February 6, 2006 -As many of the athletes who use its world-class facilities gear up for gold at the Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy, Canada Olympic Park earned a gold medal of its own after recording a torrid pace of record sales for the month of January 2006.

Recreational ski and snowboard visits to the Park reached 78,498 for the month, an increase of more than 13,000 from a year ago, while day ticket sales exceeded $400,000.

“This volume of activity exceeds any month in the history of Canada Olympic Park,” said Jim Younker, general manager, Canada Olympic Park. “In spite of unseasonably warm weather conditions at times this season, it demonstrates that Calgarians love to embrace winter sport and Canada Olympic Park remains their number-one destination for doing so.”

Further testament to the month’s torrid sales rate was that the Park’s Guest Services department sold at least one season pass every single day in January. Season pass sales to the end of January now exceed total sales to the end of July 2005, with a corresponding season pass revenue increase of more than $15,000 recorded so far in 2006 over the entire numbers from last year.

Season pass revenue for the month of January 2006 more than tripled the figure attained in January 2005, while day pass ticket revenue recorded an increase of more than $150,000.

Younker attributes this heady rise to a number of upgrades at the Park, including a snowboard half-pipe recently built up to World Cup standards. The only one of its kind in Alberta, the half-pipe was upgraded after crews spent last October moving more 12,000 metric metres of soil to move the pipe uphill by 50 metres. An additional two metres of fill was added to the tops of both walls, with the pipe now measuring about 16.5 feet in height.

“Our new half-pipe represents the next level in riding progression and has drawn rave reviews from snowboarders of all levels,” said Younker. “Our overall success in January was a reflection our team’s dedication to constantly enhancing the quality of the guest experience at Canada Olympic Park.”

Owned and operated by CODA, Canada Olympic Park is Alberta’s second largest tourist attraction outside the Rocky Mountains, welcoming more than 1.3 million visitors each year. C.O.P. offers a wide range of Olympic summer and winter sport programs for all ages and abilities. For more information on Canada Olympic Park, please call 403-247-5452, or visit us at www.canadaolympicpark.ca on the Internet.