2026 Olympics- Calgary votes no- 56%

[RogerWilco]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

And that's what's kind of unique about the No vote here. It wasn't like there was one unified message as to why people voted No, there were a bunch of reasons. I guess I'd say the common theme running through them all was anger.

There never will be with a plebiscite. Nothing would ever get done if we had one for every major project. New Library "NO", New LRT Line "NO", Bike Lanes "NO", New Hockey Arena "No", Lipstick on a pig "No". If you added a bunch of shinny things to the Bid a whole new group of people would be pissed about something. The idea of a community is to have different things for everyone, but any one thing normally doesn't benefit enough individuals to vote on these things. That is why we need to elect officials and then just let then do the job they were elected for. If people don't like them then vote them out, we even had that chance not long ago. The main reason the proposal was so crappy to most people was because it was rushed for this useless plebiscite that the City was forced into.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

With who? We're having a hard enough time getting an arena funded and doing it without too much public money in a time that Calgarians think we shouldn't be spending money on frivolous things, you think the City is going to have CSEC fund a new CFL stadium too? And where is Calgary going to get said money?

It's odd to say you don't want the Olympics but think the City has funds to slap together deals with CSEC for new stadiums and arenas and maintain all the facilities on the docket the Olympics would have covered. Perhaps that can happen spread out over multiple years, but it's no insignificant number.

The new Flames arena will happen because people want it and want it now, but you have to explain to me how McMahon will come to fruition. I am sure both sides would love to know.

Says who? The mayor? He chose the olympic bid over the arena. There are people on this board who think the Olympics are frivalous but a flames arena is not. A flames stampeders deal is there. Other cities do it.

I wanted the Olympics. If they doubled the budget and gave me an arena and more C-Train.

You cant conclude that because people voted no to this that they reject all frivalous things. t was just a ####ty deal.

[Travis Munroe]

Originally Posted by transplant99

How could the Olympics have changed empty offices and unbuilt pipelines?

Even the amount of jobs created would have been minimal vs building new infrastructure.

Weird take.

I am not pushing which side I was on any longer but in response to the article, I am not sure he meant change in terms of a pipeline now gets built or offices fill up but a change as in the long list of change the 81 bid for the Calgary Olympics brought when we were in an ugly recession just as we are now.

Something to look forward to
10,000 + jobs create some change
The good feeling created by the volunteer work
Having your city as the focal point of the world for a lengthy period of time
I recall a story about Klein hosting events with people high up across the globe which lead to him being invited to some big political events the following year where he further put Calgary on the map.


The decision was made and there is no point in crying over spilled milk. I have to wonder if there was a much longer period of time from when government announced funding to when the vote was, if results would be different. Reading the cities poll results and reasons some voted (both yes and no) was comical. A large number of factually wrong reasons which points to the presentation being the biggest failure and not the citizens vote.

[GirlySports]

Council should have been confident enough to go forward with the bid without needing a plebecite. For the reasons mentioned above (jobs, volunteers, prestige, feelgoogness). Again, that's what we vote them in vote.

What were they afraid of?

[Senator Clay Davis]

The plebiscite was the condition of the provincial money, council had no choice unless they wanted to put $700 million more in. And really the province, and feds, were not all that gung ho for this thing. Their support at best could be described as tepid.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Council should have been confident enough to go forward with the bid without needing a plebecite. For the reasons mentioned above (jobs, volunteers, prestige, feelgoogness). Again, that's what we vote them in vote.

What were they afraid of?

They are afraid of getting voted out next time. Especially if any of them have further political ambitions, making the wrong choice on a $3 billion vanity project could harm your career.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

The plebiscite was the condition of the provincial money, council had no choice unless they wanted to put $700 million more in. And really the province, and feds, were not all that gung ho for this thing. Their support at best could be described as tepid.

Was it the provinces idea or did the city suggest it first and the province jumped on it.

It would seem weird for the province to suggest it. We dont have a plebiscite for anything they give us.

[Joborule]

I'm gonna start being like Senator Clay on the new football stadium subject if people keep suggesting that we put $300M into a new football stadium, rather than renovate McMahon for under $100M, that will will bring it up to the level of pretty much every other CFL stadium in the country.

It's. Not. Gonna. Happen.

Give it up.

If McMahon with renovations to pretty much every aspect of the stadium isn't good enough, and still be dumpy to you, then Commonwealth Stadium and Tim Hortons Field must be dumps as well; and one of them is brand new stadium.

Expecting a New Mosaic Stadium, or Investors Field is not gonna happen, because of how bad of a deal it was for the government for the latter stadium. And there's also that brand new hockey arena that the city needs to spend money on also...

Honestly, the foundation of McMahon is ideal, and the work done by renovating it can really change the dynamic of the venue. Be imaginative about the possibilities to make the stadium fit the modern aesthetics of a CFL stadium today. It's not beyond salvation, and we don't have much of a choice since it's the only option we got.

[Joborule]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Was it the provinces idea or did the city suggest it first and the province jumped on it.

It would seem weird for the province to suggest it. We dont have a plebiscite for anything they give us.

It was the province that initiated it. It was a play by the NDP to save face in money they didn't really want to give. Honestly, I think they're happy with the result.

