[RM14]

A refreshingly good read on Calgary Flames ownership and contributions to the city.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/opinion...tml?id=9929766

The owners of the Flames are indeed well off, and the players well compensated for their talents, but that’s hardly cause to dismiss the idea of providing a measure of support to the team, which even a decade ago, was estimated to have an economic impact of between $75 million and $100 million annually.

Far from denigrating the Flames and their owners, we should count ourselves lucky that they’re part of our community. We’re talking about individuals such as Alvin Libin, who helped establish the Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta with a mission of providing world-class cardiovascular health care, education and research. Philanthropist Allan Markin is another of the team’s owners. Along with supporting countless other causes, Markin gave $18 million to the University of Calgary in 2004. The donation capped $22 million in gifts to the U of C by Markin in a five-year period and another $20 million to St. Mary’s University College.