Kenney cautious on Games bid

United Conservative Party Leader Jason Kenney is also leery about a Calgary bid for the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Calgary city council says it needs the support of the provincial and federal governments to move forward on a potential bid — and wants an answer by the end of the year.

Premier Rachel Notley struck a cautious note earlier this week, saying the NDP government had to wade through “conflicting information” to determine whether there would be a benefit to hosting the Olympics in Calgary.

Kenney — who is currently running for the Calgary-Lougheed legislature seat — said Friday he would also reserve judgment on an Olympic bid.

“Everybody in principle would love to have the Olympics. But nobody wants a fiscal boondoggle,” he said in an interview following his address to the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association.

“I think very often the economic benefits of these things are overstated.”

The Calgary Bid Exploration Committee estimates that hosting the Olympics would carry a $4.6-billion price tag, offset by revenue of $2.2 billion, plus as- sociated economic benefits. That would require $1.2 billion in funding from the federal government and another $1.2 billion from the province and other potential funders.

“We want to be very careful and deliberative about this issue because it has huge implications,” said Kenney, who earlier this year opposed an Olympic bid as he ran for the Progressive Conservative leadership.

“I think we have to look at all the information available and make a hard-headed decision about it, partly because the province is broke.”