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Happy Monday, Calgary. The Olympics are on, Valentine's Day is this weekend, and the city is absolutely stacked with things to do. Steel is climbing at Scotia Place (on time, on budget, we'll take it), Neo Financial just broke through a wall that only Canada's biggest banks have ever gotten past, and the restaurant scene is about to go off again.

Plus: Team Canada FanFest is coming to WinSport, Chinook Blast wraps up with a loaded final weekend, the Roughnecks have a doubleheader, and we've got your first look at Hello Nori, the Vancouver hand roll bar opening in Bridgeland that you're going to be obsessed with. Let's get into it. [Note: Feature YOUR event here.]

Top 3 Stories

🏗️ Steel Is Rising: Scotia Place On Time and On Budget

If you've driven past Victoria Park lately, you've noticed it, Calgary's new arena is no longer a hole in the ground. After a year and a half of excavation and foundation work, the steel superstructure of Scotia Place has started to climb, and the City says the $1.2 billion project is on time and on budget.

The numbers behind the build are staggering: more than 308,000 cubic metres of dirt were removed from the site, 41,000 cubic metres of concrete were poured (enough to fill 20 NHL rinks to the top of the boards), 9,000 metric tonnes of rebar were installed, and 5,000 kilometres of electrical wiring are being threaded through the building.

"We're now back up to street level and the super structure of steel is starting to go up very quickly," said Bob Hunter, the City's project lead. The plan for 2026 is to complete the full steel frame and get the building sealed by year's end so interior work can begin.

When it opens for the 2027–28 season, Scotia Place will seat 18,400 for hockey and up to 20,000 for concerts, and will include a 1,000-seat community arena, indoor and outdoor plazas, and a 450-stall parkade. Check out the progress below:

🍜 Calgary's Food Scene Is About to Explode (Again)

If 2025 was big for Calgary restaurants, 2026 is shaping up to be even bigger. A wave of new openings, both homegrown and imported, is set to hit the city over the coming months, and there's something for every kind of eater.

Hello Nori, known as Canada's "premier hand roll bar," is opening its first Calgary location in Bridgeland with 16 varieties of hand rolls and a sculptural wooden ceiling inspired by Pacific Northwest forests. Wingstop is coming in hot with three locations, including a flagship at Chinook Centre with a live DJ booth.

And the local favourites keep expanding: Made by Marcus is adding a fifth location in Willow Park, Phil & Sebastian is headed to Seton, Amihan Grill + Bakeshop (beloved for its Filipino street food) just opened a new spot on Macleod Trail, and family-owned Pho Pham is opening its third location in Chinatown with an interior garden and skylight.

Vancouver's The Basic is bringing its brunch game to Crescent Heights, and Alva, a Canadiana-themed restaurant from the team behind Murrieta's, is opening a 6,000-square-foot space in The Edison building downtown this summer, complete with 50-foot ceilings and a two-tiered south-facing patio. With new spots ranging from Turkish cuisine in Rosscarrock to a heritage-style brewery in a 122-year-old Ramsay building, it's a very good time to eat in this city. Start building your list.

💰 Calgary-Born Neo Financial’s Major Milestone

A Calgary fintech just did something no Canadian startup has ever done, and it could change how the country's banking system works. Neo Financial, founded right here in 2019 by three of the co-founders behind SkipTheDishes, announced on February 3 that it raised $68.5 million in an oversubscribed funding round backed by more than 100 Canadian investors.

But the money itself isn't the headline, it's what Neo is doing with it. The company is launching Canada's first-ever fintech securitization program, a funding model traditionally reserved for the country's biggest banks.

In plain terms: Neo can now bundle its credit card assets and sell them to institutional investors, freeing up capital to lend more, the same playbook the Big Six have used for decades to dominate the market.

"Historically, the Big Six banks have had a massive advantage because they're the only ones who could tap into the 'big money' markets to fund their lending," said co-founder Jeff Adamson. "By launching our own securitization program, we're essentially breaking through that monopoly."

Neo now serves over one million customers, and has been named Canada's top-growing company by both The Globe and Mail and Deloitte. Calgary's tech scene keeps quietly punching above its weight.

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🍽️ Feature Restaurant: Hello Nori

Location: 885 1st Ave. NE (Bridgeland)
Vibe: Japanese Hand Roll Bar, Premium Casual

If you've never had a hand roll served to you within seconds of being made, nori still crackling, rice still warm, fish impossibly fresh, you're about to understand what all the fuss is about. Hello Nori, Canada's self-described "premier hand roll bar," is opening its first Calgary location in Bridgeland in early 2026, and it's one of the most anticipated restaurant openings of the year.

