove right by the scene without rendering any help.

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Another pedestrian, who was down the block when the collision occurred, ran over to tend to the boy — more than 30 seconds after he was hit.

Davoud Fatmi is a parent who lives in the area and he’s known about the dangers of that intersection for a while now.

“Nobody stops,” Fatmi told Global News. “Even for kids who are passing from the road crosswalk, nobody stops there.”

We showed the video to another parent, Yasmin Pathan, to get her reaction.

“They should have stopped and help out this situation,” Pathan said.

“If it was my child in this situation… it’s very bad.”

One Calgary psychologist calls this “the bystander effect.”

“The more people that are around in this situation, the less people are likely to come to assistance,” explained Dr. Martina Kanciruk. “It’s kind of a diffusion of responsibility.”

While there’s an explanation for the behaviour, Kanciruk says it’s still concerning.

“You know, we really have to get into the mindset of assuming that nobody else will help… if we see something, we have to take action,” Kanciruk said.

“Even if you’re scared to pull over to help somebody, at least call 911. Somebody might be thinking, ‘The other person’s going to do it,’ and it could be how long before someone actually gets help.”

The Calgary Board of Education (CBE) confirmed the victim was a student at one of their schools who was on their way to a bus stop.

“We remain concerned with the safety of students as they make their way to and from school and continue to reinforce safety awareness to students,” the CBE said in a statement.

While the incident didn’t involve a student with the Calgary Catholic School Division (CCSD), officials also sent out their best wishes to the victim and their loved ones.

“The safety of children around schools is something we all share responsibility for,” the statement read.  “We encourage all drivers, cyclists and pedestrians to remain vigilant, especially in school zones and crosswalks where students and families travel each day.”

Police say they’re still looking for the suspect and are canvassing the area for witnesses or additional surveillance footage.

Kanciruk says the mental scars from an incident like this could linger long after broken bones are healed.

“I imagine there will be a lot of fear, a lot of hesitation to do things independently… a lot of distrust, not thinking they can rely on the adults around them to help them out.”

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As the City of Calgary gets set for another busy construction season, leaders are working out a series of approaches to help make that work more friendly for local businesses.

On Wednesday, city councillors debated the best way to move forward with large construction projects while supporting businesses affected by the work.

It comes as the city embarks on an ambitious project to replace a large section of the Bearspaw south feeder main in Calgary — work that would normally take up to four years, according to Mayor Jeromy Farkas, will be completed in just a year.

Previous water main breaks along that pipe, as well as the new construction project, have disrupted and even permanently displaced some local businesses.

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A report sent to the city’s Infrastructure and Planning Committee says the Business-Friendly Construction Policy “clarifies what Calgarians can expect from City-led construction projects,” setting clear objectives to guide how aspects like customer access are considered when construction projects are planned and put into action.

A one-time grant to support businesses in Marda Loop, named the Main Streets Business Support Grant, was piloted in 2024 to help those businesses prepare for construction disruptions — but the report found the program didn’t achieve its stated intent.

“Most businesses (71 per cent) self-reported using funds for general operating costs, while one-third used funds for intended business-led initiatives,” the report said.

However, any level of support comes with some risk.

“There is reputational risk that the Policy could create an unrealistic expectation that construction impacts can be fully avoided given construction inherently being disruptive,” the report outlined.

Calgary’s capital construction program includes $3.8 billion in projects in 2026.

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It’s been a Calgary staple for half a century — and for the first time, Sikome Aquatic Facility is getting a major facelift.

“Although Sikome opened to visitors in the late 1970s, it has not undergone major renovations since its initial construction,” Alberta Parks says on its website. “Parks Division plans to update Sikome Aquatic Facility to provide a modern ‘urban’ provincial park visitor experience.”

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The facility, located in Fish Creek Provincial Park, features a manmade beach, a concession stand, a beach shop, a playground and picnic spaces.

Work on the facility began on Dec. 8, 2025 and will upgrade two existing admissions booths, along with the concession and beach shop, and both change houses, and include the conversion of an existing building into a “Beach House” available for reservation.

“To avoid impacts to visitors, major construction activities will be scheduled while Sikome is closed to visitors,” Alberta Parks says. “However, select areas may be closed to visitors during the 2026 operating season on an as-needed basis to support minor construction activities.”

Parks anticipates the work will be complete sometime in the summer of 2026.

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