Calgary to host 2028 International Geological Congress

Canada has won the bid to host the International Geological Congress — akin to the Olympics of geology — in August 2028.

The conference, which is the premier event for the advancement of global Earth science, is expected to bring in 6,000 to 10,000 geoscientists to the BMO Centre in Calgary from Aug. 12-20, 2028.

“It’s a generational opportunity for Canadian geoscience to showcase all of the fantastic work that is happening here,” says Dr. David Eaton, MSc'89, PhD'92, co-chair of the bid development committee and a professor in the Department of Earth, Energy and Environment at the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Science.

“It’s also an opportunity for young geoscientists to meet with their scientific heroes from around the world and use that to generate ideas and excitement that they can take forward in their careers.”

The last time Canada hosted the Congress was in 1972 in Montreal.

Co-chair Dr. Katherine Boggs, PhD'04, an associate professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Mount Royal University, says it’s been surreal since Canada won the bid at IGC2024 in South Korea last August.

The bid focused on Calgary’s geologic heritage and its reputation as a cosmopolitan city with a state-of-the-art convention centre, an energy innovation hub and Indigenous meeting place.

Craig First Rider, a Blackfoot dancer, travelled to South Korea to help showcase the Indigenous connection.

The presenters noted there are 22 UNESCO World Heritage sites and many other geologically important areas across Canada.

“We bridge between the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin and the Canadian Rocky Mountains,” explains Boggs. “There are five UNESCO World Heritage sites, which are fascinating beautiful places with gorgeous geology, all within a day’s drive of Calgary.”

Other attractions in the Calgary region include Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump and Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park, which has thousands of petroglyphs dating back 5,000 years and have special importance to surrounding First Nations. 

Dinosaur Provincial Park near Brooks has dinosaur fossils, while across the B.C. border, the Burgess Shale in Yoho and Kootenay national parks in in the Rockies have fossils that are more than 500 million years old.

The glaciers and Icefields Parkway west of Calgary provide opportunities to explore the impacts of climate change.

The conference will provide opportunities for attendees to talk about topics related to climate change, including droughts, floods and wildfires, as well as space and planetary geosciences, critical minerals, and a sustainable energy transition.

Canada’s oceans will also be included in the conference programming.

The bid highlighted the deep-sea research by UCalgary hydrogeologist Dr. Rachel Lauer, PhD, and others with the NorthEast Pacific Deep-Sea Exploration Project.

Under the theme Geosciences for Humanity, the congress could include up to 50 field excursions, exploring the human environment, climate drivers, essential resources, sustainability and Indigenous partnerships.

Tourism Calgary, which helped with the bid, says the conference is projected to generate about $23.6 million in economic impact.

“Tourism Calgary works year-round to bring conventions and events like this to our city, but successes like winning the 2028 Geological Congress would not be possible without the tremendous collaboration we have with our local universities, and in particular our champions for this bid — Dr. Eaton and Dr. Boggs,” Tourism Calgary CEO Alisha Reynolds said in a statement. 

“Calgary has a world-renowned reputation as hosts, and we look forward to welcoming geoscientists from around the world — many of whom may have never been to our city before — to showcase all Calgary has to offer. This is a huge opportunity all round.”

The bid also received letters of support from the federal, provincial and municipal governments, as well as various geological organizations, universities and industry.