There’s no going back to 1988

Re: “Olympic skiing at Lake Louise a ‘bad idea’ that should be rejected: conservationist,” Feb. 12.

Hosting the Olympics is a bad idea and bad timing. The mid-1980s were populated by many educated newcomers to this city — young families with young kids and teenagers, and energetic women who had left careers behind and who were willing to volunteer many hours, plus years, to prepare for the great adventure.

And mostly two men who had a vision: Ralph Klein and Frank King, who made the Olympics the best ever, despite the weather. You cannot go back in time and think now is the time to do better.

I do not trust city council to do the best for the city. In 2026, Calgary will be populated by our grandchildren, who will be fighting for good paying jobs, raising babies and paying the province’s and the country’s accumulated debts. You will have every environmentalist lining up to put a stop to all venues in order to save the purity of the planet.

You cannot return and have another Olympics in the present conditions.

Louise Bonneau, Calgary