Should Calgary Bid on the 2026 Olympics

[GordonBlue]

"Booster member Carol Hermanson warns that a good bid should avoid adding additional big capital projects in order to avoid Olympic cost overruns. Incl. things like an LRT to the airport or a train to Canmore, Banff & Lake Louise."

wonder if she thinks a new arena is one of those big capital projects that should be avoided. hope someone asks her.

[RM14]

My point is that if Taxpayers are paying for armed forces and police anyways, is it really an additional cost if they are doing a different assignment?

[hockeyhuman]

A bit lazy so haven't read much of the thread (don't hate), but I assume that if we get the Olympics we'd get a new arena? Is that how it would work?

If so, I'd change my vote to YES

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

Security cost also seems on the low end considering Vancouver cost $1 billion in 2010.

That's ridiculously low. With inflation alone security will be more like $2 bil in 2026. Security is also vulnerable to unexpected events. If there's a big terrorist attack somewhere 3 months before the games, you can bet they'll have to ratchet up the security and the security budget.

[GordonBlue]

Originally Posted by RM14

My point is that if Taxpayers are paying for armed forces and police anyways, is it really an additional cost if they are doing a different assignment?

my rebuttal would be with how thin our military is, there are many better ways for them to spend their time than security for a sporting event.

[RM14]

Originally Posted by GordonBlue

my rebuttal would be with how thin our military is, there are many better ways for them to spend their time than security for a sporting event.

I would argue the opposite. I think it would be great experience to work alongside all levels of first respondents and police to coordinate work together in a real situation. Document the issues they discover and implement better processes going forward. They can get back to their day to day routine afterwards.

[GordonBlue]

Originally Posted by RM14

I would argue the opposite. I think it would be great experience to work alongside all levels of first respondents and police to coordinate work together in a real situation. Document the issues they discover and implement better processes going forward. They can get back to their day to day routine afterwards.

what real situation? in how to stand around and mostly do nothing for two weeks?
It's likely the Olympics would be as Vancouver and go off without a problem and you've just wasted at least 2 billion dollars that could have been more usefully deployed elsewhere.

[RM14]

Originally Posted by GordonBlue

what real situation? in how to stand around and mostly do nothing for two weeks?
It's likely the Olympics would be as Vancouver and go off without a problem and you've just wasted at least 2 billion dollars that could have been more usefully deployed elsewhere.

Where? running drills and doing the exact same thing they already do?

[CaptainCrunch]

Ah the nostalgia of being in the military in 88 in Calgary. We pretty much hung out, marched around a bit. Sent the new guy to inspect every misplaced bag in the hopes that he'd get blown up, because we hated the new guy.


Military members don't enjoy what is basically guard duty in a civilian center.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Isn't the security situation here bound to be easier to deal with than Vancouver's was? Would that offset the increase through inflation to some extent?

[Ducay]

The YES team is really doing nothing but finding ways for me to dislike them. I predict this plebiscite is going to be a massive boondoggle. How can you vote on something without the final cost estimates in?

[GGG]

Always remember that the bid package assumes a new Arena and Field House and provides no way to pay for them.

That 5.8 billion gets you the party and moderate upgrades to existing facilities. That is all. And that an estimate at this stage is probably -10/+30. So really 5 to 8 Billion.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by GordonBlue

"We’re now hearing presentation on what a good bid *could* look like. On security: Emma May says estimates peg security costs at around $1B, primarily to be borne by Federal Government"

how can anyone peg security costs at 1B for a 2026 olympics when it was about that for 2010?
seems a bit disingenuous, doesn't it?
guess it's easy to throw out any old number when expecting someone else to pay for it.

We'll get more information when the hosting plan is released to the public next week, but from the original report that was presented to Council in the spring of 2017, the plan to keep security costs lower is to minimize the required number of secure locations. The biggest inflator of security costs is the increased number of secure areas and paying people to staff those areas.

That's the big reason why it proposed using the Stampede Grandstand for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and the nightly Medal Ceremonies rather than McMahon and Olympic Plaza.


In the original report it was suggested that Stampede Park be used for: Media Centre (BMO Centre/Big 4); Figure Skating/Short Track (Saddledome); Big Hockey (New Arena); Small Hockey (Corral); and the Opening/Closing/Medal Ceremonies (Grandstand). Plus, the Athlete's Village will likely be somewhere in East Victoria Park (in the report, the information about the Athlete's Village is redacted, but if you read between the lines, I believe they're suggesting the location where the Bus Barn currently is in Victoria Park).

All of those facilities would be within one large secure zone. In Vancouver, those events were all in different locations around the city and each needed to be secured separately.

[Senator Clay Davis]

How about no new arena actually in the bid? How about no meaningful infrastructure people want? Would that be something that interests you? (No Edmonton at least?)

The 2026 Winter Olympic games would cost $5.23 billion, according to Calgary 2026.

The organization tasked with exploring a bid for Calgary to host the Games says $3 billion of that would have to come from city, provincial and federal funding.

It's not known what the cost breakdown would be for each level of government, but Calgary 2026 president and CEO Mary Moran says they hope to have that breakdown 30 days in advance of a plebiscite planned for Nov. 13.

She said Step 1 was coming up with the $3-billion figure.

"Now we've got to go have the conversation, who pays for what," she said.

An earlier estimate of the total cost from the Calgary Bid Exploration Committee was almost $1-billion less.

All figures are in 2018 dollars.

The plan includes two new facilities in Calgary, a fieldhouse that would host figure skating and short track speed skating during the Games, and a new mid-size arena capable of seating 5,000 to 6,000 spectators.

The rest of the events would be hosted in refurbished venues dating from the '88 Olympics in Calgary, Canmore and Kananaskis and an upgraded McMahon Stadium.

Ski jumping and combined nordic events are planned for Whistler, while curling facilities are to be determined.

The draft plan calls for a revamp of the Saddledome rather than a new NHL-calibre arena, although there is a caveat saying a new arena could be incorporated into the plan.


There are no figures included for potential infrastructure investments, including possible transit expansions.

Moran said that's not within the organization's purview.

"We would says that's not part of the games," she said. "If cities and provinces and countries decide to invest in other things…. Those would not be a necessity for the 50 days of the Games."

Moran said Calgary 2026 anticipates $7.4-billion worth of economic impacts coming into Calgary and Alberta from the Games.

She also said there would be $2.2 billion of private investment that would not materialize without the Games.

Moran said she doesn't see any other economic development project with the same kind of return on investment.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calga...plan-1.4818444

[sureLoss]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1039590771605745664

https://twitter.com/user/status/1039591030872465408

https://twitter.com/user/status/1039591146312224769

https://twitter.com/user/status/1039591469592522752

[sureLoss]

double post

[Fuzz]

At that price, they should have tacked on $500 million for a new arena, though maybe this is strategic while they negotiate with the Flames.


They also just mention Kananskis for skiing, do they have a plan for the Downhill races there?

[sureLoss]

triple post... what is up with the server

[getbak]

Proposed venues...

Spoiler!

[Tyler]

Man, this bid is underwhelming