Born in Vancouver, Hello Nori has built a cult following across B.C. and Toronto with a deceptively simple concept: hand rolls made one at a time, right in front of you, and served individually so the nori stays crisp and the rice stays warm. They actually recommend eating each roll within 10 seconds of it hitting your plate, and once you hear that first crunch, you'll understand why. The menu features 16 varieties of hand rolls, from Ora King Salmon and Bluefin Tuna to Snow Crab, Hokkaido Scallop, and the fan-favourite Truffle Lobster. Rolls are available à la carte (starting around $6) or as set menus of four, five, or six rolls ($23–$36), which is a great way to work your way through the menu on a first visit. Beyond the hand rolls, there's torched aburi oshi sushi (pressed sushi finished with Japanese oak charcoal, no butane, just smoke), sashimi platters, and rotating daily specials that sometimes include Wagyu and ikura.

The details behind the food are obsessive in the best way. Corporate head chef Jay Pugong flies to Japan multiple times a year to source rice and ingredients. The rice is a blend of two premium short-grain varieties seasoned with a vinegar recipe that took nearly a year to develop. The soy sauce, wasabi, and signature 15-ingredient spicy sauce are all made in-house. And all seafood is Ocean Wise certified.

The space itself should be stunning. Every Hello Nori location features a signature sculptural wooden ceiling — rolling waves of warm oak that give the room a Pacific Northwest forest feel. The Calgary outpost will follow suit, with bar-height seating wrapping around an open kitchen where you can watch every roll come together. It's intimate, it's beautiful, and it's designed to make you slow down and pay attention to what you're eating. The drink menu rounds things out with sake (including Hello Nori's own house label brewed in collaboration with Japan's Dewazakura Brewery), Japanese lagers, and a short cocktail list featuring yuzu and shiso-forward drinks.

Pro Tip: Hello Nori doesn't take reservations at most locations, it's walk-in only. Expect a wait during peak hours, especially in the early weeks after opening. Go for a late lunch or early weeknight dinner to beat the crowds. hellonori.com

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REPORT

🌤️ 7-Day Weather Forecast

PROPERTY: Charming Arts & Crafts–style one-and-a-half-story home in the highly sought-after community of Scarboro, Calgary.

PETS: Time to meet some new friends. Bunk the dog, Cheese the cat, and Ravoili the lovebird.

🥩 Save time and get $20 off your next Instacart delivery. [#ad]

CALGARY FLAMES

The Flames head into the Olympic break at 23-27-6, sitting 7th in the Pacific, not where anyone wants to be. Flames fans are split between making a push for the playoffs or shutting it down and gunning for the #1 overall pick. The Flames had a nice 4-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers in the Battle of Alberta on February 4th. That came on the heels of a 3-2 win over San Jose, so two out of the last three isn't bad after a rough January. The schedule picks back up at home on March 3rd against Dallas on March 3 and Ottawa on March 5. Plenty of hockey left… let's see what kind of push they can make in the second half (up or down). Text 403-975-5515 for tickets.

Upcoming Calgary Flames Games - Call / text 403-975-5515

Mar 3 vs Dallas Stars at 7:00 PM - SOLD OUT
Let me know how many you need, and I can source them for you! 

Mar 5 vs Ottawa Senators at 7:00 PM
Sec 206, Row 18 (2 tickets) – $88/pair
Sec 206, Row 18 (2 tickets) – SOLD
Sec 206, Row 19 (2 or 4 tickets) – $108/pair

Mar 7 vs Carolina Hurricanes at 8:00 PM
Sec 206, Row 18 (2 or 4 tickets) – SOLD
Sec 206, Row 19 (2 or 4 tickets) – $134/pair

Mar 18 vs St. Louis Blues at 7:30 PM
Sec 206, Row 18 (2 or 4 tickets) – SOLD
Sec 206, Row 19 (2 or 4 tickets) – $94/pair

Mar 20 vs Florida Panthers at 7:00 PM - Mathew Tkachuk + Stanley Cup Champs
Sec 206, Row 18 (2 or 4 tickets) – SOLD
Sec 206, Row 19 (2 or 4 tickets) – $164/pair

Mar 22 vs Tampa Bay Lightning at 6:00 PM
Sec 206, Row 18 (2 or 4 tickets) – $129/pair
Sec 206, Row 19 (2 or 4 tickets) – $129/pair

Mar 24 vs Los Angeles Kings at 7:00 PM
Sec 206, Row 18 (2 tickets) – $88/pair
Sec 206, Row 18 (2 tickets) – SOLD
Sec 206, Row 19 (2 or 4 tickets) – $98/pair

