The GamePLAN strategy document is ready!

Following public and partner contributions and feedback over the past two years, we are pleased to share GamePLAN, the first system-wide vision and strategy for public recreation in Calgary.


The vision

Calgary is where people of all backgrounds play, connect and create. Public recreation is a collection of active, affordable and safe spaces that breathe life into our city.


The principles

  • Level the playing field
    • GamePLAN seeks to remove barriers to participation, especially for children and youth.

  • It takes a team
    • GamePLAN leverages a network of service providers, programmers, facilities and amenities aimed at continuing Calgary’s legacy as one of the most livable cities in the world.

  • Change the game
    • GamePLAN challenges historical definitions of recreation and promotes new ways of thinking about the role of public recreation in civic life.


Service level scenarios

GamePLAN presents three service level scenarios for Council’s consideration with a recommendation to establish Making Waves as the standard for public recreation facilities and amenities. Service level scenarios focus on four key amenity types: aquatics and fitness, arenas, athletic parks and fieldhouses.

A table summarizing the service level scenarios outlined in GamePLAN.

Next steps

On Feb. 6, 2025, the Community Development Committee (CDC) voted 7-0 to recommend the Making Waves scenario to Council for approval on Feb. 25, 2025.

Council's decision will determine service levels for four key amenity types to help inform an Implementation Plan and Capital Project Prioritization List to guide the next 25 years of public recreation service in Calgary. The decision will set the direction for future budget cycles, beginning in 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • GamePLAN is a system-wide approach to improving access to public recreation. It is both a vision and a strategic framework to safeguard the long-term viability of these important public services.
  • As a core principle, GamePLAN seeks to ‘Change the game’. This principle introduces approaches to improve existing practices and services and identifies areas to adapt and grow services that better respond to changes in how people recreate. This includes a commitment to improving access by planning for infrastructure to accommodate our growing population and introducing new programming to respond to public interest and demand.
  • Between November 2022 and February 2024, GamePLAN surveyed more than 6,000 members of the public about their perceptions of, experiences with and desires for the public recreation system in Calgary. Interviews, workshops and surveys with community and operating partners were also conducted resulting in over 6,500 total touchpoints.
  • Scenarios have been developed to allow Council to select a service level for Calgary for the next 25 years. The recommended scenario (Making Waves) will increase the availability of swim lessons by 40 per cent per capita.
  • GamePlan focuses on four amenity types that support a range of activities. New and renovated facilities will be future-focused and adaptable to changing demand. Spaces will be designed to be flexible to accommodate multiple sport and recreation uses, including evolving and emerging sport requirements.
  • Facilities in the private recreation sector receive neither public land, capital nor operating funds and are reliant on membership fees, which can be prohibitive for some. Private providers typically cater to more niche or ‘boutique’ fitness and wellness while public recreation strives to be more broadly accessible.
  • If approved by Council, GamePLAN will require a robust implementation plan to help realize the vision and fulfill commitments to Calgarians. A prioritized infrastructure investment plan will be developed for the chosen service level and to identify funding opportunities.
  • If Council selects either the Staying Afloat or Making Waves scenario, there will be between 10 and 13 indoor field facilities in Calgary by 2049. This represents 75 and 95 percent achievement of the service standard (one facility per 150,000 residents) for these facility types, respectively. If Going Under is selected, the number of fieldhouses would remain the same as the population continues to grow, bringing service levels down over time.
  • The indoor field spaces proposed as part of GamePLAN should not be confused with the Foothills Multisport Fieldhouse, which includes multiple amenities, including competition capable track and field, gymnasia, indoor fields and ancillary services. The Foothills Multisport Fieldhouse remains a top priority to provide training and competition space in Calgary.
  • GamePLAN acknowledges the sustainability of the sector is a joint effort between governments. It seeks to establish a dedicated and stable funding model and plan for working with other orders of government to build crucial community amenities.
  • Off-site levies (a charge paid by developers when building a new community) provide partial funding for the construction of new aquatic and fitness facilities in these areas. However, there is currently no sustained funding source to locate and construct new arenas, athletic parks or fieldhouses in these communities.
