Should Calgary Bid on the 2026 Olympics

[OMG!WTF!]

I think I'm going to vote yes just to see how it turns out. I don't really care either way anymore. I can get on the "free money" train.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Muta

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.

Do you believe that it is a good use of public funds to add a new ski hill to Nakiska to expand a privately run facility that is primarily used by upper class Calgariams who already have a wide variety of skiing options within a 2 hr drive? And do you believe that with or without the Olympics that public funds should be spent on Nakiska?

Do you believe the city should spend money on the saddledome and that this should be done with or without the Olympics?

Do you believe the city should spend money on the Big 4 building and that this should be done with or without the Olympics.

Do you believe that the money the province is providing Calgary for the Olympics will be spent in the absence of the Olympics or is it new money financed through debt or taxes?

As an aside it’s funny that the field house has gone from a 200 million dollar asset to a 375 million dollar asset.
https://www.google.ca/amp/s/www.cbc.ca/amp/1.3918929

[stampsx2]

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.

I wish other provinces like Quebec and British Columbia thought like you. Transfer payments: it’s not free money for us, it’s money from our fellow citizens. We know British Columbia isn’t concerned about their fellow neighbors even though they don’t need the transfer payments.

On another point, money from the federal government is already set aside for events - sports Canada. If we don’t use it, someone else will. That money isn’t going back to the tax payer.

What if bidco isn’t spinning anything. What if they can’t be completely transparent because of negotiations or sensitive information. Everyone is super skeptical about anything and everything. Like bidco is some underhanded criminal organization looking to get rich off of the taxpayer.