Should Calgary Bid on the 2026 Olympics

[jayswin]

Transplant99 is right about needing a new arena. It was a very carefully worded answer by the IOC, saying that the Saddledome would be fine for the Olympics and wouldn't need to be replaced, as they didn't want to get pulled into the local politics regarding a new arena.

It is fine, but they and everyone else involved knows that you literally can't host a modern day Olympics without two large capacity hockey arenas. So what they're really saying is the Saddledome is fine as the second arena, but we're not going to outright mention that there's only one way you get the second one.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by puffnstuff

Seating for curling at 2018 games was 3000.
Scarcity of seating means they can charge more for tickets. My feeling would be theyd rather have a full house of 4000 than a half empty 15000 seat arena.

Yeah that could be as well. I would suggest, though, that curling attendance at a Canadian held Olympics would be 3 or 4 times that of elsewhere....if that's what was desired.

[bossy22]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

I,would,say the parking lot at cop is busy around winsport mostly because of the hockey rinks, and soemwhat due to the offices, gym and sliding center. I don’t believe the rest of the lot is busy or needs to be expanded.

I'm at COP every saturday for my son's lessons. By 11am, it's packed. Last weekend was snowboard nationals. It was a gong show and people had to park west of the hall of fame to get to the hill. If you put a real event on at Winsport, there will be a parking issue. I've seen it multiple times when the lot fills up, and then the overflow goes to the hall of fame. If that fills up, then the mud lot west of Winsport gets used. When the Pinty's curling was going on, people had to park there. The arena's are rarely used for games. It's practices and kids lessons.

In an olympic scenario, if you have half pipe at COP, curling at Winsport, and bobsled on the track all on the same day, COP/Winsport couldn't handle that capacity.

[GGG]

Parking isn't an issue for the Olympics. You don't drive to any events. You have a dedicated security entry point at Tuscany train station where people are bussed in. Exactly what Vanoc did for the ski/snowboard and for Whistler.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by GGG

Parking isn't an issue for the Olympics. You don't drive to any events. You have a dedicated security entry point at Tuscany train station where people are bussed in. Exactly what Vanoc did for the ski/snowboard and for Whistler.

And the entry point for the Arena was miles away.

[Joborule]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Yeah that could be as well. I would suggest, though, that curling attendance at a Canadian held Olympics would be 3 or 4 times that of elsewhere....if that's what was desired.

If they were to do it at the fieldhouse, and in the fieldhouse itself, rather than the attached twin arenas, the visioned capacity from the foothills concept plan was 7500 for spectator seats for the track set up. So you could add in temporary seating around the playing area to get as high of capacity as you would want.

[transplant99]

Using the Pyeongchang schedule.

52 hockey games
16 Figure Skating events
3 venues...16 days

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Joborule

If they were to do it at the fieldhouse, and in the fieldhouse itself, rather than the attached twin arenas, the visioned capacity from the foothills concept plan was 7500 for spectator seats for the track set up. So you could add in temporary seating around the playing area to get as high of capacity as you would want.

Has that been approved?

[pylon]

Originally Posted by surferguy

Did Nenshi personally spill a Diet Coke in your car?

No, but I'm sure if he did, he'd call me a dick or gangster, tell everyone how half baked my parking job was, try to absolve himself of any responsibility, then hold an illegal fundraiser to pay for the damages.

[Joborule]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Has that been approved?

The fieldhouse or the spectator capacity?

The fieldhouse/foothills athletic park redevelopment has been approved by council in 2013, and has been set on top of the priority unfunded list. So it's ready to be built, but requires funding. It has been hinted that the province and federal government could provide funding, and that would most certainly be the case if the venue was to be used for the Olympics.

http://calgaryherald.com/news/politi...s-no-and-maybe

“The government of Canada does not fund professional sports facilities. They’re not eligible under our infrastructure program,” said Hehr.

“That’s not a policy that’s going to change.”

However, Hehr noted the government does provide funding for recreational and amateur sport facilities.

...

“Potentially, there are aspects that are amateur sport orientated and the like. So I’m not going to preclude those amateur sport opportunities,” said Hehr, adding that the decision on the project is one primarily for the city and provincial governments.

[corporatejay]

Originally Posted by GGG

Parking isn't an issue for the Olympics. You don't drive to any events. You have a dedicated security entry point at Tuscany train station where people are bussed in. Exactly what Vanoc did for the ski/snowboard and for Whistler.

Or University/SAIT or any other huge space with a tonne of parking. For whistler it was the Burnaby BCIT campus

[woob]

Originally Posted by pylon

No, but I'm sure if he did, he'd call me a dick or gangster, tell everyone how half baked my parking job was, try to absolve himself of any responsibility, then hold an illegal fundraiser to pay for the damages.

Wow dude, that's some triple Grade A hate you got goin' on there.

[nik-]

pylon's Nenshi tantrums are ####ing hilarious. He must go through so many keyboards.

As overused as the word is these days, that is triggered.

[pylon]

Originally Posted by nik-

pylon's Nenshi tantrums are ####ing hilarious. He must go through so many keyboards.