Mar 26 vs Anaheim Ducks at 7:00 PM
Sec 206, Row 18 (2 or 4 tickets) – $109/pair
Sec 206, Row 19 (2 or 4 tickets) – $109/pair

Mar 28 vs Vancouver Canucks at 8:00 PM
Sec 206, Row 18 (2 or 4 tickets) – SOLD
Sec 206, Row 19 (2 tickets) – SOLD
Sec 206, Row 19 (2 tickets) – Text 403-975-5515 for price

Apr 12 vs Utah Mammoth at 7:00 PM
Sec 206, Row 18 (2 or 4 tickets) – $118/pair
Sec 206, Row 19 (2 or 4 tickets) – $118/pair

Apr 14 vs Colorado Avalanche at 7:00 PM
Sec 206, Row 18 (2 tickets) – $118/pair
Sec 206, Row 18 (2 tickets) – SOLD
Sec 206, Row 19 (2 or 4 tickets) – SOLD

Apr 16 vs Los Angeles Kings at 7:00 PM
Sec 206, Row 18 (2 tickets) – $118/pair
Sec 206, Row 19 (2 or 4 tickets) – $118/pair

Please call / text 403-975-5515

Click here to see the rest of the Calgary Flames season… 

[BUSINESS OWNERS: Want to advertise to smart Calgary locals? Reply to [email protected] and let me know!]

HAPPENINGS

FEATURED EVENT

(Feature YOUR Event Here)

TUESDAY 10th

• F3 Calgary FREE Men's Workout – 5:30-6:15 AM at 2019 Chicoutimi Dr NW.

WEDNESDAY 11th

• Scotiabank Saddledome – Calgary Hitmen vs. Swift Current Broncos at 7pm tickets

THURSDAY 12th

• Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium – Alberta Ballet: Romeo & Juliet (Opening Night!) at 7:30pm. Grand duets, sword fights, and a love story told through sweeping choreography. Runs Feb 12–14. tickets

• F3 Calgary FREE Men's Workout – 5:30-6:15 AM at 2019 Chicoutimi Dr NW.

FRIDAY 13th

• Bella Concert Hall – Lindsay Ell: The Fence Sitter Tour at 8pm. Calgary's own country star comes home 🎸 tickets

• Jack Singer Concert Hall – Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra: Romantic Ravel at 7:30pm tickets

• TELUS Spark Science Centre – Spark After Dark (adults only, 18+) from 6pm–midnight. Live experiments, DJ sets, and burlesque. details

• BMO Centre – The GOOD Games opens! Canada's biggest festival of sport — 9 sports, 3 days, festival village with music, food, and try-it sessions. Free to attend as a spectator. Runs Feb 13–15. details

SATURDAY 14th – Valentine's Day ❤️

• F3 Calgary FREE Men's Workout – 6:30-7:30 AM at 2019 Chicoutimi Dr NW.

• WinSport Event Centre – Team Canada FanFest! Watch the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics live, try winter sports, meet Team Canada athletes. FREE! 9am–5pm. Also on Sunday. details

• Calgary Chinese Cultural Centre – Chinese New Year Festival with dragon and lion dances, multicultural performances, vendor market, and more. FREE! Feb 14–15. details

• Scotiabank Saddledome – Calgary Roughnecks vs. Philadelphia Wings (Galentine's Day!) at 7pm tickets

• Eau Claire Plaza – Chinook Blast: Blue Jay Sessions Amped Up! Calgary singer-songwriters including Tea Fannie and Alex Hughes perform love songs and heartbreak anthems. 6:30pm. FREE! details

SUNDAY 15th

• F3 Calgary FREE Men's Workout – 6:30-7:30 AM at 2019 Chicoutimi Dr NW.

• WinSport Event Centre – Team Canada FanFest continues! FREE! 9am–5pm. details

• Scotiabank Saddledome – Calgary Roughnecks vs. Georgia Swarm (PJ Party! 🎉) at 6pm tickets

• Eau Claire Plaza – Chinook Blast: YYC Music Awards showcase featuring Damase Elis and more. FREE! details

• Ranchman's – Kyle McKearney at 8pm. One of Canada's top Americana/alt-country artists brings his roots-driven sound to Calgary's greatest honky-tonk. tickets

THANK YOU!

Thank you for reading From Calgary today. If you enjoyed this edition, found something useful, or learned something new, please share it with someone who lives in Calgary.

Chat soon,

Brent
Publisher - From Calgary

P.s. BUSINESS OWNERS: Want to advertise to smart Calgary locals? Email [email protected] (or reply to this email) and let me know!

P.p.s. Looking for a side hustle that could one day let you escape the rat race? Check out my friend Tim’s Private Label Masters on Skool. Tim has sold over $100 million worth of products on Amazon and is an all around great guy.

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