Calgary city council has yet to make a decision on whether to bid on the 2026 Winter Games, but there are more signs it will happen.
The clearest indication came on Dec. 7, with the announcement that the city is footing the bill for two MLAs, three city staffers and possibly Mayor Naheed Nenshi to attend the Winter Games in February as observers.
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You’ll remember last month when council voted in favour of spending another $1 million to continue exploring the idea of putting in a bid for the Games. That was $1 million less than what administrators had been seeking.
Council agreed to hold back the additional million, saying it wanted a clear signal that the provincial and federal governments were on board with the cost of submitting a bid.
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Last week’s announcement that MLAs Sarah Hoffman and Ricardo Miranda would be joining Calgary’s delegation on our dime had Mayor Nenshi suggesting it was a strong signal of the province’s interest in helping to fund the bid.
Premier Rachel Notley said they have made no such commitment, but didn’t hesitate to sign off on a trip for her MLAs.
So, a delegation is headed to PyeongChang, South Korea; apparently a necessary step for any city “considering” bidding on future games.
Eventually, we will reach the financial point of no return.
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