Bid corporation yet to contact B.C. on use of Whistler ski jump, minister says

A B.C. government minister says she and the province have yet to be contacted by Calgary ’s Olympic bid corporation over the use of ski jumping facilities — an assertion Calgary 2026 disputes.

“So far, we have not been involved in the drafting of the Calgary 2026 bid and, to date, have not been formally approached by the bid organizers,” Lisa Beare, B.C. minister of tourism, said in a statement.

Calgary 2026 has stated in its draft hosting plan it intends to use Whistler Olympic Park — located about two hours north of Vancouver — for ski-jumping and nordic combined events. The facility was used in the 2010 Games.

“If we are formally approached, we will look forward to learning more about this proposal — especially how it might benefit British Columbians,” said Beare, adding the province needed to “carefully consider any potential costs or risks to the province.”

The Whistler Athletes’ Centre — 19 kilometres from the park — has also been suggested as a housing venue for a potential 2026 Games, where 350 people could be accommodated. The draft hosting plan said utilizing these ski jumps — which meet international standards — would result in more than $50 million in savings to the Games. The jumps are still in good shape and continue to host highlevel competitions, the plan states.

It’s believed the ski-jump facility would require minor renovations along with general improvements to equipment and to the athlete accommodation facilities.

Calgary 2026 CEO Mary Moran said while she couldn’t speak to discussions that happened before she joined the group 2½ months ago, she said conversations with British Columbia would be expedited.

Coun. Jyoti Gondek said she was surprised to hear of the lack of conversation with B.C.

“You would think a location of a major event would be considered by now,” she said. “If the minister didn’t know, but somebody else knows, that conversation may be lacking from a different perspective. As much as BidCo is trying to do their job to the best of their ability and try to fulfil their mandate, as orders of government we have massively screwed things up for them. There’s no other way to say it.”

Coun. Jeromy Farkas said, given this lack of communication, he wonders what else has been missed in the Olympic bid.

“It’s obviously a significant oversight,” he said. “It’s unacceptable that they are being brought into the conversation at this late stage, and what if they say no? We need all parties on board. In my mind, it’s part of a larger conversation on a lack of engagement of key parties, and I cannot believe we are going to a plebiscite without having nailed down participation.

“Ultimately, the B.C. government is responsible for things like safety and it’s a no-go if they’re not on board. It would incredibly hamper our Olympic bid, here in Calgary, if we had to rebuild facilities Whistler potentially could provide.”

But Calgary 2026 director of communications James Millar disputed Beare’s claim, saying the bid corporation has been in contact with B.C.’s Ministry of Finance.

Millar said the group first contacted them four months ago and has since shared a draft project overview.

“Consultations with the mayor and the Town of Whistler have been going on for over a year,” he said. “Consultations with the venue owner (Whistler Sport Legacies) have been going on for much longer.”

When contacted by Postmedia, the Resort Municipality of Whistler said Whistler Sport Legacies has been in “ongoing dialogue with those leading the Calgary 2026 Olympic bid.”

Whistler added it has been briefed on the proposal and is awaiting the outcome of Calgary ’s plebiscite.