Federal government pledges $40 million to Contemporary Calgary's transformation

The federal government announced a $40-million contribution Friday toward the final phase of Contemporary Calgary's transformation of the Centennial Planetarium.

The investment funds the third and final phase of the $160-million project. Combined with $40 million from the provincial government earlier this year, plus city and private funding, the project is now fully financed. Construction on the final phase begins fall 2027 and is expected to wrap up by summer or fall 2030.

Phase three will add a new entrance pavilion, education and gallery wing, expanded event spaces, a new public park, and—most notably—transform the building's iconic dome into Canada's first LED dome. The first two phases, completed before Contemporary Calgary moved in during 2020, included necessary structural upgrades after the building sat empty for nearly a decade, plus renovations to gallery and theatre spaces.

David Leinster, CEO of Contemporary Calgary, emphasized that every phase has prioritized revealing and honouring the building's original architecture. "Our entire philosophy is about revealing the original architecture and finding where it has been covered up through different iterations over the past 59 years," he said.

The Centennial Planetarium first opened on Canada Day in 1967 and later housed the Calgary Science Centre from 1984 to 2011.