He helped turn the sport of professional wrestling into a worldwide television phenomenon.
Now, Stu Hart, one of Alberta’s favourite sons, is being honoured by having a Calgary-area bridge named after him.
The bridge, located on Highway 8, just west of the city limits, crosses the Elbow River and is part of Calgary’s Ring Road project.
On Wednesday, a ceremony was held alongside the bridge to rename it the Stu Hart Memorial Bridge.
The westbound bridge opened for traffic in 2021 as part of the southwest Calgary Ring Road project. Construction on the eastbound bridge should be completed in the fall of 2026.
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Hart was the founder of Stampede Wrestling, which aired in more than 50 countries during its 30 years of broadcasting and later went on to become the modern-day WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment), whose performers also included his two sons, Bret “the Hitman” Hart and the late Owen Hart.
“When I think of the award or the honour of a bridge being named after my father, when I think of my dad, I think (of) someone that’s very strong, solid, sturdy as a rock,” said Brett Hart, who spoke at Wednesday’s ceremony.
Stu Hart’s son Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart was among the dignitaries on hand for Wednesday’s official bridge naming ceremony.
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“In a lot of ways, it’s very symbolic for my father to be honoured with a bridge, because he was a bridge in many ways to so many people and so many things, from wrestling to just his roots in Canada, and his special pride with his wrestling product,” said Hart.
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In addition to his two sons, Stu Hart helped train hundreds of aspiring professional wrestlers in the basement gym of the Hart Mansion, known as “The Dungeon,” located on Calgary’s west side. That location is now designated a Calgary heritage site, located just blocks away from the new bridge.
Among those he worked with was “Cowboy” Dan Kroffat, who also attended the ceremony.
“Stu Hart was a remarkably kind and sensitive man,” said Kroffat. “He had a great love for his family. He loved the industry he was in. He had great love for his wife. I hope that everyone remembers him as a great family man, as well as a great promoter of our community and our country,” added Kroffat.
The Hart family are also well-known philanthropists, contributing millions of dollars to support more than 30 charitable organizations such as Shriners’ Hospitals for Sick Children and the Alberta Firefighters’ Toy Fund.
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