LET’S BID SO WE CAN GET BACK SOME OF OUR MONEY
Federal Olympic funds could help build a legacy of infrastructure
Every year for decades, Albertans have left almost $20 billion in transfer payments in Ottawa.
That’s one of the reasons I back an Olympic bid for Calgary. It will mean that as Albertans, we will get a bit more of our own money back from the federal government for a change, to help pay for needed Games infrastructure that will last and benefit future generations for years to come.
A new poll shows a majority of Calgarians support a 2026 Winter Olympic Games bid.
The poll, which was commissioned by city manager Jeff Fielding, surveyed 500 Calgarians in July and found that 53 per cent either strongly support or somewhat support a potential Calgary bid for the Games. Fully 30 per cent strongly support a bid.
Only 33 per cent strongly or somewhat oppose making a bid, which bodes well for the citywide plebiscite on hosting the Olympics to be held in Calgary on Nov. 13.
When respondents were asked why they support a potential Calgary bid, they were allowed to provide multiple reasons, with the top answer (39 per cent) being that an Olympics would benefit the economy. The next top answers were also economyrelated, with 31 per cent saying it would increase tourism and 23 per cent saying it would reinvigorate Calgary and showcase it to the world as a good place for new business.
But of the 14 answers given in the poll, getting some of our own money back from the feds and the province isn’t one of them.
Some people will argue that there is only one taxpayer and that it doesn’t matter which level of government spends it. That, of course, is nonsense.
If Calgary contributes $1 billion to an Olympic bid, that’s the equivalent of $790 for each Calgarian. If Ottawa contributes $1 billion to an Olympic bid, it costs each Canadian citizen (including Calgarians) just $27.
According to Statistics Canada, in 2015, Albertans — through mostly income tax, corporate tax, GST and federal gasoline tax — sent almost $48 billion to Ottawa. The federal government — through EI, Old Age Security and health transfers, etc. — returned just $24.819 billion to Albertans, meaning a whopping $23.106 billion was left in federal coffers.
This has been going on for decades. Albertans are the biggest net contributors to confederation in the country. Every man, woman and child in Alberta contributed $5,501 net to the federal government, while the next biggest per-capita contributors in 2015 were British Columbians at $1,030 for every citizen of that province.
Residents of Quebec — whose government helped scuttle the Energy East pipeline by fighting against a small portion of it running through its land to New Brunswick — each received $1,896 in benefits, mostly from Albertans, since only Alberta, B.C., Ontario and Saskatchewan are net contributors to the country’s bottom line.
“If people do think that dollars are flowing out of our coffers and are subsidizing other provinces, they should be fully supportive of any opportunity that gets dollars spent in Calgary from the provincial government and the federal government,” said Jason Ribeiro, one of the organizers with Yes Calgary 2026.
“Ottawa budgets and spends this money on events, regardless of whether we win the bid for the Olympics or not. Those dollars are going to be spent. We may as well have it spent here,” added Ribeiro, who is volunteering his considerable efforts and talents on spearheading the push for Calgarians to vote yes to bidding for the 2026 Olympics.
Nine per cent of those surveyed said “new infrastructure” was a reason why they support a potential Calgary bid for the Games.
The Olympic Oval is more than 30 years old and needs some upgrades. Same with Winsport’s bobsled, luge and skeleton tracks. This will be a perfect opportunity to build a new hockey arena — to replace the Saddledome, which is the second oldest arena in the NHL — and ensure that our beloved Calgary Flames don’t get sold to another city.
Calgary has the worst football stadium not just in Canada but possibly anywhere in North America. Small American colleges have better football stadiums than Calgary does. And while Edmonton has three field houses Calgary has none. It’s actually shameful.
The athlete and media villages required for the Olympics would provide suitable social housing after the event. The opportunities are as bright as the Olympic flame. It’s believed that the federal government could contribute anywhere from $2 billion to $3 billion toward a Calgary Olympic bid. It’s our money. How about we just say yes and get some of it back for a change?