Ottawa checking Calgary 2026 bid figures: minister
Alberta also plans independent review as critical council meeting looms next week
Canada’s sports minister says the federal government has received Calgary 2026’s bid proposal and is reviewing the numbers, but Kirsty Duncan stopped short of making any assurances on funding for the Games during a visit to the province Friday.
“We’ve received the figures from the Calgary bid corporation,” Duncan told Postmedia. “We are in the process of reviewing that bid proposal. Canadians expect us to do our due diligence.
“We want to make sure we’re making a decision that’s right for Calgary, Alberta and Canada.”
Duncan’s comments come ahead of a critical city council meeting next week where details of Calgary 2026’s hosting plan will be made public for the first time.
The provincial government said it also has plans for an independent review of Calgary 2026’s numbers.
The NDP government has retained accounting firm MNP and the Canada West Foundation to analyze the proposed hosting plan.
“(T)he decision on whether we should proceed with a bid for 2026 is not easy,” writes Culture and Tourism Minister Ricardo Miranda in a column for Postmedia published Saturday.
“The Olympic Games will require substantial financial and human resources, all of which must be independently verified to ensure costs and benefits are accurate. This includes a full understanding of how the world has changed since 1988, and the significant public safety and security commitment required to keep people safe.”
The public presentation of the hosting plan on Sept. 11 coincides with an important vote at city hall that will determine whether work on a bid will continue until at least November when Calgarians will get the chance to vote on the Olympics in a plebiscite.
Duncan said the federal government has been supportive of a Calgary bid “from the very beginning ” but added that they will be closely watching the outcome of the Nov. 13 plebiscite.
“We are looking forward to hearing from Calgarians. That is why we are supporting the plebiscite,” she said.
“We want Calgarians to be able to voice their opinions. We feel really strongly about citizen engagement. So that next piece is very much around the plebiscite and we are eagerly awaiting the results.”
Tuesday’s release of the hosting plan is expected to provide Calgarians with key details about Olympic
We want to make sure we’re making a decision that’s right for Calgary, Alberta and Canada.
costs, as well as sport and venue concepts.
Missing from the presentation will be the specifics of a cost-sharing agreement between the three levels of government for funding the Games — something that some critics have said should be a prerequisite for proceeding any further with the bid.
At a public event this week held by pro-Olympics group Yes Calgary 2026, bid advocates called on the federal government to cover at least half of the public-sector portion of the Games’ tab, with the province covering 30 to 35 per cent and the city the remaining 15 to 20 per cent.