Historic Calgary Soccer Facility Gets New Identity
Calgary's original indoor soccer centre has officially received a new name following the completion of a decade-long corporate sponsorship agreement between the City of Calgary and MaxWell Realty. The municipal recreation facility located in Foothills Industrial Park will now be known as the MaxWell Soccer Centre, with the naming rights arrangement set to continue until 2035.
Financial Boost for Aging Community Facility
According to Heather Johnson, the city's director of recreation and social programming, this corporate partnership will create an additional revenue stream specifically dedicated to maintaining the 34-year-old facility and supporting its daily operations. The soccer centre first opened its doors in 1991 and was initially managed by the Calgary Soccer Federation before coming under municipal control.
Johnson emphasized that despite the facility's age, it remains in excellent condition due to diligent maintenance. "The soccer centre, despite its age, is actually in quite good shape," she confirmed. "Our team that looks after the lifecycle and maintenance there has done a great job, so there's no major issues at the soccer centre."
Enhanced Experience for 300,000 Annual Visitors
The facility serves as a vital community hub, welcoming more than 300,000 visitors each year. While the name change represents the most visible alteration, Johnson assured users that their experience at the centre will remain fundamentally unchanged. The sponsorship funds will instead support smaller-scale improvements and regular upgrades that directly benefit players and leagues.
"What this investment from MaxWell will do is sort of the smaller-scale stuff — regular improvements that our teams, leagues and players want to see," Johnson explained, noting that these enhancements include scheduled turf replacements and other maintenance projects.
This marks the second corporate sponsorship for the facility, which previously operated as the Subway Soccer Centre between 2009 and 2013 before the city's recreation department assumed operational control. Following city policy regarding naming rights for municipal assets, the specific financial terms of the agreement with MaxWell Realty will remain confidential.
Bill Tarrabain, president of MaxWell Realty, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership in an official city news release. "Working alongside the City of Calgary allows us to invest in a place that builds community in the same way we strive to build trust with our clients, through honesty, integrity and genuine care," Tarrabain stated. "Together, we are ensuring this vibrant hub continues to be a place where people belong and where community spirit thrives."
The MaxWell Soccer Centre maintains its status as Alberta's largest indoor soccer venue, featuring four boarded soccer fields that resemble hockey rinks with green artificial Astro turf. The facility has undergone significant transformations over the years, including the replacement of its original air-supported "bubble" structure—which suffered repeated damage from heavy snowstorms in the late 2000s and early 2010s—with a permanent hard-structure annex building in 2014 that added four additional boarded fields.
