A VOTE FOR OLYMPIC ‘GLORY’
Children of the late Frank King, CEO of the 1988 Winter Olympics, from left, Steve, Linda and Dave, walk in to vote with Calgary 2026 CEO Mary Moran, second from right, at an Olympic plebiscite advance polling station on Wednesday.
It remains unclear who would foot the bill for potential security overruns should Calgary host the 2026 Winter Olympics after the federal government signalled last week any extra costs incurred would not be its responsibility.
On Tuesday, Mary Conibear of Calgary 2026 told members of council’s Olympic assessment committee that the bid corporation has been assured that federal Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale would sign a guarantee to ensure the safety and security of the Games.
“We will get a guarantee. It’s been approved to be signed by the minister of public safety,” she said. “It says we require a guarantee from the relevant authority that guarantees a safe and peaceful celebration . . . So we’ve been assured that the minister of public safety will sign that guarantee, and that will encompass how they would deal with the financial arrangements as well.”
Conibear said that guarantee is due by January.
In an emailed statement, Craig MacBride, a spokesman for Science and Sport Minister Kirsty Duncan confirmed the federal government would sign the document “which guarantees a safe and secure Olympic and Paralympics Games.”
But MacBride said, “it’s not quite so straightforward” when it comes to whether that guarantee would leave Ottawa on the hook for potential overruns of the $495-million security budget and that “it would likely depend on the nature of the costs.”
“There is a strong plan in place that includes contingencies related to security for the Games. The plan, including specific security requirements and costs, was developed through the collaboration of security partners and stakeholders, including local police and the RCMP. The security budget provides an accurate cost,” he stated.
“Should there be a future need to revisit the plans, the security partners and stakeholders would assess the situation and provide recommendations to the Bid Parties for their consideration.”
Meanwhile, bid corporation spokeswoman Ruth Anne Beck said “what I can tell you is that the federal government is responsible for the Games security.”
Duncan told reporters last week the federal government is “not responsible for cost overruns” under the government’s policy for hosting international sporting events.
Conibear told councillors that much of the confusion surrounding the issue stemmed from Duncan’s office commenting on it in place of the relevant minister.
“We had encouraged in all cases for questions to go to the minister of public safety, who is responsible for security,” she said Tuesday.
But on Wednesday, Goodale’s office said it was not commenting on security matters related to the bid.
“I would refer this to the office of minister Duncan, who is responsible for the bid,” said spokesman Scott Bardsley. “Minister Duncan is the lead on this file, so her office is the best placed to respond. She would address the matter.”
Calgary 2026 has previously said it believed Public Safety Canada, the federal department responsible for ensuring the safety of Canadians, would pick up the tab on any potential security overruns, a position Mayor Naheed Nenshi echoed when speaking with reporters following a pro-bid rally on Monday.
Typical host city contracts between the International Olympic Committee and the cities awarded Olympic Games include a clause that states “the responsibility for all aspects of security in relation to the Games (including the financial, planning and operational aspects thereof ) lies with Host Country Authorities, which shall take all necessary measures in order to guarantee the safe and peaceful celebration of the Games.”
The statement is included in the host city agreements signed by the 2024 and 2028 Summer Games.
The contracts also state that the host city, along with each country ’s National Olympic Committee and organizing committee, are responsible to help ensure security and “shall take further measures ... to complement those implemented by Host Country Authorities.”
Calgary’s draft host plan includes a contingency fund of $1.1 billion to mitigate financial risk. Nenshi said it’s unlikely the Games would exceed the fund and cause extra security costs that would need to be paid. The Alberta government has said it’s out of the question that cost overruns would fall to the province’s taxpayers.
“The Government of Alberta has stated in writing, to both the mayor of Calgary and the federal minister of sport, that we will not be able to provide any additional funds that may be required, including those to cover revenue shortfalls of cost overruns,” it stated earlier this week.
There is a strong plan in place that includes contingencies related to security for the Games.