Calgary Council: Budget Cuts Threaten Telus Spark

CALGARY — City Councillors walked through Telus Spark Science Centre in late January, eyeing new exhibits while the real show played out in their heads: budget math. Ward 12 Councillor Mike Jamieson and his colleagues got the tour, but the subtext was money—specifically, who gets it when the provincial tap runs dry.

The science centre is staring down the end of a $9.5 million multi-year grant from Alberta, with the final $2.25 million hitting the books in the 2025-26 fiscal year. After that? The centre joins every other cultural player in Calgary fighting over scraps at City Hall.

The Money Squeeze

Telus Spark pulled in $1,838,600 from the City of Calgary in 2025 for its "Keep Calgary Curious Project." Toss in $500,000 from Canadian Heritage in January 2025 for audiovisual gear and a nearly $900,000 bump from Alberta in July 2024 for the "BLUprint" skilled trades exhibit, and the centre looks flush. But CEO Roderick Tate knows the clock is ticking.

Calgary's arts and culture sector has been screaming about chronic underfunding for years. The issue blew up during the October 2025 Mayoral Debate, with advocates pointing to rising costs and a funding pool that hasn't kept pace. Telus Spark isn't just competing with itself—it's in the ring with heavyweights like the Calgary Zoo and Glenbow Museum, all scrambling for the same pile of city cash.

What Comes Next

The Councillors' walkthrough wasn't about science experiments. It was reconnaissance ahead of budget adjustments in November 2026 and the looming 2027-2030 budget cycle. Mayor Jeromy Farkas and City Council hold the purse strings, and Tate is making his case now before the real fight starts.

Alberta's Minister of Arts, Culture and Status of Women, Tanya Fir, remains a wild card as the provincial money evaporates. The centre launched new programming in Summer 2025, banking on momentum to carry it through the lean years ahead.

The final vote on what Telus Spark gets—or doesn't—lands in November.