Close X
Tuesday, December 3, 2024
ADVT 
National

Calgary City Council Votes To Shut Down Bid For 2026 Winter Games

The Canadian Press, 19 Nov, 2018 12:33 PM
    Calgary city council has hammered the final nail in the coffin of a bid for the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games.
     
     
    Council voted unanimously Monday to scuttle a bid following last week's non-binding plebiscite, in which 56 per cent of those who went to the polls voted 'no' to bidding for the games.
     
     
    Calgary was the host city of the 1988 Winter Olympics.
     
     
    The venues from those games, which are still used by recreational and high-performance athletes three decades later, were the foundation of another potential bid.
     
     
    But a cost-sharing agreement between the federal, provincial and municipal governments wasn't finalized until Oct. 31, which was less than two weeks prior to the plebiscite.
     
     
    The bid corporation Calgary 2026 estimated the total cost of hosting the games at $5.1 billion. The bidco asked for a $2.875 billion contribution split between the city, provincial and federal governments.
     
     
    The Alberta government committed $700 million and the Canadian government $1.45 billion. The city was asked to contribute $390 million.
     
     
    "I'm disappointed in the plebiscite result and I think we will have a great deal of work to do as we move forward, because ultimately we did as a community say 'no' to a lot of funding," Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi said in chambers.
     
     
    "Now our job is, as it always is, to continue to try and replace that funding.
     
     
    "Certainly there are people who are happy about the plebiscite result, there are people who are disappointed about the plebiscite result, but ultimately it was an opportunity to think about ourselves and think about our future and I think that's a very good thing."
     
     
    How to a pay for a new indoor fieldhouse, which the city has long identified as a recreational need, and the renewal of the '88 legacy facilities that have helped make Canada a winter-sport powerhouse remain a priority, the mayor said.
     
     
    The draft host plan for 2026 had committed $502 million to the '88 venues to get them Games-ready again.
     
     
    "I think that we agree that our legacy as a winter-sport city is a really important part of our identity and a really important part of who we are," Nenshi said.
     
     
    The almost 2,000 housing units that would have been a 2026 legacy will not be affordable for the city in the short-term, he added.
     
     
    "That is the one I'm the most sad about," the mayor said.
     
     
    Stockholm and a joint Italian bid from Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo are still in the running to host the 2026 Games.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Dozen Overdoses Reported Within Four Hours In Surrey: Fraser Health

    Dozen Overdoses Reported Within Four Hours In Surrey: Fraser Health
    SURREY, B.C. — Public health officials in British Columbia's Lower Mainland are warning drug users to consume less than they normally would following a spike in overdoses Friday night.

    Dozen Overdoses Reported Within Four Hours In Surrey: Fraser Health

    Flooding, Stranded Drivers After Heavy Downpour Deluges Vancouver

    Vancouver is drying out after heavy rain turned some city streets into ponds Sunday night as the downpour overwhelmed leaf-clogged drains and catch basins.

    Flooding, Stranded Drivers After Heavy Downpour Deluges Vancouver

    South Asian Community Leaders Launch NO Campaign on Proportional Representation Referendum

    Dr. Gulzar Cheema, a former MLA in Manitoba and British Columbia and a practicing family doctor and Puneet Sandhar, a lawyer and a community advocate will be leading the South Asian campaign for the No BC Proportional Representation Society.

    South Asian Community Leaders Launch NO Campaign on Proportional Representation Referendum

    Seva Thrift Store Donates $20,000 To The Surrey Hospital And Outpatient Care Foundation

    SEVA Thrift Store makes an impact donating $20,000 to the Surrey Hospital and Outpatient Care Foundation during their 2nd Anniversary Celebration on September 23, 2018. Proceeds support the Children's Campaign for medical equipment and services at the hospital.

    Seva Thrift Store Donates $20,000 To The Surrey Hospital And Outpatient Care Foundation

    Perminder Chohan Foundation Endows A $20,000 Fund At Kwantlen Polytechnic University

      B.C. businessman Perminder Chohan’s philanthropic foundation has created a $20,000 endowment to support the Kwantlen Polytechnic University Foundation and help students in financial need.

    Perminder Chohan Foundation Endows A $20,000 Fund At Kwantlen Polytechnic University

    Preston GM Langley FC 2018-2019 Fundraiser

    This community partnership is meant to support local Youth Soccer from Mini Players (U4) to BCSPL Players which is the highest level of soccer for youths in BC. 

    Preston GM Langley FC 2018-2019 Fundraiser