Should Calgary Bid on the 2026 Olympics

[Senator Clay Davis]

Originally Posted by Bunk

Tangibly and quantifiably, it's a good deal for Calgary.
We pay $390m in Cash (plus $150m CRL funds) locally for things we are going to build anyway, we leverage about $4.4b in funds as part of the cost from games hosting, IOC, Province and Feds. $1 billion in contingencies in a conservative budget.

Darn good deal.

What I was saying was a lot of people don't just vote on balance sheet. Some do. So good for you.

And yet to most people this is a big yawn. Sorry you don't like that, but that be the reality. The fieldhouse is the only real thing to celebrate here, the rest is a bunch of meh.

[Bunk]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

And yet to most people this is a big yawn. Sorry you don't like that, but that be the reality. The fieldhouse is the only real thing to celebrate here, the rest is a bunch of meh.

Well then the plebiscite will lose. We move on. I don't know why you're such a crank ALL THE TIME. Jesus, even friendly banter with you is a painful enterprise.

[Jacks]

I admire your patience Bunk.


Edit: Just as I post that you start to get annoyed

[Bunk]

Originally Posted by Jacks

I admire your patience Bunk.


Edit: Just as I post that you start to get annoyed

I reached the tipping point

[Ozy_Flame]

For someone who lives across the continent in a place with little to no connection to Calgary, SCD sure gets riled up easily

[Shazam]

Lots of Yes posters downtown. CT CS staff also wearing Yes pins.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

For someone who lives across the continent in a place with little to no connection to Calgary, SCD sure gets riled up easily

Bunk lives in the same state, why does he care?

[Bunk]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

Bunk lives in the same state, why does he care?

#Baltimore2032

[Travis Munroe]

Originally Posted by Weitz

Care to elaborate on how winning the Olympics will 'spur the economy'?

Short term job creation to help with unemployment and the potential of some people/smaller companies moving to Calgary to take advantage of work. Every vacant rental property that is filled or unemployed individual that finds work will help.

It won't be the saving grace but it is a temporary bandaid until the true economic movers and shakers are carrying the load of this province.

Too many people seem to think that the worst is behind us and not hosting the Olympics means saving money when in reality, the worst may not have come yet. The worst may come when we are paying a more in taxes to cover the empty buildings all while have absolutely no plan to stop the bleeding.

I am just like the majority of the no voters

- Cant stand how city hall has put this together
- Cant stand the corruption of the IOC
- Cant stand knowing we are being lied to
- Cant stand the thought of taxes going up

But I have to put all of that aside (emotions) and realize taxes are going up either way and we need to try something. if not the Olympics, something else.

[calf]

Originally Posted by Hockeyguy15

I think hosting the Olympics would be nice, and yeah renovating old venus is great. I would like to support the bid, I really would but I literally have zero confidence in BidCo and the process so far.

Either BidCo is incompetent or they are blatantly lying, and I cannot support the bid with them at the helm. The risk of them having a poor budget or being negligent with the project is too great in my eyes.

Yeah, they lost me when they tried to claim a 10X return on investment. Sure the City is investing 500M and the Province/Feds/IOC are investing more. But the Province and Feds is made up of tax payers here, the rest of the province, and the rest of Canada. It's not free money for us, it's money from our fellow citizens. We get mad here all the time when the governments use our money to bail out/invest in Bombardier, the auto industry, etc...if I were the rest of Canada, seeing this plan and how BidCo is spinning it, I'd be pretty pissed.

[Travis Munroe]

Originally Posted by calf

Yeah, they lost me when they tried to claim a 10X return on investment. Sure the City is investing 500M and the Province/Feds/IOC are investing more. But the Province and Feds is made up of tax payers here, the rest of the province, and the rest of Canada. It's not free money for us, it's money from our fellow citizens. We get mad here all the time when the governments use our money to bail out/invest in Bombardier, the auto industry, etc...if I were the rest of Canada, seeing this plan and how BidCo is spinning it, I'd be pretty pissed.

Fortunately, the rest of Canada is not voting and while we didn't have a say in our tax money going to Bombardier or the auto industry or supporting BC in their games, we do have a say in getting our own chunk of the pie.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Originally Posted by Bunk

#Baltimore2032

#MakeMurderAnOlympicSport

[calf]

Originally Posted by Travis Munroe

Fortunately, the rest of Canada is not voting and while we didn't have a say in our tax money going to Bombardier or the auto industry or supporting BC in their games, we do have a say in getting our own chunk of the pie.

I respectfully disagree - just because we could/it's our turn, doesn't mean we necessarily should.

[RM14]

Originally Posted by calf

I respectfully disagree - just because we could/it's our turn, doesn't mean we necessarily should.

