Unlocking a New Way into The C+E

There’s a new entrance into the heart of The Culture + Entertainment District and it’s a game-changer in terms of how you get in and out of this part of the city. What once felt very much like an island, isolated from the rest of downtown, is now well on its way to being fully integrated into the area, bringing the vibrancy of Beltline and 17th Avenue directly into the centre of The District.

New pedestrian crossing and Victoria Park/Stampede Train Station access at 17th Avenue and Macleod Trail SE

New crossing at 17th Avenue and MacLeod Trail SE, looking towards Stampede Park

17th Avenue once came to a hard stop at Macleod Trail forcing those who wanted to go to the Stampede or an event at the Saddledome to go up the spiral staircase and across the +15 over Macleod Trail. But now, for the first time in 40 years, pedestrians and cyclists can cross directly into Stampede Park as part of the 17th Avenue Extension and LRT station project, a critical connection unlocking everything on the east side of Macleod Trail to the rest of the city. This pedestrian crossing is the first of many milestones for this project that will eventually see 17th Avenue extend not only for pedestrians and cyclists, but also for vehicles, winding around the future BMO Centre expansion and connecting to The C+E’s future festival street, Stampede Trail.

Along with pedestrians and cyclists now being able to access the district at street level at this key intersection, there are two new barrier-free access points to the LRT station. All of these changes have been made with the intention to improve accessibility and expand access to Stampede Park reshaping the way Calgarians and visitors experience The C+E beyond event days and festivals.  

The intersection of 17th Avenue and Macleod Trail SE has a long history as a significant corridor in the city dating back to 1883 when 17th Avenue was established as a boundary between Calgary and Rouleauville, a French Canadian settlement that is now the community of Mission. Originally named Drinkwater Street, Macleod Trail was established in 1884 and went through a few name changes, 2nd Street SE and Stampede Way, before settling on the name we use today, which acknowledges that the road leads south to Fort Macleod. It also served as the main entrance gate to Stampede Park from 1908 to 1980 when the intersection closed to make way for the C-Train station that is currently in use.

This post-1950 oblique aerial photograph includes the block that was demolished to create the transit terminal in 1974. The gate appears at the SE corner of 17 Avenue and Macleod Trail. To the left, across 17 Avenue from the gate, from right to left: 1510 Macleod Trail SE (Glover residence); 1508 Macleod Trail SE (Freedman residence); 1504 Macleod Trail SE. NA-2864-???

"Gate to exhibition grounds, Calgary, Alberta.", (CU1117995) by . Courtesy of Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections, University of Calgary

"Calgary Exhibition and Stampede parade on 17th Avenue and 2nd Street SE, Calgary, Alberta.", (CU180872) by . Courtesy of Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections, University of Calgary.

This image shows the intersection during the first Stampede in 1912. The photographer is looking northwest. Victoria Methodist Church at the centre of the phonograph stood at the NW corner of 17 Avenue and 2 Street East (now Macleod Trail). Part of the gate structure is visible on the right side of the image.

The wide north-south street that begins in the right foreground and continues toward the top right corner of the photograph is 2 Street East, now known asMacleod Trail. The buildings at the north end of the bridge are the streetcar barns.

The first transit station at this juncture was built in 1974 as a surface-level bus and taxi terminal. Almost 100 years after this important connection was established, it was closed to make way for the expansion of the Stampede and a new station which would accommodate the new light rail transit system.

Stampede Station, which later became Victoria Park/Stampede, was built in 1980-81 for a cost of $2.2-million. It was designed to serve as the new entry point into Stampede Park and included features such as a wide centre platform and covered upper level plaza to accommodate large crowds. Prior to the station opening was the last time that Calgarians were able to walk straight into the district, until now.

The extension of 17th Avenue is integral to linking The C+E to neighbouring communities such as the Beltline and 17th Avenue SW, East Village, and Inglewood. This vital connection point will transform the way that Calgarians experience and enjoy all that the district has to offer.

Further connecting the rest of downtown to the district will unfold over many chapters. A future 5th Street Underpass will connect the district to its East Village neighbours and Calgary’s soon to be expanded LRT system, the Green Line will feature a station on 11th Avenue providing yet another easy and affordable access point to the district for residents and visitors.

Rendering of critical connection project, the 17th Avenue SE Extension and Victoria Park/Stampede Station Crossing. This infrastructure project involves the extension of 17th Avenue SE into Stampede Park to forge a pedestrian and vehicular link that will increase connectivity in and out of the district.

Initial work began on the extension and station overhaul in Spring 2020 with construction kicking off in July 2021. The new LRT station is scheduled for completion in 2023 while the 17th Avenue extension will be completed in coordination with the BMO Centre expansion, both of which will wrap up in 2024.

This is the first step, among many, that will allow us to become Calgary’s gathering place and destination, a neighbourhood of belonging and celebration for all.