{{Short description|Building in Alberta, Canada}} {{redirect|Shaw Conference Centre|other uses|Shaw Centre (disambiguation)}} {{Use Canadian English|date=January 2026}} {{Infobox venue | name = Edmonton Convention Centre | native_name = | native_name_lang = | former_names = Shaw Conference Centre (1997–2018) | logo_image = | logo_size = | logo_alt = | image = ecc-logo.svg | image_size = 250px | image_alt = | image_caption = | coordinates = {{coord|53|32|29.15|N|113|29|10.07|W|type:landmark_region:CA-AB|display=inline,title}}
| address = 9797 Jasper Avenue<br />[[Edmonton, Alberta]]<br />T5J 1N9 | owner = City of Edmonton | opened = June 22, 1983<ref name="openingdate">{{cite web|url=https://www.edmontonconventioncentre.com/40-years-of-creating-memories/|title=40 years of creating memories|website=Edmonton Convention Centre|date=22 June 2023 |accessdate=2024-06-08|archive-date=2024-06-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240608233826/https://www.edmontonconventioncentre.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ECC_FacilityServicesGuide_040324.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> | expanded = 2006 | cost = {{CAD|81.8 million|link=yes}}<ref name="shawreport">{{cite web |url=http://www.canada.com/story.html?id=9f335107-0733-46c6-b509-9f51d8663d7b |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130628202133/http://www.canada.com/story.html?id=9f335107-0733-46c6-b509-9f51d8663d7b |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 28, 2013 |title=Shaw centre needs to grow or lose out: report |date=February 7, 2011 |work=Edmonton Journal |publisher=Postmedia Network |access-date=April 26, 2013 }}</ref><br>(${{formatprice|{{Inflation|CA|81800000|1983}}}} in {{Inflation-year|CA}} dollars{{inflation-fn|CA}}) | public_transit = {{rint|edmonton|ets}} {{rint|light rail|1}}{{rint|edmonton|capital}}{{rint|edmonton|metro}} [[Central station (Edmonton)|Central station]] | website = {{URL|https://www.edmontonconventioncentre.com/}} }}
The '''Edmonton Convention Centre''' ('''ECC''', known as the '''Shaw Conference Centre''' from 1997 to 2018), is a meeting, entertainment, and [[convention centre|convention]] venue located in [[Edmonton, Alberta]], Canada. Opened in 1983, it is managed by [[Edmonton Economic Development Corporation|Explore Edmonton]], the [[destination marketing organization]] of the city of Edmonton.
It is located on [[Jasper Avenue]] and built into a hill, emerging onto Grierson Hill Road and into the [[Louise McKinney Riverfront Park]]. The riverside site allows for approximately 70 per cent of the building space to be located underground, burrowed into the cliff face, concealing the fact that the building is over 10 stories high.
The venue has {{convert|144406|sqft|m2|abbr=on}} of exhibition space, including four exhibition halls, 20 meeting rooms, and a ballroom.<ref name="shawreport"/><ref>{{cite web|title=Facility Services Guide|url=https://www.edmontonconventioncentre.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ECC_FacilityServicesGuide_31.03.2025.pdf|website=Edmonton Convention Centre|accessdate=2026-05-24|archive-date=2026-05-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260525003701/https://www.edmontonconventioncentre.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ECC_FacilityServicesGuide_31.03.2025.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> It is reported by EEDC that the ECC boosts Edmonton's economy by an estimated $44 million a year.<ref>Page 23 of “Forward” Edmonton Economic Development's 2008 Annual Report {{cite web |url=http://www.edmonton.com/files/Annual_Report_2008.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2010-04-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100208013104/http://edmonton.com/files/Annual_Report_2008.pdf |archive-date=2010-02-08 }}</ref>{{Update inline|date=September 2025|reason=Statistic provided in the reference is from 2008.}}
