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Olympics timeline: How we got here

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The City of Calgary is currently investigating whether it should bid to host a second Winter Olympics in 2026. Here’s how the debate has unfolded:

Feb. 13-28, 1988

Calgary holds the XV Winter Olympic Games at new facilities in Calgary, Canmore and Kananaskis.

September 2015 

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Toronto drops out of the running for the 2024 Summer Games, opening the door to a Canadian bid for the 2026 Winter Games. Mayor Naheed Nenshi confirms a group of business and community leaders has been meeting for 18 months about preparing a bid for the 2026 Games. “Interesting idea, let’s flesh it out,” he says.

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March 2016

Quebec City Mayor Regis Labeaume suggests a joint Winter Olympics with Calgary.

June 20, 2016

Calgary city council votes 12-2 in favour of spending up to $5 million to explore a bid for the 2026 Winter Games. Doug Mitchell, chair of the Calgary Sport Tourism Authority, says his group has been working 2½ years on the recommendation accepted by council. Only councillors Druh Farrell and Sean Chu vote against the proposal.

July 2016

Canadian Olympic Committee forms an advisory committee, under 2010 Vancouver Games CEO John Furlong, to assist Calgary in its investigation of a possible bid.

Canadian athletes take part in the closing ceremony at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro on Aug. 21, 2016.
Canadian athletes take part in the closing ceremony at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro on Aug. 21, 2016. Photo by David Goldman /AP

August 2016

Nenshi visits the Rio Summer Games on a personally paid vacation.

September 2016

Former Calgary police chief Rick Hanson is named to head a 17-member committee exploring a bid for the 2026 Winter Games.

December 2016

Nenshi tells the Calgary Chamber of Commerce that a successful 2026 Olympic bid could speed up the long-term plans to extend the CTrain to Calgary International Airport.

January 2017

Although taxpayer dollars pay the salaries of 11 full-time members working on Calgary’s Olympic bid exploration committee, the committee refuses to release their names, job titles and salary ranges. 

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Feb. 2, 2017

The Olympic bid exploration committee releases the names of six of 11 paid staff members and their job titles, including Brian Skeet, Marco De Iaco, Jolan Storch, Sean Beardow, Karen Parker and Brian Hahn.

Rick Hanson joins an editorial board meeting with Postmedia at the Calgary Herald.
Rick Hanson joins an editorial board meeting with Postmedia at the Calgary Herald. Photo by Al Charest/Postmedia

Feb. 27, 2017

Rick Hanson, the former police chief heading the bid exploration committee, tells the Postmedia editorial board that the biggest hurdle for a Games bid is cynicism toward the Olympics. 

March 21, 2017

A poll commissioned by Postmedia shows 61 per cent of those surveyed would support a bid for the 2026 Winter Olympics, 28 per cent oppose a bid and 11 per cent are unsure.

May 1, 2017

The committee exploring an Olympic bid says Calgary will need two full-sized arenas to host the 2026 Games. The group also notes that the average price tag of recent Winter Games is $3.2 billion, excluding Sochi, which was estimated at topping US$50 billion — a figure questioned by some news outlets.

May 16, 2017

Nearly two-thirds of Calgary and Bow Valley residents support a bid for the 2026 Olympics, while 17 per cent are opposed, according to a poll commissioned by Calgary’s bid exploration committee. 

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June 2017

Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson says Calgary showed no interest in sharing a bid for the 2026 Winter Olympics. However, Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi says co-operation between Alberta’s two biggest cities is still possible.

June 19, 2017

The cost of hosting the 2026 Olympics is estimated at $4.6 billion, with $2 billion in public funding needed, says the bid exploration committee in its report to city council. The Games would earn $2.2 billion in revenue from tickets, sponsorships and the International Olympic Committee, but taxpayers would need to contribute $2.4 billion, excluding costs for transportation, a new curling centre and a new arena. Some members of council express alarm at the risk of running a deficit based on the committee’s estimate that operating costs would exceed revenue by $425 million.

