City plan calls for $250M boost to Calgary’s recreation funding

A city committee says if action isn't taken to improve Calgary's recreation areas, many will be unusable in the next 10 years.

A city council committee will discuss the future of public recreation in Calgary on Thursday and how much funding should go towards it.

The Community Development Committee will review GamePLAN: Reimagining Public Recreation, a document outlining what will happen to rec centres in the near future.

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The city says it’s at a critical crossroads when it comes to public recreation, with surging demand and aging infrastructure threatening many facilities across the city.

More than 70 per cent of public recreation facilities in Calgary were built over 35 years ago.

The city says these facilities are nearing the end of their life and are costly to maintain and operate.

GamePLAN calls for a big boost in funding or paints a stark picture of what will happen if council can’t find the money.

According to the plan, if no investment is made, the city will lose 11 pools, half its swim lessons and half its ice sheets in the coming decades.

It also provides a solution, which is what it calls the “Making Waves” service level.

Making Waves requires council to invest $200 to $250 million a year in public recreation.

The plan says this would allow for 40 per cent more swim lessons, 25 per cent more ice sheets and service that match the growth of the city.

GamePLAN also gives a “Staying Afloat” level of service that comes with a price tag of $100 to $150 million a year.

“We need to provide a quality of life for Calgarians and citizens. We need to ensure Calgary is a place people want to move to and live, work and play,” said Ward 7 Coun. Terry Wong, who is a member of the committee.

“So I would say the question of investment is second to the quality of life and our responsibility to provide amenities to communities.”

Which plan the city decides to follow will ultimately be up to the next council.

Thursday’s meeting is a vote to get the city to start working on a list of projects, service plans and budgets.

It will then come back to council in early 2026.

A full copy of GamePLAN can be found here.