==History== Plans for a city owned trade and convention centre, originally combined with sports (arena, stadium) facilities, had been considered for a number of years. A plebiscite asking if the city should spend $14 million (${{Inflation|CA|14|1963|r=0|fmt=c}} million today) on land and construction of a downtown sports and convention complex was [[Edmonton municipal election, 1963#Plebiscites|rejected by voters in 1963]]. Edmonton citizens voted in favour of a $23 million proposal (${{Inflation|CA|23|1968|r=0|fmt=c}} million today) in the [[Edmonton municipal election, 1968#Convention and Sports Complex|1968 Convention and Sports Complex plebiscite]], but voted against the revised $34 million (${{Inflation|CA|34|1970|r=0|fmt=c}} million today) funding request in the [[Edmonton municipal by-election, 1970#Plebiscites|1970 Omniplex project plebiscite]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://citymuseumedmonton.ca/2015/01/26/retrofuture-edmontons-omniplex-part-1/ |title=Retrofutures: Edmonton's Omniplex |author=Dr. Russell Cobb |publisher=Edmonton Heritage Council |date=2015-01-26 |access-date=2017-05-18}}</ref> The area on Grierson Hill where the centre now resides had a coal mine operation from 1892 to 1893, one of a number along the banks of the [[North Saskatchewan River]] near the turn of the century.<ref>Small mine in operation 1892 - 1893 (Real Estate & Housing, pg 12, 1978)</ref>
While voters had rejected the funding for the project, a municipal bylaw allowing the city to build was still on the books. The scope of the project was reduced when the [[Northlands Coliseum]] ice hockey arena opened in 1974, followed by the [[Commonwealth Stadium (Edmonton)|Commonwealth Stadium]] football facility in 1978. [[Edmonton City Council]] received support from the electorate to move forward with a more focused trade and convention centre in a special [[Edmonton municipal plebiscite, 1979|plebiscite in 1979]]. James Wensley was awarded the Alberta Association of Architects Citation in 1983 for his work on the facility.
In 1997, the facility was renamed the Shaw Conference Centre under a 20-year [[naming rights]] deal with [[Shaw Communications]]. The facility was renamed '''Edmonton Convention Centre''' in 2019 following the expiration of Shaw's naming rights.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/shaw-conference-centre-edmonton-alberta-1.4948903|title=New name announced for Shaw Conference Centre|date=2018-12-17|website=CBC Edmonton|access-date=2024-06-08|archive-date=2018-12-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181218123501/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/shaw-conference-centre-edmonton-alberta-1.4948903|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Naming rights on downtown Edmonton convention centre up for grabs|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/4182991/naming-rights-shaw-conference-centre-edmonton-available/|last=Wong|first=Julia|date=2 May 2018|access-date=3 May 2018|publisher=Global News}}</ref>
In 1998, the facility added the Riverview Room. In 2006, the facility expanded with a new exhibit hall, Hall D.<ref name="openingdate"/>
On August 29, 2017, Edmonton's city council approved a plan for the Edmonton Economic Development Corporation (EEDC, now Explore Edmonton) to take ownership of the [[Edmonton Expo Centre]] from [[Northlands (organization)|Northlands]], effective January 1, 2018, as a condition of relieving debt owed to the city over its renovations.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/northlands-expo-centre-shaw-centre-consolidation-1.4267894|title=Council approves merging Edmonton Expo Centre with Shaw Conference Centre|work=CBC News|access-date=2017-08-31|language=en}}</ref>
In June 2019, it was announced that the ECC's glass atrium would be fitted with transparent [[solar panel]]s as part of a $10.8 million project. The renovation was stated to be the largest building-integrated array of solar panels in the country, and it was estimated that the panels would produce 227,000 kilowatt hours of [[solar energy]] per-year.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Largest 'building-integrated' solar cell installation in country coming to Edmonton Convention Centre|url=https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/largest-solar-cell-installation-in-country-coming-to-edmonton-convention-centre|access-date=2020-06-25|website=Edmonton Journal|language=en-CA}}</ref> Installation was formally completed in June 2020; as an artistic component, the south roof was inscribed with the text of the poem "Gift of a river" by [[E. D. Blodgett]], rendered in [[morse code]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Rosove|first=Jay|date=2020-06-08|title=Edmonton Convention Centre's new power generating roof features poetic nod to the river valley|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/edmonton/article/edmonton-convention-centres-new-power-generating-roof-features-poetic-nod-to-the-river-valley/|access-date=2020-06-25|website=CTV News Edmonton|language=en}}</ref>
