Calgary 2026 Olympics bid awaits leader

The success of a Calgary bid for the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Games will depend on its leader.

With the deadline to submit bids to the International Olympic Committee just nine months away, a champion for a 2026 bid has yet to appear.

City council hasn’t decided if Calgary will bid or not, but the city recently put out a call via its website to people interested in becoming the chief executive and chair of a bid corporation.

Candidates were asked to be ready to take on those roles by May 30. The CEO and chair will be the faces of a 2026 bid.

They will be asking Calgarians, the country and the world to emotionally invest in their vision of another Winter Olympics in the city after the 1988 Games.

They will also be asked by nervous taxpayers how much it will all cost. An initial estimate by the Calgary Bid Exploration Committee was $4.6 billion with games revenues covering almost half.

A bid alone is $30 million with the city, province and federal governments willing to split the cost.

Getting governments, corporations, the public and eventually the IOC to buy in on Calgary 2026 hinges on the charisma, creativity and trustworthiness of the CEO and chair.

The city is chockablock with former athletes who went on to successful professional careers and remain vocal supporters of Olympic sport — Mark Tewksbury, Ken Read and Catriona Le May Doan to name a few — as well as industry giants in oil and gas, finance, communications and aviation, who have the political connections and business acumen to drive a bid.

But starting with apprehensive city councillors all the way to the IOC, the champion of a 2026 bid ultimately has to inspire faith and confidence that Calgary can host another successful Winter Olympics.