[Frequitude]

Let’s be honest, McMahon would have been pretty embarrassing for an opening and closing ceremonies.

However as a CFL stadium, renovations are the best use of capital. By far. The in seat experience and sight lines are excellent. It’s the concourse that’s a dump. Gut the concourse, expand it out into the east parking lot and over the west hill, enclose it and renovate it with modern food/drink/entertainment, and put in credit card payment. That’s all the old girl needs.

Signed, a season ticket holder who goes to many games a year.

[Roughneck]

Originally Posted by Joborule

It was the province that initiated it. It was a play by the NDP to save face in money they didn't really want to give. Honestly, I think they're happy with the result.

Yup. The number was basically the amount they cut from funding to the MSI until 2026 because they were shifting that money to trimming the deficit.

[Cowboy89]

Originally Posted by Frequitude

Let’s be honest, McMahon would have been pretty embarrassing for an opening and closing ceremonies.

However as a CFL stadium, renovations are the best use of capital. By far. The in seat experience and sight lines are excellent. It’s the concourse that’s a dump. Gut the concourse, expand it out into the east parking lot and over the west hill, enclose it and renovate it with modern food/drink/entertainment, and put in credit card payment. That’s all the old girl needs.

Signed, a season ticket holder who goes to many games a year.

Absolutely, a stadium for CFL football closer to Tim Horton's field rather than New Mosaic is probably the right balance for the money spent.

Signed a 23 year season ticket holder who goes to basically all of the games a year.

[81MC]

The sites and the views from McMahon are absolutely stellar. I feel like some people take the views there for granted. /offtopic.

[GirlySports]

Nenshi's lost it.

https://calgaryherald.com/news/local...f-olympic-file

[Joborule]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Nenshi's lost it.

https://calgaryherald.com/news/local...f-olympic-file

Gondek made the same comments during the vote to kill the bid in council that she was not happy with how the federal government pussyfooted the file, and it encouraged her to vote against since she doesn't want to deal with them if that's how they're gonna be.

Senator said way back that support from the province and federal government wasn't gonna be present for this bid, and in how the process played out, it was the case. They didn't want this to happen. If they did, a deal should've been done by the original deadline of a month before the vote.

[Poster]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Nenshi's lost it.

https://calgaryherald.com/news/local...f-olympic-file

This is what pisses me off and cements my beleif that NO was the RIGHT outcome.

Nenshi is supposed to be our advocate but instead he was “selling” to us. Just days before the vote he was telling Calgarians what a GREAT deal this was.

He should have been telling us the truth. The truth that PROV & FED support wasn’t adequate and that if we wanted the Olympics we needed to able to handle the heavy lifting and RISK on our own.

The YES politicians and messengers were selling us snake oil because the Olympics were important to their ego, career and legacy.

Us plebes we’re going to pay for their party.

[Northendzone]

Let’s not forget that two weeks or so before the plebiscite, the city council voted against continuing the bid.

These folks on council had access to all of the information that was delivered behind closed doors.

This bid seems almost like a classic study in how not to get the olympics to come to your city.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by Frequitude

That’s all the old girl needs.

That, and full replacement for her 60 year-old bones which are approaching the stadium equivalent of osteoporosis. I think John Haverstock would agree.

Most modern CFL stadiums with renos (Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto) are hovering around $200 million. Tim Hortons field was around $145 million (and that includes having it a multi-purpose stadium).

$80 million was earmarked for McMahon Stadium upgrades just for improvements for the Olympics. The proverbial "lipstick on a pig" if you will.

I would rather we wait for another $80 million in some sort of funding to at least get a Tim Hortons field (even designed with the same sight lines as McMahon to retain the viewing experience), although I don't think a deal with CSEC or any money is coming any time soon.

[GGG]

This is what pisses me off and cements my beleif that NO was the RIGHT outcome.

Nenshi is supposed to be our advocate but instead he was “selling” to us. Just days before the vote he was telling Calgarians what a GREAT deal this was.

He should have been telling us the truth. The truth that PROV & FED support wasn’t adequate and that if we wanted the Olympics we needed to able to handle the heavy lifting and RISK on our own.

The YES politicians and messengers were selling us snake oil because the Olympics were important to their ego, career and legacy.

Us plebes we’re going to pay for their party.

Did you read the article? It doesn't discuss anything you are complaining about

Nenshi's complaint isn't that the federal and provincial government didn't give them enough money or guarantee is was that the timing of their announcements was late and that they didn't argue for the benefits of the bid. Optically the feds and province screwed the city and that is Nenshi's complaint not that the money wasn't there are the deal was insufficient.

[OMG!WTF!]

Originally Posted by GGG

Did you read the article? It doesn't discuss anything you are complaining about

Nenshi's complaint isn't that the federal and provincial government didn't give them enough money or guarantee is was that the timing of their announcements was late and that they didn't argue for the benefits of the bid. Optically the feds and province screwed the city and that is Nenshi's complaint not that the money wasn't there are the deal was insufficient.

Which I think is fairly ridiculous. This first time Bidco got their numbers to the government on October 30. I suppose the higher levels of government could have said we'll give you x no matter what you guys come up with. But that seems kind of dumb and something they would have received just as much criticism for.



Anyway...no way it was the city's fault or bidco. Those guys are smart.