We should unless the City has been prudent and has a growing asset retirement fund for the 88 facilities that all need capital improvements int the next 2-3 budget cycles. These will not be free to improve or demolish.

The timing works out well actually since they are coming to end of their useful life. In additional to that, the Vic Park/Stampede Park Master Plan/ Entertainment District will be built out and this would be the perfect event to hold at that time.

[Jacks]

Originally Posted by calf

I respectfully disagree - just because we could/it's our turn, doesn't mean we necessarily should.

The Feds are spending the money on some sort of sporting event whether we host the games or not. It's not like that money will go to pay down debt if we don't use it.

[craigwd]

Originally Posted by Handsome B. Wonderful

If you want me to vote yes on unquantifiables and intangibles, you can have my imaginary vote to go along with them.

My real vote is based on quantifiables and tangibles like money. That's a solid No.

Intangibles are important. How do you do anything without looking at the entire picture?

If all people wanted to see was a simplified Income Statement what would this community look like?

I guess we'd abandon the idea of public schools, or Stampede Breakfasts, or New Years' Eve and Canada Day celebrations, community centres, rec hockey rinks, libraries, street festivals etc etc etc.

Not everything boils down to one black number on the bottom of the page.

Personally I like living in a community that invests in health and wellness, where the people interact with each other, are educated and engaged and enjoy themselves.

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

Don't particularly agree, and most people don't, hence why this is heading to defeat. And really, if the Yes side had a real financial argument to make, they'd be out there making it non-stop. Instead it's Donovan Bailey and the women's hockey team and that dude Hugh Jackman portrayed having rallies,. And sending athletes to schools to talk to kids, because they can't vote...that should tell you all you need to know.

Dude, you've made this joke twice and it would be a heck of a lot funnier if you actually realized that Hugh Jackman didn't play Michael Edwards in the movie.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by Jacks

The Feds are spending the money on some sort of sporting event whether we host the games or not. It's not like that money will go to pay down debt if we don't use it.

We have governments and organizations willing to give us money to improve our infrastructure, totaling in the billions. Our local taxes will be going to a field house, Olympics or not, so we might as well do the project in a fashion that sees additional investment come in. This is direct investment in Calgary, in a time when our economy is lagging. It will help spur the design, construction, sport and tourism industries, among others, in our city on a large, large scale.

This funding will not be available outside the Olympics. These chances don't come along often, with this level of assistance. I believe it's our best chance to repair and rebuild our aging infrastructure, and it's why I will be voting 'yes'.

[Roughneck]

Originally Posted by Bunk

#Baltimore2032

You're not going to get the support of the International Brotherhood of Stevedores unless you can work that canal dredging project into the bid somehow.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Muta

We have governments and organizations willing to give us money to improve our infrastructure, totaling in the billions. Our local taxes will be going to a field house, Olympics or not, so we might as well do the project in a fashion that sees additional investment come in. This is direct investment in Calgary, in a time when our economy is lagging. It will help spur the design, construction, sport and tourism industries, among others, in our city on a large, large scale.

This funding will not be available outside the Olympics. These chances don't come along often, with this level of assistance. I believe it's our best chance to repair and rebuild our aging infrastructure, and it's why I will be voting 'yes'.

The Provincial and City will put in more money than dollars of infrastructure we get out of while taking on risk. This argument that we will spend just as much without the Olympics is absolutely false. We will not upgrade Nakiska, We will not put a dime into the saddledome we will not build this odd sized community arena, we will not upgrade the Big 4. These are dollars being wasted on projects that no one has on the books.

We are Not under any circumstances getting infrastructure in the billions of value no matter how you do the math. 1.4 billion (the most generous interpretation of the bid) is not billions (plural).

[Muta]

Originally Posted by GGG

The Provincial and City will put in more money than dollars of infrastructure we get out of while taking on risk. This argument that we will spend just as much without the Olympics is absolutely false. We will not upgrade Nakiska, We will not put a dime into the saddledome we will not build this odd sized community arena, we will not upgrade the Big 4. These are dollars being wasted on projects that no one has on the books.

We are Not under any circumstances getting infrastructure in the billions of value no matter how you do the math. 1.4 billion (the most generous interpretation of the bid) is not billions (plural).

You're right; those projects (Nakiska, Saddledome, etc.) aren't getting upgraded outside of the Olympics. That's why a vehicle like the Olympics is necessary for their long-term survival, and the only chance we have to get them proper funding assistance for overdue upgrades.

Also, if the City's contribution to the Games is $375M, and that's the approximate value of the field house (Olympics or not), why not invest that that now and receive funding from other levels of government to do so much more than just a field house? Because we won't see that potential investment otherwise.