Mayor pushes transparency on Cowboys Park sponsorship deal

Calgary's mayor says he wants to disclose details about the sponsorship deal that secured Cowboys Park's name, arguing the agreement between the city and Penny Lane Entertainment lacks proper transparency.

Jeromy Farkas told reporters Thursday he is bound by the 10-year agreement but wants to reveal the "lion's share" of it to the public, including the dollar amount involved. He called the existing confidentiality terms a "red flag."

"I hate this deal," Farkas said. "I believe that there should be more disclosure to Calgarians in terms of what the overall terms of the agreement were."

Penny Lane owner moved the Cowboys Music Festival to what was previously called Shaw Millennium Park last summer. This year's festival runs July 2 to 12 and brings thousands of concertgoers to the west end of downtown.

The park also houses Canada's largest outdoor skatepark. Local skaters were largely fenced out during last summer's festival setup, frustrating the community. This year, the city said it will keep the beginner bowl open during the festival with partial access to advanced bowls, reopening the full park as quickly as possible afterward.

Jasper Westbury, who works at nearby Ninetimes Skate Shop, said skaters lost access during prime summer months last year. "We're coming to terms with the new reality that the biggest skatepark in the city is going to be closed for arguably the most prime time," Westbury said. He called for better communication with skateboarders and for the park to be restored to pre-festival condition each year.

Farkas said he plans to push for more transparent partnerships moving forward.