The Calgary City Council on Monday learned hosting the 2026 Winter Games would require more than C$2B ($1.5B) in public funding and "risks running a massive operating deficit," according to Annalise Klingbeil of the CALGARY HERALD. The Calgary Bid Exploration Committee "told council members the price tag for a repeat Calgary Games" is C$4.6B ($3.5B), a tally that would be offset by an estimated C$2.2B ($1.7B) in revenue from tickets, sponsorship and the IOC. That means taxpayers would be "on the hook" for C$2.4B ($1.8B) of funding -- a sum that does not include transportation costs, money for a new field house to host curling matches or funding for a new arena "considered essential for a Winter Games." CBEC Chair Rick Hanson said that the committee’s estimate "would be higher" if Calgary did not have existing facilities from the 1988 Winter Games, which would be reused if the '26 event occurs in Calgary. Some council members "expressed uncertainty about the numbers," including Mayor Naheed Nenshi, who said that he "wanted to know more about the group’s estimate that operating costs would exceed revenue" by C$425M ($320.7M) (CALGARY HERALD, 6/20).
