Ottawa’s EY Centre to be renamed after Toronto-based AI company Cohere

The Ottawa Home & Garden Show at the EY Centre on March 21, 2026. The convention centre is being renamed to the Cohere Centre after a new naming rights agreement was signed with the Toronto-based AI company. (Camille Wilson/CTV News Ottawa)

A major Ottawa convention centre is getting a rebrand, partnering with Cohere, a Toronto-based AI company.

The Capital Exhibition Centre on Uplands Drive, known for years as the EY Centre, will be renamed the Cohere Centre starting on Friday, after the company and the convention centre reached a new naming rights agreement.

Cohere is a security-first enterprise AI company headquartered in Toronto. The company was founded in 2019 and is focused on developing AI systems such as large language models. Earlier this month, Cohere signed a memorandum of understanding with the federal government to promote Canadian AI technologies and explore how AI can be used to enhance government operations.

“Cohere is proud to partner with the Capital Exhibition Centre as it begins this exciting new chapter as the Cohere Centre,” said Dave Ferris, Vice President of Cohere’s Global Public Sector in a news release. “As a Canadian company building secure, enterprise-grade sovereign AI for organizations around the world, we are pleased to support a venue that brings together business, government, technology, and community in the nation’s capital. This partnership reflects our shared commitment to Canadian innovation, collaboration, and creating spaces where important ideas and meaningful connections can thrive.”

Cohere has also partnered with Canadian and international companies such as Dell, Oracle, RBC and Bell.

The 200,000 sq. ft. convention centre is Ottawa’s largest and will continue hosting events under its new name.

“This partnership is a testament to Ottawa’s emergence as a hub for innovation and world-class events,” said Cohere Centre general manager Neill Bales. “We are proud to align our centre with a company that represents the best of Canadian technology, and we look forward to welcoming clients under this exciting new name.”

The centre says new signage and branding will be unveiled in the coming weeks.

With files from The Canadian Press

CTV News Ottawa is owned by Bell Media, which is a division of BCE.

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