Edmonton Convention Centre
Edmonton Convention Centre | |
---|---|
Address | 9797 Jasper Avenue Edmonton, Alberta T5J 1N9 |
Coordinates | 53°32′29″N 113°29′9″W / 53.54139°N 113.48583°W |
Owner | City of Edmonton |
Opened | 1983 |
Expanded | 2006 |
Construction cost | CA$81.8 million[1] ($199 million in 2021 dollars[2]) |
Former names | Shaw Conference Centre (1998–2018) |
Enclosed space | |
• Total space | 144,406 sq ft (13,415.8 m2) |
Public transit access | Central station |
Website | |
www |
The Edmonton Convention Centre (ECC, formerly the Shaw Conference Centre), is a meeting, entertainment, and
It is located on Jasper Avenue and built into a hill, emerging onto Grierson Hill Road and into the Louise McKinney Riverfront Park. The riverside site allows for approximately 70 per cent of the building space to be located underground, burrowed into the cliff face, concealing the fact that the building is over 10 stories high.
It is reported by EEDC that the ECC boosts Edmonton's economy by an estimated $44 million a year.[3]
History
Plans for a city owned trade and convention centre, originally combined with sports (arena, stadium) facilities, had been considered for a number of years. A plebiscite asking if the city should spend $14 million ($123 million today) on land and construction of a downtown sports and convention complex was
While voters had rejected the funding for the project, a municipal bylaw allowing the city to build was still on the books. The scope of the project was reduced when the
In 1998, the facility was renamed the Shaw Conference Centre under a 20-year naming rights deal with Shaw Communications. The facility was renamed Edmonton Convention Centre in 2019 following the expiration of Shaw's naming rights.[6][7]
On August 29, 2017, Edmonton's city council approved a plan for the Edmonton Economic Development Corporation (EEDC, now Explore Edmonton) to take ownership of the Edmonton Expo Centre from Northlands, effective January 1, 2018, as a condition of relieving debt owed to the city over its renovations.[8]
In June 2019, it was announced that the ECC's glass atrium would be fitted with transparent solar panels as part of a $10.8 million project. The renovation was stated to be the largest building-integrated array of solar panels in the country, and it was estimated that the panels would produce 227,000 kilowatt hours of solar energy per-year.[9] Installation was formally completed in June 2020; as an artistic component, the south roof was inscribed with the text of the poem "Gift of a river" by E. D. Blodgett, rendered in morse code.[10]
Location
The Edmonton Convention Centre is located on Jasper Avenue and 97th street in Downtown Edmonton and can be seen in the city's skyline. The Jasper Avenue entrance opens onto the centre's glass atrium, which in turn serves as the entrance to the multiple conference levels.[11]
The long outer walls on the centre's assembly and meeting levels offer a view of the North Saskatchewan River valley parks system; a view which stretches from the downtown core to the north campus of the University of Alberta. The centre is linked via pedway to Edmonton's
Function
The facility has been used for corporate functions, banquets, conventions, as well as entertainment events such as concerts.[12][13]
Edmonton's
Notable concerts
The ECC has been particularly known for hosting
Amon Amarth performed at the Edmonton Convention Centre on September 30, 2019, as part of their Berserker tour. This show gained notoriety when, after Amon Amarth finished their set, an unidentified man stabbed a concertgoer, a 34-year old David Cox, who was involved in altercation and stabbed, and then died while hospitalized.[17][18]
Notes
- ^ "Shaw centre needs to grow or lose out: report". Edmonton Journal. Postmedia Network. February 7, 2011. Archived from the original on June 28, 2013. Retrieved April 26, 2013.
- ^ 1688 to 1923: Geloso, Vincent, A Price Index for Canada, 1688 to 1850 (December 6, 2016). Afterwards, Canadian inflation numbers based on Statistics Canada tables 18-10-0005-01 (formerly CANSIM 326-0021) "Consumer Price Index, annual average, not seasonally adjusted". Statistics Canada. Retrieved April 17, 2021. and table 18-10-0004-13 "Consumer Price Index by product group, monthly, percentage change, not seasonally adjusted, Canada, provinces, Whitehorse, Yellowknife and Iqaluit". Statistics Canada. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
- ^ Page 23 of “Forward” Edmonton Economic Development's 2008 Annual Report "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-02-08. Retrieved 2010-04-26.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Dr. Russell Cobb (2015-01-26). "Retrofutures: Edmonton's Omniplex". Edmonton Heritage Council. Retrieved 2017-05-18.
- ^ Small mine in operation 1892 - 1893 (Real Estate & Housing, pg 12, 1978)
- ^ Romero, Diego (2018-12-17). "Shaw Conference Centre to be renamed in 2019". Edmonton. Retrieved 2018-12-17.
- ^ Wong, Julia (2 May 2018). "Naming rights on downtown Edmonton convention centre up for grabs". Global News. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
- ^ "Council approves merging Edmonton Expo Centre with Shaw Conference Centre". CBC News. Retrieved 2017-08-31.
- ^ "Largest 'building-integrated' solar cell installation in country coming to Edmonton Convention Centre". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved 2020-06-25.
- ^ Rosove, Jay (2020-06-08). "Edmonton Convention Centre's new power generating roof features poetic nod to the river valley". CTV News Edmonton. Retrieved 2020-06-25.
- ^ "Parks :: City of Edmonton". Archived from the original on 2010-09-22. Retrieved 2010-04-27.
- ^ Simons, Paula (2017-04-08). "Edmonton needs one plan, one vision, for its two convention centres". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved 2019-03-16.
- ^ Graney, Juris (2018-04-30). "Shaw Conference Centre might be in for a new name". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved 2019-03-16.
- ^ "Animethon kicks off its 25th year starting Friday". Edmonton Journal. 2018-08-07. Retrieved 2018-08-28.
- ^ Staples, David (2012-01-27). "Rave On, Edmonton (even if I'm too old to join the fun)!". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved 2019-03-16.
- ^ O'Connor, Colin. "DJ Tiesto headlines the big electronic dance party at Edmonton's Shaw Conference Centre on New Year's Eve". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved 2019-03-16.
- ^ "Man Stabbed After Attending AMON AMARTH Concert in Edmonton". October 2019.
- ^ "Man Charged in Fatal Stabbing After AMON AMARTH Concert in Edmonton". 2 October 2019.