Panel weighs in on Olympics at CBC town hall
Speakers from both sides of debate field questions about spending and concerns
Speakers from both sides of the Olympic debate took questions from members of the public at a CBC Calgary town hall Wednesday evening, weighing in on topics including government funding for a potential bid and the International Olympic Committee.
The panel discussion held at the new Central Library featured Calgary 2026 CEO Mary Moran, Mayor Naheed Nenshi, Coun. Evan Woolley, University of Calgary economist Trevor Tombe, No Calgary Olympics organizer Jeanne Milne and Mount Royal University associate professor David Finch.
In response to a question about how other city spending priorities will factor in to the cost of an Olympic bid, Nenshi said the renovations proposed to existing local facilities as part of a bid are “badly needed.”
“About $300 million … is needed to build this new field house that we desperately need for soccer, track and field and turf sports,” he said. “I’ve got to find that money anyway. That’s something we’ve been promising the community for a very long time … So when we think about the amount of money that the city is putting in, a big chunk of it is stuff we’ve got to find anyway, because it’s stuff we need regardless of whether we have a yes or a no vote on Tuesday.”
Tombe described the provincial budget as “not in a good way.”
“They’ve already cut the capital plan significantly,” he said. “So the $700 million that the province is going to contribute … it looks very much like it’s going to come from a very constrained, very fixed pot. And there is a long list of capital projects in the province of Alberta that are currently unfunded … so those dollars do have alternative uses, and it does mean that we won’t be spending on other capital projects.”
Following a question from an attendee about risks to working with the International Olympic Committee, Moran said the IOC is tackling topics including antidoping and bullying and sexual harassment in sport.
“They’re taking on the tough topics,” she said. “Are they perfect? No. But they are going through this wholesale change through Agenda 2020 … It’s going through a transformational change, and I am comfortable and confident with the people that we’re dealing with every single day who are eager to help Calgary.”
Milne responded that, ultimately, the IOC is about “putting on a show.”
“They have their objective to put on a good show — you know, we all watch the Olympics. And so you have to look at some of the decisions relative to that.”
The town hall took place as the second and final day of advance voting wrapped up in Calgary’s Olympic plebiscite. Voting stations will open again on Nov. 13.