KING CHANGED CALGARY BY MAKING VISION REALITY
City’s sports community mourns death of leader who wasn’t afraid to take risks
It’s no coincidence his last name was King.
He was born to lead, raised to positively impact the lives of everyone in Calgary and Canada in one way or another.
Calgary Olympics architect Frank King died Wednesday at the age of 81.
The heart he used to convince naysayers and the IOC that the 1988 Winter Games should be hosted in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains gave out Wednesday following a workout in preparation for an upcoming world seniors track meet in which he hoped to set records.
That’s just the way he always aimed, higher than anyone thought possible.
He was, simply put, exactly what this city, province and country so sorely need right now, a visionary, a leader, an unabashed believer in the power of sport.
It could be argued no man has had a greater impact on this city — or the Canadian Olympic movement — than King.
A runner with a passion for sport and his city, it was King who raised his hand at an intimate Calgary Booster Club meeting in 1978 when it was proposed that a committee be appointed to study the possible involvement of the club in obtaining the 1988 Winter Olympics for the Kananaskis region.
That night, King looked at his pal Bob Niven, who shrugged and said, “why don’t we go for it?” So they did.
They soon found out the list of reasons why they shouldn’t go for it included the fact Calgary had previously bid three times for the Games (1964, 1968 and 1972) and been roundly rejected.
Fact was, Calgary had none of the infrastructure needed.
“As we studied the requirements more closely we were shocked to find that Calgary had no world-class winter sports facilities at all,” wrote King in his 1991 book, It’s How You Play the Game: The inside story of the Calgary Olympics.
“Calgary was like a growing boy who had always got by in jeans, had now outgrown them, and had nothing better to wear for a big occasion.”
Fourteen other Canadian cities had larger and more modern arenas than Calgary’s 30-year-old Corral. It had been more than 13 years since Alberta had a major ski area developed.
The country didn’t have a single bobsled or luge track, or a usable refrigerated speedskating oval.
It all only served to steel King ’s resolve to think bigger and outside the box, to somehow get a small oil town of 505,000 to think world class.
His wife, Jeannette, at first wondered if he was crazy. But their belief grew along with their passion for international sporting events, seeing the changes such hosting opportunities could effect.
Ten years later, this city had Olympic infrastructure and a community of volunteers that made Calgary ’88 the “best-organized Games in Winter Olympic history,” according to IOC president Juan-Antonio Samaranch. He chaired it all.
It put the city on the map, inspired generations of young Canadians to follow in the athletes’ footsteps, and has given hundreds of thousands of kids venues in which to explore the beauty of sport every year.
“He changed the city,” said Doug Mitchell, another Calgary visionary who deemed King the “ultimate team player” for his unselfish work.
“His leadership with regards to the 1988 Olympics changed the face of not only Calgary but Alberta and Canada. We’re a different city because of what he did and what the Olympics did for our city.”
As Mitchell points out, the can-do attitude King and his crew championed has essentially disappeared in Calgary where an NHL arena might never get built and the 2026 Olympic bid seems on the verge of being botched.
“Absolutely we could use more people like that now — the city has become very fractious, scary and disappointing,” said Mitchell, an avid supporter of a 2026 Olympic bid, which he discussed with King at a Booster Club lunch two weeks ago.
“From an economic standpoint I don’t believe what people are saying; you have to take a risks to have success. He was always actively talking about (2026). When we were together two weeks ago we touched on it and his eyes lit up amazingly because the moments he had he’ll never forget.”
Nor will the city — or two-time Olympic gold medallist Catriona Le May Doan, who moved here as a 17-year-old with speedskating dreams fuelled months earlier by the ’88 Games and its venues.
“I don’t think Frank or Bob thought it would be a legacy for as long as it has been,” said Le May Doan, who marvelled at the humble support King gave all things Olympics long after the Games.
“It didn’t just build a home for sport, but you could build a life and a program and coaches and iconic venues for our city.
“What I admire about a leader like him is he was never one to promote himself. That’s what I respect.”
He loved getting to know Olympians like Le May Doan, as they were proud products of the vision he spearheaded.
King was involved in overseeing the 2010 Vancouver Games as well, making him a natural to be tapped for advice as Calgary debates the merits of 2026.
While many stumble over the fear of the unknown, King embraced the richness of taking chances on something that would pay off for generations.
That’s how cities, people and movements grow.
He knew that as well as anyone, which makes his loss even harder to swallow at a time when people like King are needed most.
His leadership with regards to the 1988 Olympics changed the face of not only Calgary but Alberta and Canada.