Canada Olympic Park (COP), formerly known as Paskapoo Ski Hill, is a ski hill and multi-purpose training and competition facility located in

Calgary Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, maki ...

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest T ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

, owned and operated by

WinSport The Calgary Olympic Development Association (CODA), operating as WinSport, is a non-profit organization based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada whose mandate is to provide training and development to Canada's Olympic athletes, and to maintain the facili ...

. It is currently used both for high performance athletic training and for recreational purposes by the general public. Canada Olympic Park was one of the venues for the

1988 Winter Olympics The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games (french: XVes Jeux olympiques d'hiver) and commonly known as Calgary 1988 ( bla, Mohkínsstsisi 1988; sto, Wîchîspa Oyade 1988 or ; cr, Otôskwanihk 1998/; srs, Guts� ...

, being the primary venue for

ski jumping Ski jumping is a winter sport in which competitors aim to achieve the farthest jump after sliding down on their skis from a specially designed curved ramp. Along with jump length, competitor's aerial style and other factors also affect the fina ...

bobsleigh Bobsleigh or bobsled is a team winter sport that involves making timed runs down narrow, twisting, banked, iced tracks in a gravity-powered sleigh. International bobsleigh competitions are governed by the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Fede ...

, and

luge A luge is a small one- or two-person sled on which one sleds supine (face up) and feet-first. A luger steers by using the calf muscles to flex the sled's runners or by exerting opposite shoulder pressure to the seat. Racing sleds weigh for ...

. The park is located in western Calgary, south of the

Trans-Canada Highway The Trans-Canada Highway (Canadian French, French: ; abbreviated as the TCH or T-Can) is a transcontinental federal–provincial highway system that travels through all ten provinces of Canada, from the Pacific Ocean on the west coast to the A ...

, north of the community of Cougar Ridge and west of Bowness.

1988 Winter Olympics

The

ski resort A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports. In Europe, most ski resorts are towns or villages in or adjacent to a ski area – a mountainous area with pistes (ski trails) and a ski lift system. In Nort ...

is one of the best-known legacies of the

XV Olympic Winter Games The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games (french: XVes Jeux olympiques d'hiver) and commonly known as Calgary 1988 ( bla, Mohkínsstsisi 1988; sto, Wîchîspa Oyade 1988 or ; cr, Otôskwanihk 1998/; srs, Guts� ...

which were held in Calgary in 1988. It was the main venue for

(both at the now bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track),

nordic combined Nordic combined is a winter sport in which athletes compete in cross-country skiing and ski jumping. The Nordic combined at the Winter Olympics has been held since the first ever Winter Olympics in 1924, while the FIS Nordic Combined World Cup ...

freestyle skiing Freestyle skiing is a skiing discipline comprising aerials, moguls, cross, half-pipe, slopestyle and big air as part of the Winter Olympics. It can consist of a skier performing aerial flips and spins and can include skiers sliding rails an ...

(aerials and ballet).

Activities and facilities

In the winter, the park is also used for winter activities including

downhill skiing Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the pastime of sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis with fixed-heel bindings, unlike other types of skiing ( cross-country, Telemark, or ski jumping), which use skis with free-heel bindings. Whether ...

snowboarding Snowboarding is a recreational and competitive activity that involves descending a snow-covered surface while standing on a snowboard that is almost always attached to a rider's feet. It features in the Winter Olympic Games and Winter Paralympic ...

cross-country skiing Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing where skiers rely on their own locomotion to move across snow-covered terrain, rather than using ski lifts or other forms of assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreatio ...

and

. In the summer, the park is used for warm-weather activities including

mountain biking Mountain biking is a sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, usually using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and pe ...

, summer festivals, ski jumping training, zip-lining and summer camps. The park also has a number of indoor facilities which are operated year-round, including arenas, fitness centres, and an indoor ice track.

Skiing and Snowboarding

Canada Olympic Park is a popular place for people looking to go

skiing Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee ( ...

without driving out to the mountains. The hill is divided into three sections, the downhill racing section, the casual section and the

terrain park A terrain park or snow park is an outdoor recreation area containing terrain that allows skiers, snowboarders and snowbikers to perform tricks. Terrain parks have their roots in skateparks and many of the features are common to both. From thei ...

. The terrain park is of exceptional quality, and as of 2006, the

halfpipe A half-pipe is a structure used in gravity extreme sports such as snowboarding, skateboarding, skiing, freestyle BMX, skating, and scooter riding. Overview The structure resembles a cross-section of a swimming pool, essentially two concave ...

has been enlarged to be an exact replica of the halfpipe that was used for the

2010 Winter Olympics )'' , nations = 82 , athletes = 2,626 , events = 86 in 7 sports (15 disciplines) , opening = February 12, 2010 , closing = February 28, 2010 , opened_by = Governor General Michaëlle Jean , cauldron = Catriona Le May DoanNancy Greene Wayne G ...

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. ...

. Other features of the terrain park include spines,

handrail A handrail is a rail that is designed to be grasped by the hand so as to provide safety or support. In Britain, handrails are referred to as banisters. Handrails are usually used to provide support for body or to hold clothings in a bathroom o ...

