Canadian Olympic Committee Exploring Interest From Cities For Upcoming Games

Canadian Olympic Committee CEO Chris Overholt last month "quietly wrote letters" to the mayors of Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Ottawa, Toronto, Quebec City and Montreal to "ask if they would be interested in learning more about a possible bid" for an upcoming Summer or Winter Games, according to Vicki Hall of POSTMEDIA NEWS. The deadline for reply -- with Calgary and Quebec City the "most likely to jump at the opportunity in connection with the 2026 Winter Games -- is the end of June." From there, the COC, and perhaps also the IOC, will "dispatch a team of experts to the interested cities to discuss the logistics surrounding the bid process." Citing "concerns over costs, Toronto decided against bidding" for the '24 Summer Games. A decision is "expected by next spring or summer." COC President Tricia Smith said, “The process is going to be open and transparent. We still have to determine if a bid would be good for Canada" (POSTMEDIA NEWS, 4/15).