Vecova Announces New Calgary Locations

Expanding Possibilities: Our New Locations

Same commitment to care and what you need to know

Dear Community Member,

In 2024, Vecova announced that its main building, constructed in 1969, had exceeded the end of its intended life cycle. The building closure, while heartbreaking, has provided Vecova with an opportunity to re-imagine its service delivery and further develop its connection to the communities it serves by embedding its work directly in those areas.    

When we embarked on the search for a new space, we did so with the community in mind and with the people we serve at the heart of our decisions. We wanted a space that was approachable, accessible, and inclusive — a good home from which to write a new chapter for Vecova. 

I am pleased to share an important update regarding our new space, one that we have been eagerly anticipating. 

Hub & Spoke Model

In alignment with its mission to create a future where everyone is valued, belongs, and thrives, Vecova is implementing a hub-and-spoke model to improve accessibility, foster community integration, and optimize service delivery for persons of all abilities.

The hub-and-spoke model involves the creation of a central hub that delivers specialized services and advanced therapies, supported by a network of satellite locations throughout Calgary and nearby communities. This structure allows Vecova to reduce transportation barriers by bringing services closer to where people live, strengthening community connections by tailoring programs to local needs and allocating resources more efficiently.

The hub-and-spoke model will centralize Vecova’s administration in the new central hub at the Kahanoff Centre (105 12th Ave SE), along with some of Vecova’s programming and other supports. The new spoke facility in the Kaleidoscope building (2520 Capitol Hill Crescent NW), near the University of Calgary, will maintain Vecova’s decades-long presence in northwest Calgary. Vecova currently operates housing facilities in Calgary and offices in Canmore and Airdrie, which will continue to provide services to those communities.  Programs will transition to the new spaces in Fall 2025. 

Program & Services Update 

The Vecova pool will be open for free public swim days on June 26th & 27th, with the pool and recreation facilities closing permanently at 4 pm on Friday, June 27th. 
The Bottle Depot will remain open over the summer and close to the public on September 15th, 2025.  Bottle pickup service will be uninterrupted and is a great way to show support for Vecova.

Disability Programs and Services will continue to be delivered from the current location until the new locations open in the fall. 

In closing, we remain dedicated to supporting our community and to answering questions or concerns to the best of our ability. And above all, as an organization, we are firmly rooted in our mission and will continue to deliver critical services in the community.  

For specific inquiries please contact [email protected] or call 403-284-1121. 

Thank you for your continued support. 

Warm regards,

Kelly Holmes-Binns
CEO

Michelle McKenna
Chair, Vecova Board of Directors

FAQ: Updated May 2025

A: Vecova is transitioning to a Hub & Spoke model, meaning we will have two locations in Calgary, an office in Canmore, plus the new office in Airdrie.

· A central Hub located on the 8th floor of the Kahanoff Centre at 105-12th Ave SE

· A northwest spoke located in the Kaleidoscope building at 2502 Capitol Hill Cres NW

· The Airdrie office located at Unit 4105, 104 Mackenzie Way SW

This approach provides opportunities for growth, better program delivery, and improved accessibility for those we serve. Over the years, we have been gradually developing the idea of wider reaching supports as we expanded to meet needs in communities like Cochrane, Airdrie, and Canmore

A: The relocation timeline is as follows:

· The Fitness & Aquatics Centre will close permanently on Friday, June 27th, 2025.

· Several disability support services will continue in the remaining areas of the building until the fall.

· Programs will transition to the NW location in November.

· Administrative teams will move to the central location in October.

· Vecova’s Bottle Depot will be closing In September 2025.

· Bottle pickup will continue on unchanged and is a great way to continue supporting Vecova!

A: We have secured two new spaces to continue to serve our consumers in the north west and to have a central location in the beltline for our operations. As part of the hub-and-spoke model, our employees who are currently working at the main facility, will work out of one of two new Calgary locations:

· North West Spoke is located at Kaleidoscope at 2502 Capitol Hill Cres NW

Located near the University of Calgary, the main floor of the Kaleidoscope building will house many of our programs including Wayfinder, Adapted Recreation, Consumer Services and Employment Services.

· The Hub is located at Kahanoff Centre on the 8th floor at 105-12th Ave SE

Located in the Beltline, the Kahanoff Building houses several non-profit organizations. This building will house much of Vecova’s administration, leadership teams, housing and mental health services

A: We will be hosting a Closure Ceremony on Tuesday, June 17th, 2025 to celebrate Vecova’s journey in the current facility. Vecova welcomes the public to join us for the ceremony which will take place from 10:00 am to 12pm. The event will include speakers, a video, tours, and displays of historical memorabilia to honour Vecova’s history.

