Edmonton Convention Centre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Edmonton Convention Centre |
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| Address | 9797 Jasper Avenue Edmonton, Alberta T5J 1N9 |
| Coordinates | 53°32′29″N 113°29′9″W / 53.54139°N 113.48583°W |
| Owner | City of Edmonton |
| Opened | 1983 |
| Expanded | 2006 |
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Construction cost
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CA$81.8 million ($199 million in 2021 dollars ) |
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Former names
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Shaw Conference Centre (1998–2018) |
| Enclosed space | |
| • Total space | 144,406 sq ft (13,415.8 m2) |
| Public transit access |     Central station |
The Edmonton Convention Centre (ECC) is a large building in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It's a popular spot for meetings, fun events, and big gatherings called conventions. It used to be known as the Shaw Conference Centre.
This cool building opened in 1983. It is managed by Explore Edmonton, a group owned by the City of Edmonton. The ECC helps Edmonton's economy by about $44 million each year!
The centre is built right into a hill near Jasper Avenue. About 70 percent of the building is underground. This unique design makes it seem smaller than it is, even though it's over 10 stories tall!
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Discover the History of the ECC
Plans for a big convention centre in Edmonton started many years ago. People in Edmonton voted on different ideas for the centre. In 1979, citizens finally agreed to move forward with building a trade and convention centre.
The area where the centre now stands has an interesting past. From 1892 to 1893, there was a coal mine here. It was one of many mines along the North Saskatchewan River at that time.
How the Centre Got Its Name
In 1998, the centre changed its name to the Shaw Conference Centre. This happened because of a 20-year agreement with a company called Shaw Communications. When that agreement ended, the building went back to its original name, the Edmonton Convention Centre, in 2019.
Cool Solar Panels on the Roof
In 2019, the ECC started a big project to add transparent solar panels to its glass roof. This $10.8 million project made the ECC home to the largest set of building-integrated solar panels in Canada!
These special panels help create clean solar energy. They are expected to produce 227,000 kilowatt hours of electricity every year. The project was finished in June 2020. As an artistic touch, the south roof has a poem called "Gift of a river" written in morse code.
Where is the Edmonton Convention Centre?
The Edmonton Convention Centre is located in Downtown Edmonton, on Jasper Avenue and 97th Street. You can easily spot it in the city's skyline. The main entrance on Jasper Avenue leads into a large glass atrium. This atrium is like a grand hallway that connects to all the different levels of the centre.
From many parts of the centre, you can enjoy amazing views. The long walls on the meeting levels look out over the beautiful North Saskatchewan River valley parks system. You can see all the way from downtown to the University of Alberta campus.
Connected to the City
The centre is also connected to other buildings by special walkways called pedways. One pedway links the ECC to Canada Place, which holds federal government offices. From Canada Place, you can use the pedway system to reach many other places. These include the Citadel Theatre, the Westin Hotel, City Hall, the Sutton Place Hotel, and the Edmonton City Centre mall.
What Happens at the ECC?
The Edmonton Convention Centre is a busy place! It hosts many different kinds of events. You might find:
- Company meetings and parties
- Big banquets (fancy dinners)
- Conventions (where people with similar interests gather)
- Fun entertainment events like concerts
For example, the popular anime convention Animethon moved to the Edmonton Convention Centre in 2018.
Concerts at the ECC
The ECC is especially known for hosting electronic dance music (EDM) concerts. Famous DJs like Tiesto have performed there.
The band Amon Amarth also played at the Edmonton Convention Centre on September 30, 2019. This was part of their Berserker tour.