==Location== [[File:Shaw-Conference-Centre-Edmonton-Alberta-Canada-02B.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Edmonton Convention Centre on the North Saskatchewan River valley]]
The Edmonton Convention Centre is located on Jasper Avenue and 97th street in [[Downtown Edmonton]] and can be seen in the city's skyline. The Jasper Avenue entrance opens onto the centre's glass atrium, which in turn serves as the entrance to the multiple conference levels.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.edmonton.ca/attractions_recreation/parks_rivervalley/parks-healthy-by-nature.aspx |title=Parks :: City of Edmonton |access-date=2010-04-27 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100922053902/http://edmonton.ca/attractions_recreation/parks_rivervalley/parks-healthy-by-nature.aspx |archive-date=2010-09-22 }}</ref>
The long outer walls on the centre's assembly and meeting levels offer a view of the [[North Saskatchewan River valley parks system]]; a view which stretches from the downtown core to the north campus of the [[University of Alberta]].
The centre is linked via pedway to Edmonton's [[Canada Place (Edmonton)|Canada Place]], which is the main property for federal government offices in Edmonton. Canada Place is linked, in turn, to many other buildings by way of Edmonton's [[Edmonton Pedway|pedway system]], including, the [[Citadel Theatre]], the [[Westin Hotel]], the [[Edmonton City Hall|City Hall]], the [[Sandman Hotels|Sandman Signature Edmonton Downtown Hotel]], and the [[Edmonton City Centre]] mall.
==Function== The facility has been used for corporate functions, banquets, conventions, as well as entertainment events such as concerts.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://edmontonjournal.com/business/local-business/paula-simons-tale-of-two-convention-centres-needs-a-smarter-ending|title=Edmonton needs one plan, one vision, for its two convention centres.|work=Edmonton Journal|last=Simons|first=Paula|date=2017-04-08|language=en|access-date=2019-03-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://edmontonjournal.com/business/commercial-real-estate/are-you-shaw-citys-convention-centre-might-be-in-for-a-new-name|title=Shaw Conference Centre might be in for a new name|work=Edmonton Journal|first=Juris|last=Graney|date=2018-04-30|language=en|access-date=2019-03-16}}</ref>
Edmonton's [[anime convention]] [[Animethon]] moved to the Edmonton Convention Centre in 2018, replacing the [[MacEwan University]] City Centre Campus.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/animethon-kicks-off-its-25th-year-starting-friday|title=Animethon kicks off its 25th year starting Friday|date=2018-08-07|work=Edmonton Journal|access-date=2018-08-28|language=en-US}}</ref>
===Notable concerts=== [[Amon Amarth]] performed at the Edmonton Convention Centre on September 30, 2019, as part of their ''[[Berserker (Amon Amarth album)|Berserker]]'' tour. This show gained notoriety when, after Amon Amarth finished their set, an unidentified man stabbed a concertgoer, a 34-year old David Cox, who was involved in altercation and stabbed, and then died while hospitalized.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/man-stabbed-after-attending-amon-amarth-concert-in-edmonton/|title = Man Stabbed After Attending AMON AMARTH Concert in Edmonton|date = October 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/man-charged-in-fatal-stabbing-after-amon-amarth-concert-in-edmonton/|title=Man Charged in Fatal Stabbing After AMON AMARTH Concert in Edmonton|date=2 October 2019}}</ref>
==Notes== {{Reflist|2}}
==External links== * {{Official website}}
{{Edmonton landmarks}} {{Authority control}}
[[Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1983]] [[Category:Mixed martial arts venues in Canada]] [[Category:Convention centres in Canada]] [[Category:Music venues in Edmonton]] [[Category:Tourist attractions in Edmonton]] [[Category:1983 establishments in Alberta]]