Calgary 2026: Exploration committee gives interim report

Calgarians will have a good idea of what it will cost to bid for and host the 2026 Olympics in three months.

The Calgary Bid Exploration Committee shared some of its work to date with the public Monday.

Chair Rick Hanson said the committee is broken into five main streams: facilities, security, community impact, stakeholder relations and finance.

He explained that past Winter Olympics have required $3.2 billion dollars in funding, which is a number Hanson said will be smaller thanks to things like existing facilities and the clustering of events to reduce security requirements.

“Whatever decision is made, we’re going forward with the full knowledge of what is required to do this or not,” he said. “If it’s a no, it’s because of good, solid reasons people can look at and say ‘that makes sense’. If it’s a yes, it looks like we can do this, it’s because people will have the numbers right in front of them that will answer their questions.”

The committee’s final report to Calgary City Council will be presented at the end of July.

The group, made up of 17 volunteer members, was formed in September 2016 to conduct a study on whether Calgary can feasibly host another Olympics after first doing so in 1988.

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