As overused as the word is these days, that is triggered.

It just really bothers me that people don’t see through his crap, and see him for what he is. It has nothing to do with his politics, as I actually agree with a lot of them. It has to do with his complete lack of professionalism and smarmy “I’m the smartest guy in the room.” Crap.

He’s like Trump in a lot of ways, with the narcissistic behaviour, and demeaning of people, but at least he doesn’t have crazy nutjob policies. I’ll give him that.

Put it this way, and I’m sure he’d say the same of me. He’s the last guy in the world I’d want to have a beer with, and seems like the type of guy you wouldn’t want on your team in a out of control beer league game or with you in a rough neighbourhood. I just find him very disingenuous and seems like the guy that would throw anyone under the bus to get a promotion or rat out a coworker to get ahead.

Also let’s not forget, he’s been caught lying and pumping his own on at least one instance. I just don’t like the person.

[nik-]

Deciding politicians based on whether you'd want to have a beer with them is the type of Podunk #### that gets people like George W Bush and Trump elected in the first place.

[pylon]

Originally Posted by nik-

Deciding politicians based on whether you'd want to have a beer with them is the type of Podunk #### that gets people like George W Bush and Trump elected in the first place.

I voted for Nenshi. As Bill ‘I don’t pay my bills’ Smith, was an awful candidate.

Still doesn’t mean I have to like the guy. And I do not believe he and council should be allowed to cripple the city with an enourmous debt that falls in the want column without public input.

Put it this way. There’s guys that work for my competitors I wouldn’t want within 1000 feet of our business. But I’m still wise enough to know they are good at what they do.

Being good at your job, doesn’t make you immune to personal conduct criticism. And that goes for anyone, myself included.

[SebC]

For perspective, crowd capacities:

Vancouver 2010 - Calgary 1988 - Sport
18,630 > 16,605 - Ice Hockey (high-profile)
7,200 > 6,475 - Ice Hockey (low-profile)
8,000 < 15,000 - Freestyle
6,000 < 35,000 - Ski Jumping
12,000 < 25,000 - Bobsleigh/Luge
6,000 > 3,200 - Curling
8,000 > 4,000 - Speedskating
14,239 ~ 6,475-16,605 - Figure Skating
14,239 > 3,200 - Short Track
54,500 < 60,000 (!) - Opening/Closing Ceremonies

Looks like COP with bleachers does not have capacity issues. The Oval does, but gets used anyways. The figure skating/short track/hockey issue gets resolved through a new arena (and re-building the Corral?) or sending events to Edmonton. Ski jumping, maybe Vancouver. Curling goes to the fieldhouse. Personally I'd have McMahon as a better ceromonies site than the Stampede Grandstand, but I'm guessing that's the way it is to reduce security costs.

[GordonBlue]

for those saying it would be worth it to show off Calgary to the world, it's funny to think of the opening ceremonies in a dump like McMahon Stadium. what would that show the fans and athletes attending, and project on tv?
nothing positive, that's for sure.
be horrible for the people attending, and you'd really have to love those exterior stadium shots of that crap hole.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by SebC

For perspective, crowd capacities:

Vancouver 2010 - Calgary 1988 - Sport
18,630 > 16,605 - Ice Hockey (high-profile)
7,200 > 6,475 - Ice Hockey (low-profile)
8,000 < 15,000 - Freestyle
6,000 < 35,000 - Ski Jumping
12,000 < 25,000 - Bobsleigh/Luge
6,000 > 3,200 - Curling
8,000 > 4,000 - Speedskating
14,239 ~ 6,475-16,605 - Figure Skating
14,239 > 3,200 - Short Track
54,500 < 60,000 (!) - Opening/Closing Ceremonies

Looks like COP with bleachers does not have capacity issues. The Oval does, but gets used anyways. The figure skating/short track/hockey issue gets resolved through a new arena (and re-building the Corral?) or sending events to Edmonton. Ski jumping, maybe Vancouver. Curling goes to the fieldhouse. Personally I'd have McMahon as a better ceromonies site than the Stampede Grandstand, but I'm guessing that's the way it is to reduce security costs.

I believe the Corral has a date with the wrecking ball soon...no? I think I read somewhere it was no longer up to code and almost impossible to get it there without a huge expenditure, which would just mean building something new instead.

Either way, there has to be another arena (havent even included short track)
as doing the math in one venue would see an event (hockey/figure skating) every 5 hours or so if they go 24 hours a day...which of course they wont.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by GordonBlue

for those saying it would be worth it to show off Calgary to the world, it's funny to think of the opening ceremonies in a dump like McMahon Stadium. what would that show the fans and athletes attending, and project on tv?
nothing positive, that's for sure.
be horrible for the people attending, and you'd really have to love those exterior stadium shots of that crap hole.

Yeah, I think people need to recognize that 'Olympics on the cheap' and 'showcase Calgary to the world' are mutually-exclusive goals. There would be thousands of international media here, many with their knives sharpened to point out any fault. Relying on 40 and 60 year old facilities would generate more ridicule than admiration.