We will also be hosting virtual tours, onsite tours for staff and consumers during the next several months leading up to a grand opening of the new Hub and Spoke.

A: The Spoke has residential student units above and a coffee shop beside. The Hub has several charities and non-profits. The building is owned by the Calgary foundation, it houses Calgary United Way, non-profit chamber, Decidedly Jazz.

A: Yes. This was an important piece of information shared in consultations, and we are designing and making sure staff and consumers have spaces that are comfortable, flexible, and safe.

A: There will not be a large recreation space such as a gymnasium, but there will be multipurpose spaces of various sizes that can be booked for events.

A: Yes, the Social & Community programs and group counselling programs will continue to run as they currently do and will transition to the new northwest program space in the fall. There will be a registration date scheduled sometime in June, for the July & August summer programs.

A: Yes. Vecova is committed to operating at the highest standards of safety and adhering to best practices. The building, while currently safe to use, has become too expensive to maintain in the future without compromising valuable resources Vecova needs as it looks ahead to the next 50 years.

Please note that our Aquatics, Health and Fitness programming will wrap up in June 2025. Our Bottle Depot will close in the fall of 2025.

A: Vecova is providing significant notice of this decision, so that consumers may have sufficient time to explore other ways to meet their specific needs. We will no longer be operating a pool however we may offer programs at warm water pools in partnership with other facilities. This is a future project.

A: Many of the staff teams working out of our main facility (3304 – 33^rd St NW) location slated for closure will work from other locations over the long term. The closure of the pool, gym and fitness facilities will happen at the end of June 2025. Our Bottle Depot will close in the fall of 2025.

We regret that this will result in loss of employment for some employees. We will provide support and assistance to those employees whose positions are impacted by this transition.

A: The Bottle Depot will be affected by the closure of Vecova’s main facility, partially due to the large costs to make it a stand-alone operation. We encourage consumers to continue to support us as usual by using the Bottle Depot until September 15, 2025.

A: No. The Bottle Pickup Service will continue to operate after the closure of the Bottle Depot. We encourage the community to continue to support us as usual with donating their beverage containers using this great service.

A: Yes. The Airport Charity Sale will be relocating back to the Calgary International Airport in late summer. We are finalizing the details and will share the confirmed location and schedule once approvals are complete.

A: Vecova is closing its pool, gym and fitness spaces in June 2025 following the wrap up of our spring classes. As of that date Vecova will no longer offer aquatics and fitness programming. This is necessary to allow us time to properly shut down the pool and other facilities and aligns with the end of our regular programs.

Those who make use of our fitness and pool facilities will see no change until June 2025. We encourage you to continue to use and support our fitness facilities until then.

The Bottle Depot will close in fall of 2025, when we relocate our offices and programs to a new location.

A: This is not the end for Vecova. Your funding is more valuable than ever before. Vecova operates several supportive housing facilities across Calgary and the surrounding area and has a team operating out of Bow Corridor and Airdrie.

Our programs and services for people with disabilities will continue but may look a bit different or be delivered out of a different location. We will have more to share on programming over the next few months as details become available.

A: Vecova has opened its doors and benefited from our long-term renters and the community who have accessed our main facility over the years. Those who make use of our fitness and pool facilities will see no change until June 2025.

Vecova is providing significant notice of this decision, so that our renters may have sufficient time to explore other ways to meet their specific needs.

A: There are many ways you can support Vecova.

Remind people that Vecova is not closing, our building is closing. Vecova will continue to operate from a new location.

Continue to come and enjoy Vecova’s facilities and register for programs. Our aquatics and recreation programs will continue until the end of June 2025.

Bring your bottles to our Bottle Depot

Make a donation

Tell your community what Vecova programs and services mean to you
Follow us on social media (@wearevecova)

A: Close to 100 positions are impacted by the closure, about 15% of our workforce. This includes full-time, part-time, and seasonal roles.

A: We will be working with the City of Calgary to determine the next steps for the building and potential options for the land.

A: No. Vecova reinvests revenue from swimming lessons, facility rentals and the bottle depot into its operations, but 75% of Vecova’s funding is provided through the provincial government for people living with disabilities programming. Revenue from our facilities and social enterprises do not cover both operational and maintenance costs of the facility.

