Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation reduces workforce

Calgary — An unconfirmed number of employees have been dismissed by the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation (CSEC), the organization that runs the Calgary Flames and other Calgary-based sports franchises.

On Wednesday, CSEC officials stated a "difficult decision to reduce our workforce on a permanent basis" had been made.

The number of employees affected by the layoffs and the nature of the positions impacted have not been disclosed.

In addition to the Calgary Flames, CSEC operates the CFL's Calgary Stampeders, the WHL's Calgary Hitmen, the NLL's Calgary Roughnecks and the Scotiabank Saddledome.

While concerts and professional sporting events have been postponed or cancelled in Calgary, the CSEC has not said what prompted the layoffs, stating the staffing reduction is "a private matter between CSEC and our employees."

The CSEC was criticized in March for its decision to not pay hourly employees for shifts that were lost due to cancelled concerts or sporting events . Following calls from the public and city councillors, the ownership group announced the creation of a compensation program for its workers.