• They’re 90% complete with shoring and excavation work. (Excavation is digging the hole, shoring is ensuing you have retaining walls set up so the hole retains its shape.) Hunter described how much digging they had to do, and characterized it as “a very big and deep hole.”
• They’ve just started pouring parts of the foundation, which is the start of what Hunter termed the “below-grade” construction. They’ll be working their way up through the pit for a little bit, as there’s a lot to do down there. “Hopefully by the early fall or even later in the year we’ll be back up to grade level and people will be able to start to see, as the steel starts to go up and the exterior structure starts to go up.”
• In 2026, they’ll have the building “enclosed, secured and waterproofed” and then they can tackle all the stuff that needs to be done within the interior. Hunter estimated that would take about a year and a half, so we would suspect it will start sometime around March or April 2026. (Hunter didn’t cite a target start date for the interior work, but based on the timeframe they provided and the opening date, that’s roughly when you should expect it.)
• They’re still on schedule for a “Fall 2027” opening. (No, they didn’t offer a month, and as we’ve mentioned in the past, we wouldn’t expect to hear them cite a specific month until closer to 2027.)
• Due to tariff concerns, they went with a European steel supplier (and a steel fabricator in Hamilton, Ontario) rather than going with an American vendor. Some items will have to be sourced from the United States, though: cited seats, video boards, sound systems as things that typically come from American suppliers, so they’re hoping tariffs won’t be a big concern when that comes around.
• Around 28% of their total budget has been committed, or about $232 million. “The schedule is in good shape and the budget remains secure at the moment.” It was noted that they built contingency into the budget and, per Hunter, “that contingency is comfortable right now.”
• With the event centre committee no longer existing, updates on Scotia Place’s progress will go to the infrastructure and planning committee going forward.

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