International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach.
International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach. Photo by JONATHAN NACKSTRAND /AFP/Getty Images

July 11, 2017

The International Olympic Committee announces that it is giving cities more time to consider bidding on the 2026 Winter Olympics, to reduce costs. The “invitation phase” will begin in September and last for a year before the formal bidding process, with the winning bid to be announced in September 2019. 

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Nov. 20, 2017

City council votes 9-4 to spend another $2 million on a possible Olympic bid, $1 million for further investigation and another $1 million if the federal and provincial governments support a possible bid by the end of the year. The vote came after council debated two initially confidential reports that questioned the economic benefits of hosting an Olympic Games. Previous reports said the Games would benefit the local economy, “but the experience of past host cities is decidedly mixed,” warns Brad Humphreys, a West Virginia University professor who co-authored a critical analysis with University of Calgary economist Trevor Tombe. 

Skier trains at Whistler Olympic Park on Feb. 17, 2010.
Skier trains at Whistler Olympic Park on Feb. 17, 2010. Photo by JAVIER SORIANO/AFP/Getty Images

Nov. 21, 2017

The operators of the Whistler ski jumps — used in the Vancouver Olympics — say they would be open to participating in a possible Calgary Olympics in 2026.

Nov. 23, 2017

Premier Rachel Notley says her NDP government needs to know if there would be real benefits for Albertans before deciding whether to support a potential Calgary bid. 

Nov. 24, 2017

United Conservative Party Leader Jason Kenney reserves judgment about supporting a Calgary bid. “Everybody in principle would love to have the Olympics, but nobody wants a fiscal boondoggle,” he tells Postmedia. 

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Jan. 23, 2018

International Olympic Committee officials, touring Calgary on their own dime, give their blessing to reusing the legacy facilities of 1988, including the Saddledome, but acknowledge a site for alpine events remains a question mark. A suggestion from the head of Calgary’s bid exploration committee that Banff National Park’s Lake Louise resort be considered draws a sharp rebuke from environmentalists.

The North Korean cheering squad sing from the stands during the opening ceremonies in Pyeongchang, South Korea on Feb. 9.
The North Korean cheering squad sing from the stands during the opening ceremonies in Pyeongchang, South Korea on Feb. 9. Photo by Leah Hennel/Postmedia

February 2018

Fifteen people in Calgary’s observation delegation of municipal and provincial officials are sent to the Pyeongchang Games in South Korea. Calgary contributes $90,000 to the $135,000 budget.

Feb. 20, 2018

Mayor Naheed Nenshi, after returning from Pyeongchang, denies that Calgary city hall has already made a decision to bid for the 2026 Games. “If it were a done deal, the deal would have been done long ago,” he tells reporters. Coun. Jeromy Farkas renews call for a plebiscite on the Olympics.

March 6, 2018

Former Canadian Olympic Committee chair Roger Jackson tells a panel discussion that if Calgary bids for the 2026 Games “there are a lot of new possibilities and new legacies. They need to be explored and we need to see if the value is there for all the efforts and commitment of resource.”

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March 13, 2018

The federal government commits $5 million to a North American bid for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Federal officials and Mayor Naheed Nenshi say it doesn’t preclude a Winter Olympics bid for the same year.

March 16, 2018

An online report mistakenly released by city hall says Calgary has secured $20.5 million in provincial and federal funding to create a corporation to bid on the Games, or BidCo. Calgary would contribute $9.5 million. However, the premier’s and mayor’s offices quickly deny a deal has been completed. “Conversations continue … we do not have formal confirmation of their financial participation in a BidCo,” says Daorcey Le Bray, the mayor’s spokesman. Also on this day, city hall estimates a plebiscite would cost $1.96 million. The city would take six months from the time council approves a plebiscite to hire and train 3,000 staff, find balloting locations and communicate with the public, noting that a consultant would need more than a month to draft a clear “for and against” question for councillors to approve.

