2026 Olympics- Calgary votes no- 56%

[Barnet Flame]

Originally Posted by redforever

Same responses as heard after Brexit...that those who favored the exit were just stupid and uninformed. You will never get people of opposing opinions to have any meaningful discussion or dialogue with those attitudes and responses.

No, they were uninformed. All of us were uninformed to a large extent.

Some may have been stupid as well.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Calgarians made the right decision. I feel sorry for them on not backing the games that the IOC was basically begging them to go after, but the plan was so flawed and ridiculous that it made no sense to back this half-baked Recycle-lympics plan. The blames should clearly land on the politicos who thought this stupid idea would gain traction. The idea behind these big events is to develop infrastructure that will become a long term legacy, not recycle old garbage venues just to get a two week long party. Small town thinking in action. Nenshi and his merry band of navel gazers took an issue that should have had unanimous public support and managed to turn it into a massive failure. Calgarians deserve better leadership and people with vision. They deserve another Olympicsand the facilities that traditionally come with the event.

[Red Slinger]

Originally Posted by nik-

I'm just sick of people implying that no voters are some cultureless fools. News flash people, rejection of Olympic bids is happening all over the world. For legitimate reasons.

Stop with the irrational lashing out.

Irrational lashing out Exhibit A:

Originally Posted by New Era

Calgarians made the right decision. I feel sorry for them on not backing the games that the IOC was basically begging them to go after, but the plan was so flawed and ridiculous that it made no sense to back this half-baked Recycle-lympics plan. The blames should clearly land on the politicos who thought this stupid idea would gain traction. The idea behind these big events is to develop infrastructure that will become a long term legacy, not recycle old garbage venues just to get a two week long party. Small town thinking in action. Nenshi and his merry band of navel gazers took an issue that should have had unanimous public support and managed to turn it into a massive failure. Calgarians deserve better leadership and people with vision. They deserve another Olympicsand the facilities that traditionally come with the event.

Exhibit B:

Originally Posted by DiracSpike

It's one reason I voted no on this, Canada can take their games and ####ing shove it, I'm not incurring additional cost as a taxpayer to supply an Olympics for a country that hates us.

Exhibit C:

Originally Posted by Snuffleupagus

Yup, the fruit & berry tree huggers on the west coast can suck it, and if any of them actually drive a car I hope they enjoy their $1.70 litre gas.

Just think, with pipelines to both the east and west coasts Canada would be one of the wealthiest Country's on the planet but instead of cutting down some trees that might displace a few animals for 50 feet or so we would rather spend $17 billion a year to countries like Saudi Arabia that cuts off heads of citizens for things such as non-violent drug charges, robbery and sorcery!(<--what?)

This country needs real leadership, we need to drain our frozen swamp of the knob-gobblers

That's just in the last page.

Let's not pretend that the 'Yes' side are the only one's that are irrational. There's plenty of that to go around.

I was a soft 'Yes' because I had legitimate concerns about the bid. I think the Olympics would have helped the city in a number of small ways both short and long term and also would have hurt the city in a number of small ways both short and long term.

But the way the argument is framed by some on both sides is ridiculous. Calgary is not becoming Detroit and Canada isn't going down the toilet. Yes, times are tough but we're going to get through it. Some people are disappointed about the result of the plebiscite. Maybe they think the Olympics are exactly what Calgary needed to get out of it's funk. Maybe they're right and maybe they're not. Too see others take joy out of their disappointment is, well, disappointing but unfortunately not that unexpected.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by New Era

The idea behind these big events is to develop infrastructure that will become a long term legacy, not recycle old garbage venues just to get a two week long party. Small town thinking in action.

That's a requirement of the IOC's new agenda. No new venues built for the Olympics except those that are already planned, required, and funded separately from the Olympics.

The Stockholm and Milan bids aren't any different. The Italian bid will reuse facilities from the 1956 Olympics. The Swedish bid will make use of the Olympic Stadium that was built for the 1912 Summer Games.