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PRESS RELEASE–
CALGARY, ALBERTA – May 21, 2025

Vecova Announces New Hub-and-Spoke Service Model as it Prepares to Close Main Facility

Vecova continues to move forward despite requiring to close its aging Calgary facility

CALGARY – May 21, 2025 – Vecova is making a major transformation in how its services will be delivered across Calgary and surrounding communities. In alignment with its mission to create a future where everyone is valued, belongs, and thrives, Vecova is implementing a hub-and-spoke model to improve accessibility, foster community integration and optimize service delivery for persons of all abilities.

In 2024, Vecova announced that its main building, constructed in 1969, had exceeded the end of its intended life cycle. Nearly 30 per cent of the facility had previously closed due to poor conditions, and the cost to renovate would be 75 per cent of what it would take to build a new facility. Despite significant efforts to develop a new Centre for All Abilities, Vecova was unable to secure sufficient government funding for the new build.

The building closure, while heartbreaking, has provided Vecova with an opportunity to re-imagine its service delivery and further develop its connection to the communities it serves by embedding its work directly in those areas.

“This is about more than changing buildings,” says Kelly Holmes-Binns, CEO of Vecova. “This is about re-envisioning how we serve people—by bringing services closer to where they live and creating flexible, community-based spaces. Vecova has always been more than the four walls of our building, and we will continue to fulfill our mission toward inclusion in an even more community-centric way.”

Hub & Spoke Model

The hub-and-spoke model will centralize Vecova’s administration in the new central hub at the Kahanoff Centre (105 12 Ave SE), along with some of Vecova’s programming and other supports. The new spoke facility in the Kaleidoscope building (2520 Capitol Hill Crescent NW), near the University of Calgary, will maintain Vecova’s decades-long presence in northwest Calgary. Vecova currently operates housing facilities in Calgary and offices in Canmore and Airdrie which will continue to provide services to those communities. “This is not just a structural shift,” adds Holmes-Binns, “It’s a continuation of our commitment to lead with innovation, collaboration, and purpose—and to build a future where everyone belongs.”

The hub-and-spoke model will expand access by bringing services closer to community members while offering more tailored and specialized programs.

Programs & Services Update

As part of this closure, some services will be discontinued. After Friday, June 27, 2025, Vecova will no longer offer aquatics programming (including swim lessons, public swimming, and aquatics classes), fitness and recreation programs, summer camps, adaptive recreation, or facility rentals. The bottle depot will also close in September 2025.

Community members are encouraged to continue using both the pool and the Bottle Depot until their respective closure dates. Vecova is grateful for the ongoing and continued support.

Vecova will host a free public swim on June 26 and 27, 2025 to celebrate the community’s connection to this space.

Despite these changes, Vecova remains deeply committed to supporting individuals of all abilities. Programs that will continue to be delivered through the hub and spoke model include housing services, the Wayfinder program, employment supports, mental health services, training opportunities and specialized group programs. These core services will be accessible across the new locations, helping to ensure continuity of care and support for the community.

Saying Goodbye

To mark this major transition, Vecova will host a Facility Farewell Ceremony on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, including public and staff events and a commemorative art component. A grand opening of the new facilities is planned for Fall 2025.

Vecova’s new model will feature strategically located facilities:

The Kahanoff Centre (Downtown Calgary): Renovations begin in June, with services moving between September and October.

Kaleidoscope (Northwest Calgary): Renovations begin in June, with services transitioning by November.

Airdrie: Open at Unit 4105, 104 Mackenzie Way SW.

Canmore: Open at #209, 707 Main Street.

Programs will be phased into these locations throughout the fall. For more information, please visit Vecova.ca. For more information about Vecova’s new service model, building updates, or timelines, please visit vecova.ca. For specific inquiries, please contact [email protected] or call 403-284-1121.

About Vecova™

Vecova™ Centre for Disabilities Services and Research (Vecova) is a Calgary organization in social innovation, social impact and inclusion. Established in 1969, the nationally renowned and award-winning centre works to meet the lifelong and changing needs of persons with disabilities through programs and services, social innovation research and enterprises. Fueled by a desire to be 100 per cent inclusive, Vecova is leading the way as a registered and accredited charitable organization to build a future for people of all abilities where everyone is valued, belongs and thrives. To learn more visit Vecova.ca or find them on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Press & Media Contacts: 

Paula Worthington
[email protected]
(403) 585-2429

Mike Brown
[email protected]
(403)  587-590-4465

Marketing & Communications at Vecova:

Dean Dodge
Chief Development Officer
[email protected]