All I’m hearing from co-workers based in Calgary is that with the drop in oil prices their housing bubble has burst, layoffs are happening like crazy and the economy is in a general free-fall. Perfect time for a new stadium! “A field house has been needed in Calgary for decades, said Calgary Multisport Fieldhouse Society chair Jason Zaran, noting King’s proposal made sense. “It’s amazing how many people still don’t know what a field house is or why it’s important. Calgary is probably the only remaining city of its size in Canada that doesn’t have one,” he said. A field house is a big asset that’s long been missing in Calgary, said Cindy Ady, chief executive at Tourism Calgary.” OK, so WTF is a Field House? Basically an indoor sporting facility, multiple venues and activities. Not a bad idea actually when you can expect snow on the ground for 6 months of the year. So I’m guessing that in addition to the hockey and football stadiums there will be things like indoor soccer pitches, basketball courts, racket sports, workout machines, etc. that will be publicly accessible. McMahon is wholly inadeuqate, the Saddledome is aging, small, and took a big hit from the flood, and public athletic facilities are always a good idea for health and recreation. But the whole Alberta economy is oil-dependent… Calgary moreso than the rest of the province (Fort Mac excepted). So… Nenshi is right. Where’s the money going to come from? “CalgaryNEXT is a bold new vision for Calgary. The question is simple, ‘Is this good for Calgary and is this good for Calgarians?’” said Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corp. president and CEO Ken King. “If we can come to an affirmative answer, what we will do is get to the starting line of a very difficult, very arduous process, to bring this home and to bring it to fruition.”