The Calgary City Council yesterday "accepted a recommendation from the Calgary Sports Tourism Authority to form a bid exploration committee that will examine the costs, benefits, and feasibility" of a bid for the '26 Games, according to a front-page piece by Annalise Klingbeil of the CALGARY HERALD. The council "authorized the spending, from the fiscal sustainability reserve, to conduct the study." Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi "emphasized that many steps remain" but also "welcomed council’s endorsement to explore a bid." However, some councillors "questioned what the city’s priorities are and argued against spending up to" $5M (all figures C) to "collect more data on a potential bid." The sport tourism authority estimates that up to 20% of the cost to explore a bid "could be raised privately." The '88 Winter Games left Calgary with more than $140M "in profit and lasting facilities ... that have served as crucial training centres for future Olympians." The membership and governance structure of the bid exploration committee "will be announced in August." It is "scheduled to report to council twice before a final report is provided" by July '17 (CALGARY HERALD, 6/21). CSTA Exec Dir Marco Di Iaco said that an "in-depth study is needed to see if the bid would be worthwhile for the city." He added, "We believe there's significant benefits to Calgary in pursuing this opportunity, but we want to be sure." CBC.ca's Anderson & Gibson noted if a bid is approved, the group "would then engage" the IOC "in an official bid, which would culminate" in a July '19 decision. Di Iaco said that the city "is in a great position to reuse its old facilities and upgrade or replace those nearing the end of their lifespans." He said of reuse rather than large-scale new construction, "One of the compelling arguments with a potential Calgary bid is we would be able to province a unique sustainable blueprint" (CBC.ca, 6/20).
STATUS QUO: In Calgary, Don Braid writes a new hockey arena/stadium project "is largely irrelevant" because updated rules from the IOC "no longer require a host city to build facilities." Existing ones like the Saddledome "are fine, if they’re up to spec." By refurbishing those venues, and building a few smaller new ones, Calgary "might be able to stage the cheapest Games in Olympic history, while cementing Calgary’s role as a national sports hub for decades to come" (CALGARY HERALD, 6/21).
THE TIMES THEY ARE A CHANGIN': YAHOO SPORTS CANADA's Chris Young noted fueling this push that has "been some time in the making" are memories "of the smashing success" that was the '88 Olympics. Vancouver hosted the '10 Winter Games, but what is "going to make it such a hard sell" is the reality of '16. These "aren’t the more free-with-a-dollar 1980s, when Calgary basically obliterated the competition nationally and globally by outspending them." It is "hard to imagine the same thing happening today" (CA.SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 6/20).
