Government of Canada Supports a Calgary 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Bid
Minister of Science and Sport Kirsty Duncan reviewing the Calgary 2026 bid numbers
CALGARY, Sept. 12, 2018 /CNW/ - Hosting major sporting events like the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games supports our athletes, our communities and our economy. They energize our country around the power of sport, inspiring Canadians from coast to coast to coast. Through the games, our athletes strive for personal bests and encourage national pride.
That is why, as we announced in March, our government strongly supports a Calgary 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games bid.
Calgary is a world-class city, and Canada has successfully hosted the Olympic Games twice in the last 30 years. The infrastructure from those Games has been maintained as a legacy of both the Calgary and Vancouver Winter Games and is being used regularly by athletes and community members for recreation and high-performance programming.
Our government is focused on thoroughly reviewing the Calgary 2026 Hosting Plan. The review will focus on the services and costs under federal jurisdiction that would be required to support the event including security, food inspection and border services, among others.
The proposed plan shared by the Calgary 2026 Bid Corporation and the subsequent vote by Calgary City Council to support going forward with the bid yesterday move Calgary one large step forward in this process.
While our government is pleased to support this bid, we also must respect the voice of Calgarians. We encourage the citizens of Calgary to have their say in the November 13 plebiscite and vote on whether Calgary should bid to host the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Citizen engagement is of the utmost importance.
We want to ensure that the right decision is made for Calgary, Alberta and Canada.
Quotes
"We are always happy to see cities bidding to host national and international sport competitions as these events support our athletes, our communities and our economy. Our government is pleased to support a 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games bid and will diligently review the proposal from the Calgary 2026 Bid Corporation. We will continue to work with our government partners in Alberta and Calgary, as well as the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic committees, to ensure this bid is right for Calgary, Alberta and Canada."
- The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Sport
Quick Facts
The 2026 Winter Olympic Games will be the 25th edition of the games and 14th edition of the Winter Paralympic Games. Canada hosted the Olympic Winter Games in 1988 (Calgary), the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in 2010 (Vancouver) and the Summer Olympic Games in 1976 (Montréal).
If a Calgary bid is successful, it will be the first time that Calgary will host a Paralympic Games. The first time the Paralympic Games were hosted at the same site as the Olympic Winter Games was in 1992 in Albertville, France.
The International Olympic Committee is seeking to make the games more accessible, easier to operate and less expensive. One such initiative is a measure outlined in the IOC's New Norm report, which encourages sustainability of the games by using existing infrastructure. If new infrastructure is required, it should reflect the needs of the community and leave a positive legacy of the games.
Important next steps include reviewing the Calgary 2026 Bid Corporation numbers that will inform government decisions on hosting, listening to what the citizens of Calgary have to say in the November 13 plebiscite, and the IOC selecting interested cities that will move to the candidature stage.
Related Links
Olympic Agenda 2020 – International Olympic Committee
The New Norm Report – an extension of Olympic Agenda 2020 – International Olympic Committee
SOURCE Canadian Heritage
For further information: (media only), please contact: Simon Ross, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism, 819-997-7788; Zachary Caldwell, Parliamentary Affairs and Issues Advisor, Office of the Minister of Science and Sport, 343-291-2600; Media Relations, Canadian Heritage, 819-994-9101, 1-866-569-6155, [email protected]
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