Calgary’s $500-million BMO Centre expansion project officially opened its doors Wednesday in advance of a global event.

The 565,000-square-foot expansion took decades to plan and four years to complete. Located on the Calgary Stampede grounds, BMO Centre now ranks as Canada’s largest convention facility, comprising more than one million sf.

“The BMO Centre expansion was built for Calgary and southern Alberta, with the vision of creating a world-class facility both in terms of design and the ability to provide exceptional guest experiences through our signature western hospitality,”: said Joe Cowley, CEO of the Calgary Stampede. “With the interest we’ve seen from the meetings and conventions industry before the doors have even opened, we know that this facility is going to have a positive impact on Calgary’s economy by bolstering the tourism and hospitality sectors.”

The expanded centre’s first event, the Global Energy Show, will be held from June 11-13.

“We built this for our future, and we look forward to realizing the success of the expansion in the decades to come,” said Cowley.

The project was completed on time and on budget, said Kate Thompson, when she handed over the BMO Centre’s keys to the Stampede board earlier this year.

The Stampede board manages and operates the facility on behalf of the city.

The federal, provincial and municipal governments funded the project equally. The building as designed by leading design team Stantec, Populous and S2.

A public tour of the facility and free pancake breakfast will be held Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Image: Calgary Municipal Land Corporation