  • Without sustainable investment, Calgary will face a rapid decline in public recreation services. Aging facilities will close without the ability to add or replace service elsewhere, leaving many people without access to sport, recreation and community.
  • Calgary is already feeling the consequences of not addressing issues with the public recreation system. Several facilities have already closed in recent years while minor sport organizations are being forced to cap registration. Aging facilities, rising costs and growing demand are putting pressure on services that connect our communities and enhance quality of life.
  • Public recreation shapes neighborhood choices, supports employee attraction and retention, drives investment and diversifies the economy. In 2016, in Calgary, spending on amateur sport alone directly contributed over one billion dollars into the local economy and supported more than 15,000 jobs.
  • Investment in public recreation by provincial and federal governments has ebbed and flowed over the past half a century. Long periods without investment in new facilities has created infrastructure gaps in Calgary. Calgary’s unprecedented growth and the age of existing facilities calls for action now.
  • With Council’s direction, Administration will develop an Implementation Plan for the chosen service level, including a Capital Project Prioritization List, and a funding strategy that encompasses all funding sources, including government grants, municipal taxes, debt, private investments, sponsorships and other available financing tools to ensure the burden isn't fully on municipal taxes.
  • While we don't have plans at this time to replace the velodrome, we are committed to working with our recreation partners to understand their needs as part of a holistic approach to the public recreation sector.
  • GamePLAN has a current focus on four major facility types, but it is a living document that will expand to include other facility and amenity types as the Implementation and Capital Prioritization Plan is developed.
  • Administration is working collaboratively to provide recreational opportunities that can co-exist with Water functions to maximize the use of available land while still preserving the safety and security of our water treatment and supply systems.
  • Old, smaller single-use recreation facilities can be up to four times more expensive to operate per square foot than larger facilities.
  • Future aquatic facilities will be designed to be more efficient, usually including a lane pool, teach pool and leisure pool in a way that allows multiple activities to be taking place simultaneously in the same facility. This means that swim clubs, lane swimmers, swim lessons, and families can all utilize a single facility in a way that is not possible with older, single-use facilities.
  • In the same vein, some smaller arenas will be replaced with larger, multi-ice-sheet arenas which are more cost-effective, efficient and versatile. Multi-sheet arenas can accommodate more users simultaneously, which helps meet the high demand for ice time, while being better suited for programming, hosting tournaments and serving a broader range of activities and community needs.
  • Any new facilities built will be scaled appropriately for the community and consider public feedback to ensure the design meets the needs of those it serves.
  • GamePLAN is designed to ensure that public recreation services are inclusive, accessible and sustainable, particularly in inner-city areas. The strategy includes analyzing recreation gaps and overlaps to ensure that inner-city areas have adequate facilities and amenities. This may involve upgrading existing facilities or developing new ones to meet the needs of inner-city residents.
  • The development of Community Programming Plans will create and promote opportunities tailored to underserved communities, including those in the inner city. These plans will be developed in consultation with community partners to ensure they meet the specific needs of inner-city residents.
  • Currently, approximately 81% of Calgarians live within 5km of an aquatic facility. In the Going Under scenario, that reduces to 65%. In the Making Waves scenario, that will increase to 86%.
  • Community associations provide an essential service, providing localized recreation programming specific to the areas in which they are located. We do not have any plans to reclaim partner sites currently leased to community associations.
  • We want to emphasize our commitment to working together with community associations and social recreation organizations as integral parts of the public recreation system. Over the past two years, the GamePLAN team met with 36 community partners representing Community Associations and Social Recreation Organizations.
  • We recognize that delivering public recreation services requires a team effort and we have heard from our community partners that collaboration is essential.
  • On page 32 of the GamePLAN report, under the principle “It Takes a Team”, we state that one of our actions is to “Extend City programming to non-city facilities (i.e., community associations).”
  • We also detail the results of our Community Partner Survey on page 103 of the GamePLAN report.