A report was presented on Tuesday that outlines the Bid Book process and provides an overview of what it would take to host another Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in 2026.
The report addresses how the city would deal with security, transportation and doping should Calgary win a bid to host the games in eight years’ time.
The discussion also focused on what would be contained in Calgary’s Bid Book, which includes information on venues, budgets, marketing, public support and environmental issues.
The city is requesting more funding for its Olympic administrative office, which would not be included in the $30 million that has already been committed to kick start the bid.
Some suggestions to save money include sending athlete doping samples to Montreal for testing instead of building a $20 million anti-doping lab in Calgary.
The IOC says 30,000 rooms will be needed for security and staff for the games and officials hope to create short-term housing options that can be turned into affordable housing once the Olympics are over.
BidCo chair Scott Hutcheson says the goal is to be as transparent as possible with Calgarians on future options before a plebiscite is conducted in November.
“You want to provide information that’s necessary for the public to feel comfortable and you don’t want to provide information that isn’t particularly relevant or removes your competitive advantage,” said Hutcheson.
The Bid Book is expected to be drafted later this year and must be submitted to the IOC by January of 2019.
For more information on the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Bid Book Overview, click HERE.
