One of the final hockey seasons is underway in the Saddledome and it’s making me think of all the great memories from that notorious building. I remember when it was first built and we all thought it looked like a maxi-pad. Be that as it may, it was built for the Olympics and Calgarians hold that time close to their hearts. My first time inside the structure was for the big arts celebration, held in conjunction with the 1988 Olympics. I went with my mom, which is pivotal in itself, and we sat together while David Foster unveiled the Olympic theme song and made sure the cameras were getting him from every angle. Anne Murray made everyone laugh when she said, ‘You guys probably want me to sing the one about that little bird.” Indeed, we did! All the snowbirds did.
I was a college student studying journalism when the Olympics were on, and some of us were hired by The Associated Press to be their ‘film runners’ in the media centre. It was probably the most exciting job I’ve ever had! We were paid $100 in cash each day, to sit at all the venues and watch the amazing competitions and then run around with sacks to collect film from all the AP photographers that were placed throughout the facilities and whisk them back to the film developers. I was inside the Saddledome when Elizabeth Manley skated her silver medal performance, and then I collected my cash and got back to my student housing and threw all those dollars up in the air in celebration, because all my broke student roommates would be eating that night!
So many Saddledome memories, most of them musical for me. Watching someone getting pulled back from accidentally falling over the second floor railing when he was super drunk at The Pretenders concert, Nickelback several times, Bob Dylan pounding through his songs as though he had a bus to catch, but experiencing Tracy Chapman for the first time as she opened for him. Witnessing the amazing skills of Adam Lambert when he toured the role of Freddie Mercury with Queen. My very first hockey game, when dear neighbour friend and I thought everyone was booing the new Flames player, but they were chanting ‘Moog’ because he had just scored five goals the night before.
I even have memories of other people’s memories from the Saddledome. A guy I used to work with was at a Flames game with his son and they were watching the couple in front of them arguing. The lady was pretty keen to not be there and they finally stomped out, leaving a full untouched bucket of freshly buttered popcorn behind. He looked at his son and then they looked together at the popcorn. They enjoyed it enormously!
The stories are endless and pretty terrific. Can’t wait to see all that comes with the next iteration of Calgary’s massive indoor memory-maker!