The flames at Whistler Olympic village could be lit again after the latest Calgary city council meeting on Monday.
City council voted to study venues outside Calgary to save money, including the possibility of using venues from the 2010 Winter Games in Whistler.
City council has greenlighted up to two million dollars to explore a bid for the 2026 Olympics, but not everyone agrees.
“I have grave concern about the path that we might be sending the city down, especially given that council doesn’t have the complete picture. What we heard through the meeting today is that there’s grave risks associated with the Olympics, and we can’t share that with the public,” said Jeromy Farkas, Ward 11 councillor.
Farkas isn’t the only Calgary city councillor worried about the impact of hosting the Olympics. Druh Farrell is concerned after seeing the latest economic reports made public on Monday.
“They’re damning reports, they eviscerate the other economic reports that talk about growing economic benefits. We should go into this process eyes wide open,” she said.
Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi says he’s all for Calgary going for gold.
“Certainly going forward with this two million dollars is a risk but it’s a risk well worth taking,” he said.
The city is moving forward with the possibility of making a bid, dedicating one million dollars be made available by the end of the year. The other additional million will only be released if the federal and provincial governments come on board. Council expects that answer by early 2018.
With files from Tracy Nagai, Global Calgary, and Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press
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