[DiracSpike]

Originally Posted by Red Slinger

Irrational lashing out Exhibit A:



Exhibit B:



Exhibit C:




That's just in the last page.

Let's not pretend that the 'Yes' side are the only one's that are irrational. There's plenty of that to go around.

I was a soft 'Yes' because I had legitimate concerns about the bid. I think the Olympics would have helped the city in a number of small ways both short and long term and also would have hurt the city in a number of small ways both short and long term.

But the way the argument is framed by some on both sides is ridiculous. Calgary is not becoming Detroit and Canada isn't going down the toilet. Yes, times are tough but we're going to get through it. Some people are disappointed about the result of the plebiscite. Maybe they think the Olympics are exactly what Calgary needed to get out of it's funk. Maybe they're right and maybe they're not. Too see others take joy out of their disappointment is, well, disappointing but unfortunately not that unexpected.

I'm not taking joy at the Yes sides disappointment or lashing out at people who voted Yes, really none of those quotes do that. I was not happy about voting No. I'm lashing out at the Country at large, a country beholden to ignorant environmentalist and leftist forces who would rather watch 50 million dollars every day leave the economy than enforce the law and allow projects and investements to occur. And Canada is absolutely going down the tubes if we stay on this path, you may not like it or want to believe it but it's true.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by getbak

That's a requirement of the IOC's new agenda. No new venues built for the Olympics except those that are already planned, required, and funded separately from the Olympics.

The Stockholm and Milan bids aren't any different. The Italian bid will reuse facilities from the 1956 Olympics. The Swedish bid will make use of the Olympic Stadium that was built for the 1912 Summer Games.

The IOC can go F themselves then. That a ridiculous new agenda for a winter games. Who has a ski jump or speedskating oval ready to go? Or will use private money for it?

Pyeongchang just tore down everything they built. Only really big cities can host summer games maybe. Tokyo is building lots of new venues.

[Joborule]

In the argument that we should be using the funds to revive the economy, therefore we shouldn't go after the Olympics, I don't see it as an ether/or proposition. If we were to go forth with the Olympics, and get the funding for it, we still should be doing what we can to get the economy going again as well. It's not like with the money the governments would be investing, that there would be literally no money left to do anything else, and shut the country down for the next 8 years.

Sure the Olympics may not solve the problems of today, but it would benefit us in the meantime, and we'll still continue to work on a solution to make the city thrive again economically. We could've done both.

[Lubicon]

Originally Posted by RM14

Did I hear nenshi say the next step is to vote to "suspend" the vote? Which would mean they are leaving it open in case something changes between now and the January bid submission deadline. Ex. IOC last ditch effort or...

I had not heard that but it would be logical to do so. You never know what might come back if everyone else drops out too, there is no harm in leaving the door open a crack.

[Red Slinger]

Originally Posted by DiracSpike

I'm not taking joy at the Yes sides disappointment or lashing out at people who voted Yes, really none of those quotes do that. I was not happy about voting No. I'm lashing out at the Country at large, a country beholden to ignorant environmentalist and leftist forces who would rather watch 50 million dollars every day leave the economy than enforce the law and allow projects and investements to occur. And Canada is absolutely going down the tubes if we stay on this path, you may not like it or want to believe it but it's true.

Sorry, I wasn't clear. I wasn't intending to imply you were doing that. I was using your quote, among others, as an example of an irrational response to this issue.

My apologies for the confusion.

[Roughneck]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

The IOC can go F themselves then. That a ridiculous new agenda for a winter games. Who has a ski jump or speedskating oval ready to go? Or will use private money for it?

Jest negotiate the private side down. There's a deal there.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Roughneck

Jest negotiate the private side down. There's a deal there.

Nobody owns a ski jumping team.

[DiracSpike]

Originally Posted by Red Slinger

Sorry, I wasn't clear. I wasn't intending to imply you were doing that. I was using your quote, among others, as an example of an irrational response to this issue.

My apologies for the confusion.

