Today, City Council approved the Making Waves scenario from GamePLAN, marking a significant step forward in reimagining Calgary’s public recreation system.

GamePLAN, a city-wide vision and strategic framework, addresses challenges for the public recreation system posed by Calgary’s aging recreation facilities, rising operational costs and growing population. With most of Calgary’s public recreation facilities being over 35 years old, the need for sustainable investment has never been more critical.

“Today’s decision by Council is a commitment to improving quality of life for all Calgarians,” says Councillor Mian. “By adopting the Making Waves scenario, we will not only catch up from years of underinvestment, but we will also ensure our public recreation system remains sustainable, inclusive and effective for the next 25 years and beyond.”

The Making Waves scenario aims to meet the needs of Calgary’s rapidly growing population by renewing and expanding public recreation services. It will increase the availability of swimming lessons by 40% per capita, bookable hours at ice sheets by 25%, bookable hours at indoor fields by 2.5x and ensure that 86% of Calgarians live within 5km of an aquatic facility.

“Council’s decision has set the service level standard for public recreation in Calgary,” says Heather Johnson, Director of Recreation & Social Programs. ”It’s a service standard that says: We want every child to learn how to swim, we want every kid to play the sport they love, we want newcomers to have spaces to join in community and we want seniors to feel connected.”

GamePLAN focuses on four key amenity types: aquatics and fitness, arenas, athletic parks and indoor fields, known as fieldhouses. The initiative will guide service decisions, inform policy, strengthen partnerships and introduce innovative approaches to improve access and outcomes for the community.

The Making Waves scenario requires an annual investment of $200M to $250M and sets the direction for future budget cycles. Administration will now develop an Implementation Plan, including a Capital Project Prioritization List and a funding strategy to ensure the burden isn’t fully on municipal taxes.

For more information about GamePLAN and the Making Waves scenario, please visit calgary.ca/GamePLAN.