Olympics must be in taxpayers’ best interests
Bid for ’26 not an easy choice, Ricardo Miranda writes.
Thirty years ago, our city and province came together to host the 1988 Winter Olympics.
The event enabled our city, province and country to display our hospitality and goodwill as we hosted the world and we embraced that opportunity with all of our spirit, energy and talent.
The Games were also a coming of age for our Olympic program in Canada, leaving a legacy of world-class training facilities, athletes, coaches and officials. This year, Canada’s Olympians and Paralympians brought home 57 medals from the Pyeongchang Games — 31 of those medals were won by athletes who live and train in Alberta.
Despite past success, the decision on whether we should proceed with a bid for 2026 is not easy. The Olympic Games will require substantial financial and human resources, all of which must be independently verified to ensure costs and benefits are accurate. This includes a full understanding of how the world has changed since 1988, and the significant public safety and security commitment required to keep people safe.
At the same time, Calgarians are emerging from one of the worst economic downturns in generations.
Premier Rachel Notley and our team have worked to make life better for people, with decisions that put the well-being of workers and families first. Alberta now leads Canada in economic growth, with 90,000 jobs created last year and more created every month. We have protected and improved our schools, hospitals and public services. To make life more affordable, we’ve cut school fees, frozen tuition, rebated the carbon levy to 60 per cent of Albertans, and helped those who were laid off with EI extensions and training opportunities.
We have also worked to keep costs down, reduce the debt and keep our budget on track to balance. That’s why we froze public sector wages, restrained hiring, amalgamated public
As we approach the Olympics’ decision, we need to proceed prudently. The costs, the benefits and the views of Calgarians must be well known.
agencies and boards, cut non-essential spending, and put an end to the frivolous and entitled spending decisions of the previous Conservative government, decisions that resulted in projects like the Sky Palace.
Albertans are right to expect that their government puts the day-to-day needs of workers and families first, while remaining fiscally responsible and fully transparent. As we approach the Olympics’ decision, we need to proceed prudently. The costs, the benefits and the views of Calgarians must be well known before any final decision.
When Calgary council approached the province about the Olympics, we were clear with our message. We said Calgarians should get to vote on whether this is a valuable investment. On Nov. 13, you’ll get that opportunity.
A minimum of 30 days before that vote, Calgarians will get the accurate and unbiased information they need to make an informed decision. Council has approved a clear question that will be posed to voters, enabling views to be heard and seriously considered.
Before that date, Calgary 2026 and all of its partners have a lot of rigorous analysis to do.
The people in charge of the bid need to develop a proposal that lays out a strong understanding of value for money, the economic impact, the financial responsibilities of the various levels of government, and the support of other partners, such as the International Olympic Committee, the Canadian Olympic Committee and potential corporate sponsors.
As that plan is developed, it must be independently verified to ensure the costs and benefits of the Games are accurate.
That information will help guide us and the federal government, as different levels of government decide whether or not to commit to an Olympic bid.
Calgarians deserve nothing less than our best. This is a difficult decision and we must get it right, meaning that it is in the best interests of workers and families in Calgary and across Alberta.