Ward 7 Coun. Druh Farrell said on Tuesday that a 2026 Olympic bid is likely for Calgary based on what she’s “hearing around the table.”
Farrell made the comments to Global News Calgary as city council is expected to make a formal decision in the coming weeks.
“Just from what I am hearing, I suspect that we made a decision emotionally quite some time ago,” she said.
However, Farrell is skeptical that hosting the 2026 Winter Olympics would be good for the city and the economy.
“I am worried about the cost overruns. The bills are just starting to come in with Korea and it’s almost double what they originally forecasted, so there are a lot of things we need to be thinking about,” she said.
Farrell was a participant in a panel on the potential bid at the University of Calgary Tuesday night.
One of the speakers was Roger Jackson — a key member of the 1988 bid process.
He said it will be easier for Calgary to host this time because it can draw on the experience from the Vancouver 2010 games.
“We have all of their documents, we have all of the templates of legal agreements, we have all of the experience of host broadcasting and all of the technology and other elements that go into running an organizing committee,” he said.
Council is still waiting to hear how much financial support the federal and provincial governments will kick in for a potential bid.
Farrell also says council needs to properly consult Calgarians before a final decision is made in the coming weeks.
— With files from Joel Senick