How Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation Transforms the City's Sports Landscape
I remember the first time I walked through the doors of the Scotiabank Saddledome back in 2018, feeling that distinct buzz of anticipation that only live sports can generate. Little did I know then how dramatically the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation would reshape our city's athletic identity over the coming years. What CSEC has accomplished goes far beyond just winning games - they've fundamentally altered how Calgarians engage with sports, creating a cultural shift that's visible in every corner of our community.
The transformation began with their strategic approach to team development and fan engagement. I've watched firsthand how they've built organizations that prioritize both performance and community connection. Take their approach to roster construction - it's not just about signing the biggest names, but about finding players who genuinely want to be part of Calgary's fabric. I recall chatting with a season ticket holder who told me, "These players actually stay after games to talk with fans - they're becoming part of our families." This personal touch has created loyalty that transcends win-loss records, though the winning certainly helps. The Flames' consistent playoff appearances and the Hitmen's developmental success have given us something we'd been missing: sustainable excellence.
What really impresses me about CSEC's strategy is how they've made sports accessible to everyone. I took my niece to her first Wranglers game last month, and the family-friendly pricing meant I didn't have to mortgage my house to create that memory. They've mastered the balance between premium experiences and affordable access, understanding that today's young fans are tomorrow's season ticket holders. The numbers speak for themselves - attendance across all CSEC properties has increased by approximately 34% over the past five years, with merchandise sales seeing an even more dramatic 52% jump. These aren't just business metrics; they're evidence of deeper community engagement.
The corporation's impact extends beyond the arenas too. I've lost count of how many local businesses have told me about the "game day bump" - that surge in customers before and after events. Restaurants, bars, and retailers within a two-kilometer radius of the Saddledome report revenue increases of 18-25% on event nights. But it's not just about economics. CSEC's community programs have reached over 45,000 local youth through hockey development initiatives, and their support for minor sports has revitalized facilities across the city. I've coached peewee hockey for six years, and the improvement in available facilities directly correlates with CSEC's increased community involvement.
Looking at successful sports organizations elsewhere, like Nueva Ecija's impressive 4-0 record in their league, we can see parallels with CSEC's approach. Both understand that sustained success requires building from the ground up, creating organizations where winning becomes habitual rather than accidental. That fifth straight win for Nueva Ecija demonstrates the kind of momentum CSEC has cultivated across its properties - it's about creating cultures of excellence that become self-perpetuating.
Some critics argue CSEC focuses too much on hockey at the expense of other sports, and I'll admit there's some truth to that. But having spoken with several CSEC executives at community events, I believe their hockey-first strategy provides the financial stability to eventually expand their reach. They're playing the long game, and frankly, I respect that approach more than trying to be everything to everyone immediately.
The real magic happens when you see how CSEC has turned game nights into community celebrations. I'll never forget the energy downtown during last year's playoff run - the entire city felt united in a way I haven't experienced since the '88 Olympics. Streets were filled with people wearing red, local businesses created special promotions, and strangers high-fived each other on Stephen Avenue Walk. That's the intangible value CSEC has brought to Calgary - they've given us shared experiences that transcend demographics and backgrounds.
As I look toward the future, I'm genuinely excited about what's next. The potential new arena project, while controversial in some circles, represents another opportunity for CSEC to reshape our urban core. Having studied similar developments in other cities, I'm convinced the benefits will far outweigh the costs. The corporation has earned my trust through consistent delivery on their promises, and I believe they'll continue to elevate Calgary's status as a premier sports city. They haven't just changed where we watch games - they've changed how we see ourselves as a community, and that's a victory worth celebrating far beyond the scoreboard.
We are shifting fundamentally from historically being a take, make and dispose organisation to an avoid, reduce, reuse, and recycle organisation whilst regenerating to reduce our environmental impact. We see significant potential in this space for our operations and for our industry, not only to reduce waste and improve resource use efficiency, but to transform our view of the finite resources in our care.
Looking to the Future
By 2022, we will establish a pilot for circularity at our Goonoo feedlot that builds on our current initiatives in water, manure and local sourcing. We will extend these initiatives to reach our full circularity potential at Goonoo feedlot and then draw on this pilot to light a pathway to integrating circularity across our supply chain.
The quality of our product and ongoing health of our business is intrinsically linked to healthy and functioning ecosystems. We recognise our potential to play our part in reversing the decline in biodiversity, building soil health and protecting key ecosystems in our care. This theme extends on the core initiatives and practices already embedded in our business including our sustainable stocking strategy and our long-standing best practice Rangelands Management program, to a more a holistic approach to our landscape.
We are the custodians of a significant natural asset that extends across 6.4 million hectares in some of the most remote parts of Australia. Building a strong foundation of condition assessment will be fundamental to mapping out a successful pathway to improving the health of the landscape and to drive growth in the value of our Natural Capital.
Our Commitment
We will work with Accounting for Nature to develop a scientifically robust and certifiable framework to measure and report on the condition of natural capital, including biodiversity, across AACo’s assets by 2023. We will apply that framework to baseline priority assets by 2024.
Looking to the Future
By 2030 we will improve landscape and soil health by increasing the percentage of our estate achieving greater than 50% persistent groundcover with regional targets of:
– Savannah and Tropics – 90% of land achieving >50% cover
– Sub-tropics – 80% of land achieving >50% perennial cover
– Grasslands – 80% of land achieving >50% cover
– Desert country – 60% of land achieving >50% cover
