Deal To Fund Potential '26 Calgary Games Faces Deadline

Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi has set today as the "deadline for an Olympic funding deal" endorsed by the city, the province of Alberta and Canada's federal government. Nenshi in a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that otherwise, he will "move to have council cancel the deal." For a vote on the '26 Games in the Nov. 13 plebiscite to be "credible, a deal has to be available to the public for at least a week before the vote." Calgary 2026 Chair Scott Hutcheson said, "We’re still working with all our partners and I remain very optimistic" (CALGARY HERALD, 10/29).

This comes after Canada's federal cabinet late last week "authorized Olympic spending" of up to C$1.75B for the '26 Calgary Games, "if the city bids for the Games and wins." The figure is "higher than most people involved in the bid expected from Ottawa." The government later disclosed that the number is "cited in 2026 dollars, which means the real amount" is about $1.5B "when inflation is taken into account" (CALGARYHERALD.com, 10/27).