One miserable winter day two years ago, a handful of Calgary runners were working out on the running track of the Olympic Oval. They were grateful to be out of the cold and glad to be able to run without risking life and limb on the icy streets. But the track's two lanes were crowded and, as usual, having to weave in and out of the traffic had made their training session an adventure.

"Wouldn't it be nice," they mused, "if we had a real 400m, eight-lane indoor track in Calgary.

"Think about it. With a 400m track you've got a huge infield. You could put in volleyball, basketball, tennis, badminton courts. You could have a turf surface for soccer, football, ultimate frisbee. There could be weight training rooms, physiotherapy, fitness facilities.

"You could host competitions. Provincial, national, even international. . ." 

Unlike most such conversations, that one didn't die there. The runners talked to their friends, who talked to their friends and the movement gathered strength until last spring its supporters formally incorporated as the Calgary Multisport Fieldhouse Society. With a diverse and enthusiastic Board of Directors and supporters, they set about the work of turning a dream into reality.

The idea of a fieldhouse for Calgary isn't new, however. In fact, efforts to provide such a facility go back more than 40 years.

For a history of those efforts, click here.

To learn where we are now, click here.