Olympics back to Calgary? Council to discuss possible 2026 bid
Posted Jun 20, 2016 2:02 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The 1988 Olympic Games in Calgary left a lasting legacy in the city, but could the historic flame make a return?
That’s the subject of an upcoming in-camera meeting for Calgary City Council scheduled for Monday with Calgary Sport and Tourism officials, which would then be followed by a public presentation.
Speaking early Monday afternoon, Ward 6 Councillor Richard Pootmans said it’s still very early on and he just wants support to investigate putting in a bid for 2026.
“It truly is just an investigation at this point, no particular commitment to capital investments,” he said. “We’re really just interested knowing how feasible it is.”
Pootmans said he’s reminded of Calgary’s stagnant economy of the 1980s.
“The city was looking for projects to inspire them, looking for projects to help stimulate the economy, this is almost exactly the same circumstance,” he said. “Why not have an inspiring, large project to re-energize the city?”
However, Pootmans acknowledged how times have changed and the cost for hosting the Olympic Games have soared, with the 2010 edition in Vancouver costing over $7 billion.
“Costs will be a major factor and in the past, we’ve had very generous contributions from television networks to support Olympic Games, that’s not necessarily the case anymore, so how we fund these, perhaps with legacy facilities from years past, that’ll be an important part of our proposal,” he stated.
Mayor Naheed Nenshi stayed extremely tight-lipped about the upcoming meeting.
“There have been many people across the community who have been talking about this for a long time,” he said. “Speculation is rife for all the pros and cons of a hypothetical bid.”
Time is of the essence, as the Canadian Olympic Committee is requesting cities to express interest by the end of June.
