Premier says joint Commonwealth Games bid needs backing of Albertans, doesn't commit to plebiscite
We don't yet know the projected cost or which venues could host events for a potential 2030 Commonwealth Games, but officials say it will be up to Albertans to decide whether to put forth a bid.
However, people shouldn't expect a plebiscite or public vote on the matter, according to the group putting together the pitch and Calgary's mayor.
The group publicly launched its exploratory phase of a possible Alberta bid in early March and will have just months to put together a proposal.
"We have to see that the public is behind it. That's pretty key. We wouldn't want to go forward without broad public support," Premier Danielle Smith said Monday, though she wouldn't go as far as committing to a plebiscite.
"I tend to like to see a proposal before I make a decision on it."
It's complicated to have a public vote, Smith suggested, because several communities are being considered to be part of the bid.
Calgary and Edmonton would host a bulk of the events if Alberta does welcome the games — Tsuut'ina and Canmore could be in the mix, too.
The Alberta 2030 group is working on determining a price tag to bid and host the games.
The 2022 Commonwealth Games, hosted by Birmingham in the U.K., cost more than $1.2 billion.
"Capturing adequately the legacy impacts is difficult," said Matt Lyons, a research fellow at the University of Birmingham who studied the cost and impact of the 2022 Commonwealth Games and other major sporting events.
"One of the things that is generally overlooked is what this money could otherwise have been spent on, really? What is the opportunity cost of this decision?" he said.
It makes it difficult to truly determine whether hosting the Commonwealth Games is really worth it, Lyons said.
"You've got the tourism impact, which is principally what we looked at. It suggested that that brought in around 200 million pounds," Lyons explained.
"But this is quite a narrow estimate. The U.K. government has also produced a report which looked at the wider impacts, and have suggested that the impact is more like 870 million pounds."
The Alberta 2030 group is accepting feedback on its website and says input and participation will be at the core of its effort.
There's no word whether there will be any in-person events hosted by the exploratory group or any level of government to gather public comments.
The bid proposal will be made public by August and a host for the 2030 Commonwealth Games will be picked in November.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.