PRESS RELEASE:

EDMONTON, ALBERTA — September 2026 — Edmonton has an opportunity to transform the former Edmonton Coliseum into one of the most versatile indoor sports and event facilities in Western Canada — while creating new opportunities for women’s soccer, university athletics, amateur sports, community organizations and major ticketed events.

The proposed Reworked Exhibition Lands Development Plan, available through SaveTheColiseum.ca, presents a vision for reusing the Coliseum as a major multi-purpose facility rather than proceeding with its demolition.

The concept includes the potential development of a Northeast Edmonton Coliseum Soccer Super Dome, providing a large-scale indoor environment capable of supporting soccer and a variety of other sports and activities throughout the year.

The facility could potentially accommodate soccer, football, rugby and golf, creating a year-round indoor sports destination for Edmonton and the surrounding region.

A New Opportunity for Women’s Soccer

The timing could be particularly important for the growth of women’s soccer in Edmonton.

The Northern Super League (NSL) has established professional women’s soccer in Canada and continues to demonstrate the growing demand for a stronger women’s soccer infrastructure. The league currently has clubs in six Canadian cities, with Winnipeg recently announced as its seventh franchise for 2027.

Edmonton has an opportunity to position itself for the next stage of that growth.

A restored and reconfigured Coliseum could provide the type of large, centrally located indoor facility capable of supporting professional, university, amateur and youth soccer — while also providing space for tournaments, training, community programs and special events.

The proposal also recognizes the importance of supporting the University of Alberta Pandas Women’s Soccer program and other Edmonton-area women’s and youth sports organizations.

The Pandas already represent one of Alberta’s prominent university athletic programs, and improved access to major indoor facilities could create additional opportunities for athletes to train, compete and develop throughout the year.

Support for a Broader Edmonton Sports Community

The proposed Coliseum sports concept is not intended to benefit only one sport.

A properly designed indoor facility could support multiple sports and organizations, including:

• Soccer and professional women’s soccer

• University and collegiate athletics

• Football

• Rugby

• Indoor golf and golf-related programming

• Youth and amateur sports

• Training camps and tournaments

• Community sporting events

• Major ticketed sporting events

• Concerts, entertainment and other large-scale events

This multi-use approach could make the Coliseum substantially more valuable than a single-purpose sports facility.

Turning Major Events into Revenue for Sport

One of the most important aspects of the proposal is the potential for the Coliseum itself to generate revenue.

Major ticketed indoor sporting events, concerts, tournaments and other large-scale events could be hosted within the existing Coliseum structure.

Revenue generated through these events could help support participating organizations, athletic programs, community initiatives and sports development.

Instead of simply treating the Coliseum as an obsolete building requiring demolition, Edmonton could treat it as an income-producing public asset capable of supporting the very organizations and activities that Edmonton wants to attract.

A Vision Supported by Community Leadership

Councillor Thu Parmar, who represents Edmonton’s Ward sipiwiyiniwak, has also expressed support for the growth of women’s professional soccer in Edmonton and the pursuit of a future Northern Super League franchise.

That broader vision aligns with the opportunity presented by the Coliseum.

Rather than Edmonton having to build entirely new indoor sports infrastructure somewhere else, the Coliseum and Exhibition Lands could become the foundation for a major sports, entertainment and community destination.

The proposed Northeast Edmonton Coliseum Soccer Super Dome could become one component of that larger vision.

Reuse the Asset Edmonton Already Owns

The fundamental question is whether Edmonton should continue moving toward demolition of a major existing public building or investigate how that building can be reused to serve the city’s future needs.

The Coliseum already has substantial floor area, transportation connections, surrounding infrastructure and a history of hosting major sporting and entertainment events.

The Reworked Exhibition Lands Development Plan demonstrates how the site could potentially be integrated into a broader redevelopment strategy while preserving the Coliseum as an important component of Edmonton’s future.

The plan can be reviewed by visiting SaveTheColiseum.ca and selecting “Layout” from the website menu.

Edmonton Should Think Bigger

Edmonton does not need to choose between redevelopment of the Exhibition Lands and preservation of the Coliseum.

The two can be part of the same vision.

A reused Coliseum could provide indoor sports facilities, professional and university athletics, youth programming, community activities, golf, football, rugby, major ticketed events and new opportunities for women’s soccer — all while contributing to the economic activity of the Exhibition Lands.

The opportunity is to turn an existing public asset into a year-round sports and entertainment destination rather than removing it and starting again from the ground up.

The Coliseum should not be viewed simply as a building from Edmonton’s past. It could become part of Edmonton’s next generation of sports, entertainment and community infrastructure.

Save the Coliseum. Reuse the asset. Build Edmonton’s next great indoor sports destination.