, and tables. There are currently six lifts that are being used on a regular basis, two four-passenger detachable high-speed

chairlift An elevated passenger ropeway, or chairlift, is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a continuously circulating steel wire rope loop strung between two end terminals and usually over intermediate towers, carrying a series of chairs. Th ...

, one four person fixed grip quad, and four Magic Carpets. There is also a single chair that provides access to one of the smaller ski jumps, and a double chair (which has been removed), that takes people from the base area to near the base of the 90 m ski jump tower.

Snowmaking

Canada Olympic Park relies almost exclusively on man made snow to create skiable terrain. Snowmaking usually begins in early December and depending on weather conditions usually ends in early February. The hill has an arsenal of snowmaking equipment including automated SMI PoleCat fan guns, 'Mckinney' stick guns, and a handful of aging SMI Highland fan guns. An onsight pump station provides high pressure water and air to hydrants located around the hill. When pumping at capacity the park consumes roughly 850,000 L/hr of water.

Ski jumping facility

Winsport also operates a ski jumping facility on the east side of the Canada Olympic Park campus. The facility has six jumps ranging in size from K4 to K95. Of the six jumps at Canada Olympic park three are used year-round (the K18, K38, and K63). The K4 and the K89 jumps are used exclusively in the summer months. The largest jump, the K95 is no longer used for ski jumping and serves exclusively as a party venue. Collectively the facility sees on average 28,000 jumps each year. The majority of which are in the summer months. The Ski Jump venue is home of the Altius Nordic SC club.

Mountain Biking

In the summer Canada Olympic Park is open for the sport of mountain biking. The high-speed chairlift is used with bike racks on the chairs. There are numerous trails on the hill's west side, complete with north shore ladder stunts and singletrack trails. The east trees just contain regular trails, with minimal stunts and jumps. COP is also outfitted with a downhill course that holds competitions through the summer. The trails are designed for all riding abilities. Canada Olympic Park also has a large dirt jump park and trials park. Summer sports camps run all summer with activities ranging from luge to ski jumping.

WinSport Arenas

In 2011, WinSport opened its ice facility that houses four ice rinks (an international ice size arena seating 3,000, three NHL-size rinks (the Joan Snyder arena, Arena C & the visitcalgary.com arena). The arenas have been used for curling, figure skating, power skating (for long and short track speed skating), ringette, and hockey. Also, the arena has hosted concerts, shows, and other sporting events. During the summer of 2013,

Hockey Canada Hockey Canada (which merged with the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association in 1994) is the national governing body of ice hockey and ice sledge hockey in Canada. It is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation and controls the majority ...

held its Olympic orientation camp for prospective Canadian NHL athletes heading to the XXII Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. Due to injury concerns and insurance disputes, drills and scrimmage sessions were held off ice in a "street hockey/ball hockey" format.

Markin MacPhail Centre

In 2014, WinSport completed the Markin MacPhail Centre. The centre is named after its benefactors Allan Markin and Keith MacPhail. The high-performance centre was designed as a training hub for Canadian athletes who have reached a provincial level of excellence. The center includes the ice arenas, a gymnasium, medical center for treatment and recovery, and an office tower whose residences include the National Sport School as well as several national sport federations.

Canada's Sports Hall of Fame

In October 28, 2008, Calgary was chosen, among nine Canadian cities, to permanently host

Canada's Sports Hall of Fame Canada's Sports Hall of Fame (french: Panthéon des sports canadiens; sometimes referred to as the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame) is a Canadian sports hall of fame and museum in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Dedicated to the history of sports in Canada ...

(CSHOF). The foundation and construction of the new facility was laid on donated land by the former Calgary Olympic Development Association (CODA), now called the Canadian Winter Sport Institute or WinSport Canada. The cost of the project was C$50 million (about C$30 million was used to build the venue; another C$20 million for operating costs, through an

endowment fund A financial endowment is a legal structure for managing, and in many cases indefinitely perpetuating, a pool of financial, real estate, or other investments for a specific purpose according to the will of its founders and donors. Endowments are of ...

). It was opened to the general public on July 1, 2011, to coincide with the

Canada Day Canada Day (french: Fête du Canada), formerly known as Dominion Day (french: Fête du Dominion), is the national day of Canada. A federal statutory holiday, it celebrates the anniversary of Canadian Confederation which occurred on July 1, 18 ...

festivities. The former ''Olympic Museum and Hall of Fame'' location was turned into a training site for athletes, making it (OMHoF) redundant and the CSHOF the only sports-related museum there.

Expansion plans

On June 11, 2012, City Hall councillors voted against WinSport Canada's multimillion-dollar proposal to have some land at COP's base made into a "sprawling retail centre" by a vote of 9–5. However, WinSport has an option of redeveloping the land into smaller projects, over time, which can be "sustainable."

References

External links

WinSport Website

Canada's Sports Hall of Fame Website
{{Olympic venues in ski jumping Parks in Calgary Sports venues in Calgary Venues of the 1988 Winter Olympics Mountain biking venues in Canada Ski areas and resorts in Alberta Ski jumping venues in Canada Olympic freestyle skiing venues Olympic Nordic combined venues Olympic ski jumping venues Olympic Parks