Calgarians will get a detailed estimate next week on how much it will cost to host the 2026 Winter Olympics, however, some important financial information will be missing.
The updated plan will offer a more refined financial picture than was presented more than a year ago by the Calgary Bid Exploration Committee, who came out with a cost of $4.6 billion to host the Games.
But officials say there won’t be any details on how much of the cost will be shared by the provincial and federal governments. It was anticipated a multi-party agreement would be in place by September 10, but that deadline has passed.
That’s a point of concern for Ward 7 Coun. Druh Farrell.
“We have some estimates and there’s a range, but we really can’t talk about them without any certainty until we have an agreement,” she said. “I remain concerned about the financial aspect of this.”
Councillors on city hall’s Olympic committee were joined by several of their colleagues for an update from Calgary 2026 — the group responsible for preparing a possible bid to host the 2026 Games if the city moves ahead. The councillors were informed of the draft plan which includes what venues would be used for the Games and the projected capital and operating costs.
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Mayor Naheed Nenshi said he believes a bid is doable.
“Absolutely doable in terms of things that we need to build, things that are our priorities in any case,” he said.
“If we come up with a deal that we can’t afford, why would we do it? I would be the first to say that we abandon the bid.”
Coun. Jeromy Farkas, who’s been a vocal opponent to chasing a bid, said he’s disappointed a cost-sharing agreement with the federal or provincial government is not available yet.
“Without all that information, I don’t think that we can actually have a plebiscite because otherwise, it’s just voting on fluffy aspirations,” he said. “It’s almost a meaningless vote because there’s no specifics or tangibles to it.”
The province has indicated it will provide its cost-sharing plan by October 13, a month ahead of the November 13 plebiscite.
It’s expected the draft hosting plan from Calgary 2026 will be discussed at council next Tuesday afternoon.
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