A report to city council Monday suggests an additional $2 million will be needed for Calgary to continue exploring a possible bid to host the 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
That’s on top of the $5 million that council had previously approved for the Calgary Bid Exploration Committee.
The committee, which completed its work last summer, spent $3.5 million of its budget, and concluded that it’s feasible for the city to host the 2026 Games, but that council would have to determine if it’s prudent to submit a bid.
LISTEN: Councillor Shane Keating on a potential Calgary bid for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games
The report by city administrators suggests additional funding is needed to form a Bid Corporation that would work on a bid design and so-called “bid book.”
It’s estimated the total cost of hosting the Games would be $4.6 billion.
The International Olympic Committee has indicated it would provide close to $1 billion to the host city.
Administrators are expected to submit a formal funding request at next week’s council meeting.