CANADA – The under-construction Ottawa Convention Centre (OCC) has secured 80 conventions worth about US$129m, twice the amount projected in June 2009.
Provincial infrastructure minister Bob Chiarelli announced the figures during a media tour of the construction site on 27 September.
According to a venue spokesperson, the total monetary value of goods and services produced as a result of meetings already scheduled rose to CD$129m in June from a projected $63m in June 2009.
Employment at the convention centre is expected to double from 1,200 to 2,400 jobs due to volume of business.
Of the 80 conventions booked, eight of them are expected to bring international delegates.
President of the OCC, Patrick Kelly, said: “This is the kind of economic stimulus the Ottawa Capital region needs at this time in our history. The new OCC will be host to organisations who have never been able to come to Ottawa because we could not accommodate their needs or their numbers.”
The venue’s façade comprises 1,084 uniquely-cut glass panels, each weighing around 700 pounds.
The budget for the new venue is CDN$180m, with the Province of Ontario and the Government of Canada each providing $50m, and the City of Ottawa $40m.
According to OCC chairman Jim Durrell, the conventions booked to date will generate tax revenues of $65m.
