Calgarians to vote on fate of Olympic dream
Yes and No groups vow to respect wishes of citizens after result
A second-place finish at the Olympics is worth a shiny silver medal, but come Tuesday night, the city ’s Olympic plebiscite results will leave one side disappointed.
The contentious debate about whether Calgary should bid to host the 2026 Winter Games has gripped the city for months.
And while the Calgary 2026 bid corporation has invested much time and effort into selling the bid to Calgarians, chair Scott Hutcheson said he understood that some Calgarians would be hesitant no matter what.
“There’s a certain percentage of folks that will immediately say ‘Yes’, and they get that spirit going before they even see the good deal we put together. And then I think there’s going to be people in the community that can’t see themselves in the Games and they’re entitled to that piece. I don’t expect 90 per cent are going to go in favour of the Games,” Hutcheson said Monday during an interview with Postmedia in advance of the plebiscite.
“I understand that there’s always going to be two views or three views or four views or multiple views on any subject, but it’s the possibilities of what we can do as a community that get me all excited,” he said. “There’s always going to be views that are different than my own, but what Calgary did in 1988 and what Vancouver did in 2010 are two of the most special periods of time.”
For Erin Waite of the No Calgary Olympics group, opposition to the bid has come from wanting to “round out the conversation.”
A quick look at estimated costs for Calgary and Canmore to host the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, according to the bid corporation Calgary 2026 revised host draft plan and Government of Canada figures.
Total estimated cost: $5.1 billion. Public investment: Government of Canada, $1.45 billion; Province of Alberta, $700 million: City of Calgary $390 million, plus $150 million credit for previous financial commitment to improve a downtown district that would be a Games hub; Town of Canmore, $3 million.
Private funding: $2.23 billion from Games revenues, including a $1.2 billion contribution from the International Olympic Committee in cash and services.
Contingency funds to mitigate financial risk: $1.1 billion. Security budget: $495 million. New Calgary sports venues proposed: $403 million for a multipurpose indoor field house and 5,000-seat arena.
1988 venues reboot: $502 million to upgrade McMahon Stadium, Scotiabank Saddledome, Olympic Oval, WinSports sliding track and ski kill, Nakiska Ski Resort, Canmore Nordic Centre, BMO Centre and Big 4 buildings. 2010 venues reboot: The ski jump used for the 2010 Winter Games in Whistler, B.C., is the proposed site for that sport and nordic combined in 2026.