Quote:
A bit OTT.
Most people outside the business world know Calgary not for O&G, but as a place to visit thanks to proximity to the Rockies. It will always enjoy a higher profile as a result of this feature.
As for 88. The impact of those games is not being overstated. It turbocharged Calgary’s international profile. Before 88 few I knew heard of Calgary. Afterwards just about everybody had and their perception was very positive.
Mind you, they may have heard about Calgary because I constantly went on about it.
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I wasn't talking about what it's known for, I was talking about why it's a metro area of 1.3M today and it's definitely not because of the Olympics like the BidCo suggested.
88, from all accounts, was a successful enterprise. It resulted in a new arena and a boost to Calgary's reputation while making money. That's great, it means nothing relative to this 2026 bid though. 9/11 happens, security costs go through the roof, there's twice as many events, and the IOC has more lavish requirements.