Sam Centre: Home to The Calgary Stampede Story | Culture + Entertainment District

The Culture + Entertainment District will be Calgary’s next great city neighbourhood, the next chapter in downtown life and an engine of development and tourism in a dynamic, evolving city.

With more than $600 million worth of city-building projects underway right now, The District is buzzing with excitement. One of these projects is Sam Centre, the newest addition to Youth Campus at Stampede Park. A project led by our partners at the Calgary Stampede, Sam Centre will bring the spirit of the historic Calgary Stampede to life, year-round. We caught up with Angie Gélinas, Director of Stampede Campus to learn more about the project and what Sam has in store for The District when it opens in 2024.

What is Sam Centre?

Sam Centre is home to Calgary’s Stampede Story. Guests to Sam will explore the stories of the people and cultures who have helped shape the Stampede, while also making and sharing their own stories along the way. Sam will be a one-of-a-kind place animated by captivating exhibits, facilitated programs, vibrant learning spaces and compelling storytelling, all brought to life through the knowledge, warmth and hospitality of the volunteers and employees at Sam.

What is the status of Sam Centre currently?

Sam Centre construction is progressing quickly. The foundation piling was started in October 2022 with the concrete foundation fully poured by February 2023. April saw the completion of the installation of all underground plumbing and electrical, and the beginning of the Glulam and steel structure installation, which was later completed in June. Exterior wall framing, roof deck installation and hard landscaping were completed in July. By the end of August 2023, we will reach our next big construction milestone – a fully weathertight building

How will Sam Centre tell the Stampede story? What can Calgarians and tourists expect when they visit?

Sam Centre will share the Stampede Story through multiple mediums: exhibits, an immersive digital experience, personally facilitated moments and an artifact and archival collection space. Sam will be the place where everyone – locals, tourists, and school groups – will make connections through relevant and relatable exhibitions that tell the stories of the people who have left their mark on the Stampede, Calgary and southern Alberta

Scown Gallery north view rendering courtesy of GSM Project

Ross Glen Gallery

An active space for story-making, the Ross Glen Gallery is an open and welcoming space that features multiple new exhibits and experiences annually. Each experience will invite guests to explore the stories of Stampede with more depth, using artifacts, immersive art, or a tactile maker space, and whenever possible, co-creating with the community. Each exhibit will be a unique experience that will foster story-sharing, creating deeper connections.

Scown Gallery

Through perspectives and stories spanning a century, the Scown Gallery immerses you in the question of how the Stampede has remained at the heart of Calgary’s identity for over 130 years and counting, while asking guests to question where we might go from here as the Stampede and as a community. Your journey of exploration includes behind-the-scenes vignettes, tactile hands-on moments, inspiring artifacts, and participatory moments that will tap into your own creativity, perspectives, opinions and memories to deepen your experience.

Significant moments in Scown include a look at the roots of western hospitality, anchored by the iconic pancake breakfast. We will explore Stampede style and how it’s about putting your personal stamp on a shared tradition. We will explore how the things we see and experience at Stampede reflect the real lifeways of many people in southern Alberta. Iconic artifacts and powerful images will anchor us into the ideas and origins of the Stampede, including the importance and history of Elbow River Camp. Plus, we’ll look at some of the bold moves made by the Stampede to bring the world to Calgary and showcase Calgary to the world. Throughout this journey, guests will explore the idea that, at its core, the Stampede’s contemporary and historic place in our community is as a point of connection and community spirit.

Stampede Experience

Experience The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth like never before! Twelve minutes of heart stopping, boot stomping, adrenaline rushing excitement. A chance to feel the Stampede like never before, immersed in a 270-degree space with haptic floors and life-size images. The sounds of laughter, music, moos and neighs, auctioneering, thumping hooves and rising cheers surround you and take you to an unforgettable journey of community building, personal achievement and tradition. Stories emerge and history is made present, showcasing extraordinary peoples, displaying skill and dedication, while honouring perseverance and resilience.

What are the design influences of Sam and what is its connection to the Youth Campus?

Sam Centre will be the front porch to Stampede Park with a design aesthetic that is steeped in history with a modern touch. The main inspiration for Sam came first from the beautiful and historic ranch houses that dot the prairies and secondly from the old Stampede post office – more recently known as the fudge shop in Weadickville – with long eaves and an inviting veranda, featuring lots of wood. Today, these elements help us minimize the environmental footprint of the building. The building is using Glulam – glue laminated wood – in place of structural steel, which has more embodied carbon, while the long eaves help regulate temperature while leaning less on mechanical systems. Altogether, Sam is a modern building that reflects our commitment to storytelling, an homage to the western aesthetic and our environmental responsibility.

Why is a space like this important to The Culture + Entertainment District?

The Calgary Stampede and Stampede Park have always been a community gathering place. Alongside the expanded BMO Centre and the other exceptional venues on Stampede Park, Sam Centre is adding another year-round opportunity for community members and guests from around Calgary and the world to connect with and experience the Stampede and Calgary. The sense of community spirit and the spirit of gathering that we strive to share here is right at home in Calgary’s emerging Culture + Entertainment District.

What is the significance of the Stampede’s history to Calgary, and how does Sam contribute to the larger cultural scene in Calgary?

Since the first Calgary Exhibition back in 1886, the stories of the Stampede and Calgary have been inextricably linked. As the city has grown and changed, so too has the Stampede – ever evolving and adapting right alongside, infusing our city with a unique community spirit each summer, and helping put the city on the map internationally. At Sam, we have the chance to dive into the complexities of this shared history and engage in conversation about where we might go from here. It will be an intimate look at Calgary’s Stampede story. In true Stampede fashion, the conversation will take place in layers of immersive, people-driven experiences that activate, engage and inspire us. The Stampede firmly believes there is a place in our city’s cultural fabric to both examine and share our Stampede spirit year-round.

The community came out in droves to the Dominion Exhibition in 1908. Photo Courtesy of Calgary Stampede Collection & Archives.

What does it mean for the Calgary Stampede to have a place like Sam Centre to tell the Stampede story year-round?

Sam is a welcoming and inviting space that offers the same Stampede spirit in a quieter and more reflective atmosphere. Sam is a space for the Stampede to pause, take a long look at the Stampede story, and invite the community to share in that deeper look. That’s a powerful space for an organization with the depth and breadth that we have. By inviting our community to join the conversation and help us make new stories and share experiences together, visitors will experience the connection behind the Stampede brand and its deep connection to Calgary and southern Alberta.

When will Calgarians and visitors get to experience Sam Centre for themselves?

The Sam Centre is set to open Spring 2024!

Angie Gélinas, Full Bio

Angie Gélinas brings over three decades of experience in the non-profit cultural sector. Her journey has spanned theatre production, arts spaces creation and public policy development. She has offered consultation to a range of organizations, from the City of Calgary Heritage Branch and Calgary Economic Development to the Canada Council for the Arts, Theatre Calgary, Calgary Opera, One Yellow Rabbit and more. Throughout her career, Angie has taken on various roles, from a stage manager to a CEO, always with a focus on supporting and enriching the community through arts development and participation.

Currently, Angie leads the establishment of the Calgary Stampede Foundation’s new year-round attraction – the Sam Centre. Angie's past roles include managing Regina’s Globe Theatre, London’s Grand Theatre and Nova Scotia’s Atlantic Theatre Festival. Prior to her time in Calgary, she was also Deputy Minister of Saskatchewan Culture, Youth, and Recreation.

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