Countdown to Completion: BMO Centre Expansion, PCL Construction & M3 Development Management
As the dramatically expanded BMO Centre stampedes toward its grand opening, we’re showcasing compelling aspects of the building’s architecture, design and construction—and the fantastic teams working together to deliver Western Canada’s largest, newest convention venue.
In this feature, we highlight two companies playing significant roles in the BMO Centre expansion: project manager M3 Development Management and construction manager PCL Construction. Both have been intimately and extensively involved in bringing the project to its substantial completion—on time and on budget—since well before the project broke ground in April 2021.
“PCL Construction and M3 Development Management understood the vision that CMLC and the Calgary Stampede have for Calgary’s emerging Culture + Entertainment District. They understood the importance of this building in a larger context—a piece in a much larger puzzle that will ultimately elevate—dramatically—Calgary’s stature as a world-class destination,” says Kelly Coles, CMLC’s Vice President, Building & Infrastructure.
Kerri Souriol, Calgary Stampede’s Director of Park Development, agrees. “Both companies were chosen for their extensive experience with large-scale infrastructure development. Each brought a clear understanding of—and a sincere commitment to the vision for this city-changing project.”
M3 Development Management • The expansion’s project manager
Responsible for the overarching project management of the BMO Centre expansion, Calgary-based M3 has decades of experience in large-scale development and construction and understands the complexities of managing a project of this size.
“Collaboration is paramount at M3,” says Nichola Sinclair-Foreman, Project Director with M3. “We work closely with our partners at CMLC, the Calgary Stampede, Stantec, Populous, S2 and PCL on every aspect of this project.” For M3, the team is everything: “If you work well together, collaboratively, you’re going to find the best solutions, and the best way to move forward, as efficiently as possible.”
M3's collaborative approach proved invaluable during the initial stages of the BMO Centre expansion project when the COVID pandemic emerged. “When the project commenced in 2019, we established all of our necessary project protocols. We were gathering momentum when, early in 2020, the pandemic began and everything had to change. Through extensive collaboration and coordination among all project members, we successfully adapted and adjusted to keep everything moving forward and on track. And here we are—just a few months from the grand opening, and remain on schedule and on budget. This remarkable achievement is a testament to this exceptional team!
PCL Construction • The expansion’s construction manager
As construction manager, PCL’s initial focus was on project scoping, budgeting and tenders for this complex $500-million city-building project. The team then rolled into managing the construction of the building with an emphasis on safety, quality, and schedule and working effectively with a staggering number of trade partners.
“The size and complexity of this project is significant,” says Keith Bowers, Construction Manager with PCL. “We’ve had days with more than 600 workers on the project at a time, six days a week. The BMO Centre expansion construction machine has a vast number of moving parts, and it’s our job to make sure everyone is effectively choreographed and everything runs like clockwork.”
Keith speaks enthusiastically and with high praise about the rest of the project team. “Our partnerships with M3 and the design team are very strong. And thanks to our ongoing collaboration with CMLC and the Calgary Stampede, we’ve been able to sustain an active Stampede Park throughout construction, including during the 10-day Stampede Festival each summer.”
PCL employs the latest technologies to ensure smooth and efficient site operations, using drones to gather aerial imagery and sensors to keep tabs on safety and efficiency metrics inside and outside the building. And PCL’s priority on smart waste management means they send only a small fraction of material to the landfill.
“Throughout this build, we’ve been constantly reminded that engaging PCL and M3 was the right choice. They and other members of our project team, including our structural engineering experts RJC and MKA, accessibility consultant Level Playing Field, landscape architects O2 Planning & Design and civil engineers Urban Systems, came tirelessly to the table, and have worked so hard to turn the many challenges of the past five years into opportunities” says Kelly.
Kelly, Kerri and the rest of the CMLC and Calgary Stampede teams will be proudly standing by their partners this June when they welcome the world to western Canada’s largest, newest and grandest convention venue.
Stay tuned for more spotlights as we count down to the grand opening of the BMO Centre expansion.