I may have added some color to it but I don't consider not wanting to incur extra costs as a beaten down City of Calgary citizen to host an Olympics for a country that has caused said beating down an irrational response. It's clear from the Fed's inactions that Canada is no longer a country but a loose agglomeration of Provinces with no coherent identity or national plan. So to everyone in BC Quebec and Ontario who were looking to have Canada host an Olympics so they can get Vancouver-y vibes, wear red mittens, and watch NHL players play hockey I say tough luck.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by DiracSpike

I may have added some color to it but I don't consider not wanting to incur extra costs as a beaten down City of Calgary citizen to host an Olympics for a country that has caused said beating down an irrational response. It's clear from the Fed's inactions that Canada is no longer a country but a loose agglomeration of Provinces with no coherent identity or national plan. So to everyone in BC Quebec and Ontario who were looking to have Canada host an Olympics so they can get Vancouver-y vibes, wear red mittens, and watch NHL players play hockey I say tough luck.

What was that, like, 5 people? I have neither seen nor heard any evidence that the ROC was clamouring for the rubes in Calgary to get hosed over an Olympic games so they can have a party on our dime. I get the feeling you made this one up.

[tvp2003]

Not sure if it was mentioned already but City Council's vote to kill the bid a few weeks back was 8-7 -- the only reason it didn't pass is because it needed 10 votes.


8 out of 15 votes is 53.3% -- just a few points off of the rest of the City.

[puckedoff]

Originally Posted by tvp2003

Not sure if it was mentioned already but City Council's vote to kill the bid a few weeks back was 8-7 -- the only reason it didn't pass is because it needed 10 votes.


8 out of 15 votes is 53.3% -- just a few points off of the rest of the City.

Also, 8-7 was just 1 year off of the last Olympics ('88), AND, the same number that Sidney Crosby wore when he scored the 'Golden Goal'. Literal. Chills.

[CPK80]

Originally Posted by tvp2003

Not sure if it was mentioned already but City Council's vote to kill the bid a few weeks back was 8-7 -- the only reason it didn't pass is because it needed 10 votes.


8 out of 15 votes is 53.3% -- just a few points off of the rest of the City.

If it was going to be a standard majority I don't think the result would of been 8-7... It would of looked really bad not to let Calgarians make the final choice Yes or No... I think some councilors knew it wouldn't make the 10 so they change there vote to hedge there position... If it was a Yes in the plebiscite that vote would of been forgotten... Now that it is a No next election they can say they tried to kill it on the last vote.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

The IOC can go F themselves then. That a ridiculous new agenda for a winter games. Who has a ski jump or speedskating oval ready to go? Or will use private money for it?

Pyeongchang just tore down everything they built. Only really big cities can host summer games maybe. Tokyo is building lots of new venues.

I agree with your sentiment, but does the world really need more skating ovals and ski jumps? Seems silly to spend public money on things that truly aren’t needed.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

I agree with your sentiment, but does the world really need more skating ovals and ski jumps? Seems silly to spend public money on things that truly aren’t needed.

That's the argument for every olympics. Greece and China had to build a baseball diamond that they would never use. The IOC then took baseball out. Only to put it back in for 2020.

There are speed skating ovals and velodromes. Who is going to these? Sure Calgary can boast they host hundreds of World Cup events but who is going to them? The problem is the Olympics needs venues and bleachers/stands for the Olympics crowd that will never come back. I went to the World Speedskating Championships at the Oval in 1998 about a month after the Nagano games and there are maybe 500 people there. And I got in for FREE because I was a UofC student at the time.

[Ozy_Flame]

Would prefer if the Olympics had a couple of dedicated cities and they just rotate. It would be far more economically feasible, more environmentally friendly, and can create a training/athletic industry in the host city. Then the IOC and every competing country contribute funds to maintain and upgrade the facilities as needed.

[Senator Clay Davis]

I do think the Winter Olympics have a bleaker future than the Summer Olympics. Winter Olympics require more specialized venues that don't have a significant value to the general public when done. I do wonder if this rejection will actually have the IOC considering going with a rotation for the Winter Olympics. Summer Olympics I would think have far more cities who could host, from a financial perspective.