The federal, provincial and municipal levels of government have announced their collective support for the forming of a bid corporation to develop a hosting plan and establish a budget for a potential bid by the City of Calgary to host the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
The three levels of government declared their support in a joint statement released Thursday afternoon.
“This partnership is an exciting step towards determining if a bid for the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games is right for Calgary,” said Mayor Naheed Nenshi in the statement. “We have a strong legacy of sport in this city and we know we can host a great Games.”
“Now, alongside our partners in the Government of Alberta and the Government of Canada, we can continue to figure out if a 2026 Bid is in the best interests of our citizens.”
Calgary remains in the dialogue stage with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) after expressing interest in potentially hosting the 2026 games. IOC representatives recently visited Calgary and voiced their approval of existing facilities in the city.
“Participating in the bid process will allow us to further examine the costs associated with the hosting the 20266 Olympic and Paralympic Games and ensure they are carefully balanced around the needs and expectations of Albertans, within the greater context of Alberta’s economic recovery,” said Ricardo Miranda, Alberta’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, in the statement.
Thursday’s announcement did not specify the funding commitment of the federal or provincial levels of government to a potential bid, a sticking point in previous City Council discussions regarding the possible pursuit of the 2026 Games.
The creation of the bid corporation does not mean a Calgary bid for the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games is inevitable.
Submitting a bid to host the games would cost $30 million and the City had planned to share that expense equally with the other two levels of government. IOC officials have indicated that cities interested in hosting the 2026 Games will need to submit a formal bid proposal by January 2019 and the successful applicant will be announced in September 2019.
The estimated cost of hosting the games is pegged at $4.6 billion and the IOC has stated its willingness to contribute $925 million.