March 20, 2018

Councillors vote 8-6 to continue the bid process, approving $2.5 million in funding for the creation of an Olympic BidCo, on the condition that the provincial and federal governments provide matching support. Council delays vote on a plebiscite until April 10. John Furlong, former head of the Vancouver Organizing Committee, says voters in a non-binding ballot should be given all relevant information. “To put a question to people without proper information and real costs and real data — I can’t imagine that you’d put that to the voters and think that that’s acceptable,” he says. The estimated price tag of $4.6 billion for the 2026 Olympics could go higher, says city hall. 

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March 25, 2018

WinSport announces its shorter ski jumps from the 1988 Olympics will be closed, due to maintenance costs. City of Calgary’s economist warns that a $91-million cut in grant payments from the Alberta government could spell trouble for a potential Games bid. 

March 29, 2018

The federal and Alberta governments announce they will provide $20.5 million to create a bid corporation, with the province tying its funding to a plebiscite and other public consultations efforts. “I believe we have a good understanding of what each side needs in order to move this forward,” says Alberta Culture and Tourism Minister Ricardo Miranda. “Our expectation will be that the city would hold a referendum. I believe the City of Calgary is sincere in their negotiations with us to actually hold a plebiscite.” Calgary’s contribution to the process would be $9.5 million. The city has already spent $6 million.

March 30, 2018

City councillors question the communications breakdown after provincial and federal governments announce financial support for a bid corporation. Kirsty Duncan, federal minister of sport, first made the announcement on Twitter, to the surprise of most councillors.

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April 3, 2018

The International Olympic Committee says seven cities remain interested in pursuing a bid for the 2026 Winter Games: Calgary; Graz, Austria; Cortina d’Ampezzo/Milan/Turin, Italy; Sapporo, Japan; Stockholm, Sweden; Sion, Switzerland; and Erzurum, Turkey. Canmore councillors agree to participate in Calgary’s BidCo, without giving final approval to participating in an Olympic bid.

April 4, 2018

The Alberta government says there’s no blank cheque for a Calgary Olympic bid despite its support for a plebiscite on hosting the 2026 Winter Games. “We are prepared to investigate, we are prepared to come up with a figure and then, once we have that figure, we’ll have to make a decision in cabinet as to whether it’s something that we can look at or not,” said Culture and Tourism Minister Ricardo Miranda, MLA for Calgary-Cross.

April 6, 2018

The Alberta government clarifies that the $10 million committed to a bid corporation is not contingent on a plebiscite. Any additional funds would require a yes vote from Calgarians to host the Games.

April 10, 2018

Calgary’s pursuit of the 2026 Games is in jeopardy after a council committee agreed 9-1 that a vote is needed on whether to proceed any further with the bid process. “I share the frustration of last-minute changes by other orders of government,” Mayor Naheed Nenshi said. “I share the frustration of reports that are not clear enough coming to council in terms of what’s being said. So, yeah, I think it’s fair to say it’s a bit in the ditch. And the question is, is it worth pulling out of the ditch or not? And I think it is.”

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April 12, 2018

Mayor Naheed Nenshi says it would be “remarkably short-sighted,” if council ends any further investigation of a potential bid for the 2026 Winter Games, “particularly when we’re looking at an investment that would be historic into the economy of Calgary at a time when we desperately need investment.

“If this fails, I think that many articles in many books will be written about what Calgary did wrong here,” he tells reporters at a news conference.

April 13, 2018

Dozens of Olympians at WinSport plea for Calgary city council to continue exploring a potential bid for a second Olympics.

April 16, 2018

Calgary city council votes to keep the Olympic bid process alive. The vote passes by a 9-6 margin after two hours of debate, reaffirming council’s “support for the investigation of a bid by Calgary for the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Games.” It passes with an amendment proposed by Coun. Shane Keating to establish a subcommittee, made up of four councillors and the mayor, which would oversee the Olympic process moving forward. 

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