Alberta's Showcase

Today it features:

• A fully operational ski hill with snowboarding half-pipe
• 1.47 kilometres of bobsleigh/luge/skeleton track
• An ice house for training
• Three ski-jumps, including 70-m and 90-m towers
• Cross-country ski trails, mountain-bike trails and challenge courses
• A day lodge, a teahouse and the Olympic Museum
• Home to the National Sports School and the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame and Museum

Located on the western outskirts of Calgary along the Trans-Canada Highway, COP is operated by WinSport Canada, which administers the $100 million in legacy funds left to Canadian athletes following the ’88 Games.

COP is currently undergoing a major expansion. Among its planned projects are the addition of:

• An international-size ice surface with seating for 3,000
• Three North American-size ice surfaces each with seating for 400
• A high-performance training facility with running tracks, skating simulators, shooting galleries, power lifting, underwater treadmills for rehabilitation, and much more
• A public fitness and training centre and a concession area
• A five-storey office tower and a conference and meeting centre
• A victory plaza - a large open space for celebrations and gatherings

Leading up to the 2010 Games, the Canada Olympic Park will host three World Cup events:

• Luge  November - 1-22, 2009
• Freestyle skiing - January 8-10, 2010
• Snowboard - January 29-30, 2010

This beautiful legacy facility is used year-round by high-performance athletes. The centre is also well used by the community; an estimated 200,000 people ski, hike or cycle at the centre every year.

Challenging and well-designed, the centre was recently upgraded by the Province of Alberta. Current facilities include:

• More than 70 km of trails
• Team, wax and medical rooms
• A media centre, restaurant and day lodge
• The Bill Warren Training Centre
• Nearby training sites and facilities at the Haig Glacier/Becky Scott High-Performance Training Centre

The centre also has a back-up site (Mount Shark trails) and a standing race committee (made up of members of the Canmore Nordic Ski Club), which assists in organizing and staging competitive events of all levels.

In the weeks leading up to the 2010 Games, the Canmore Nordic Centre will host the FIS Cross-Country Skiing World Cup from February 4-7, 2010.

Located at the University of Calgary in northwest Calgary, the oval is a multi-purpose facility that serves high-performance athletes in speed skating, short track speed skating, track & field and hockey. Its facilities include:

• Three ice surfaces: a 400-metre oval track; two international-size rinks, one mainly for short track speed skating and the other for men’s and women’s hockey programs
• A high-performance weight room
• A skate shop
• Two 450-m running lanes
• Eight-lane 155-m sprint track
• A long jump pit

Leading up to the 2010 Games, the Olympic Oval will host ISU Speed Skating World Cup from December 4-6, 2009.

Located roughly 60 kilometres west of the town of Banff in Banff National Park, Lake Louise is renowned for its “champagne” powder, a fine, dry velvety snow that can be navigated with ease. It has 139 named runs and 1,680 skiable hectares of terrain that includes powder, bowls, trees and long, long groomed runs. With an annual snowfall of 360 cm a year, Lake Louise delivers exciting conditions from the end of November to mid-May every year.

Not just for experts, Lake Louise offers skiing for all ages and abilities. An estimated 500,000 skiers take in the resorts runs and views every year; with its 12 lifts, the resort can move up to 7,000 an hour.

In the weeks leading up to the 2010 Games, the Olympic Oval will host two World Cup events:

• Men’s Alpine skiing - November 28-29, 2009
• Ladies Alpine skiing - December 4-6, 2009