Mayor wants province to pay for Olympic plebiscite

Mayor Naheed Nenshi says the NDP government’s decision to tie Olympic funding to a plebiscite means the province should come up with the cash to cover the estimated $2 million cost of a vote.

“If it’s your condition, you should put money on the table,” Nenshi said in a scrum following a contentious morning at council. “I’m not at all opposed to a plebiscite. However, I do think that we have to figure out how to pay for it, and the party requesting it should pay for it.”

It could cost $1.96 million to send Calgarians to the polls to weigh in on whether to proceed with a bid for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games.

Last week, the provincial and federal governments announced they would put forward $20.5 million for the creation of an Olympic bid corporation; combined with $9.5 million from the city, the funds for the BidCo. total $30 million.

A critical part of last week’s announcement was the condition imposed by the NDP government that more financial support for an Olympic bid was contingent upon a plebiscite being held.

Tourism Minister Ricardo Miranda indicated the province is open to cost-sharing if council agrees to a plebiscite.

“We’ve been clear that no additional money, above the $10 million, will be provided for an official Olympic bid unless there’s a plebiscite confirming Calgarians’ support hosting the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” Miranda said in a statement Thursday.

“If city council agrees that a public engagement plan includes a plebiscite, we will then have a conversation with the city and federal government on what that looks like and how the cost should be covered.”

Debate on a plebiscite is expected at an April 10 committee meeting when councillors will hear details of the city’s plans for public engagement on the possibility of hosting another Olympics.

Several city councillors expressed frustration Thursday morning over the entire bid exploration process, and Nenshi also admitted he’d heard varying messages from the province regarding the conditions for BidCo funding.

“It’s a bit frustrating because this condition was added in by the province and it’s clear from their own communications that they themselves were not entirely clear on what they wanted,” Nenshi said.

Coun. Sean Chu, who has called for a plebiscite on the Olympics since last year, said he finds himself in an odd position thanks to the province’s condition.

“In order for me (to) stop the Olympics from going any further, does that mean I have to vote ‘no’ to a plebiscite?” Chu asked in council chambers Thursday. “And the people who wanted the Olympics to go ahead, who (previously) voted no to plebiscite, now they have to vote ‘yes’ to plebiscite to keep it going ? Kind of confusing.”