City releases 2026 Olympic bid book after lengthy FOIP battle

The City of Calgary has relented and finally released the bid book produced as part of its defunct effort to be named the host city of the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games.

The bid was scuttled after a November 2018 plebiscite in which Calgarians voted 56 per cent against going ahead with the multi-billion dollar project.

The bid book was nearing its final version when city council voted to dissolve the 2026 bid corporation.

That book would have been presented to the International Olympic Committee in early 2019, spelling out the vision for a second Calgary Olympics.

Although the book was paid for with public dollars, the city refused to release it to the public.

CBC News filed a Freedom of Information (known as a FOIP) request in 2019, seeking the document.

The city rejected releasing any part of the 114-page book, using an exemption in the FOIP Act called "advice from officials."

CBC News appealed that decision to the province's information and privacy commissioner. That office agreed to look into the matter.

However, before a ruling was made on the review, the city has decided on its own to release a redacted version of the bid book.

• Read the City of Calgary's 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games bid book at the bottom of this story.

Bid official speculates

The former head of the Calgary 2026 Olympic bid corporation, Mary Moran, said she was unaware of the reasons the report wasn't released earlier.

But she speculated that it may have something to do with the other government partners in the bid corporation rather than the city itself.

"There's also commercially sensitive information particularly as it relates to venues, so that might be one thing," said Moran.

The bid book spells out Calgary's vision for the 2026 Games, which featured competition venues in clusters in Calgary, Canmore/Kananaskis as well as events in Whistler, B.C.

Moran said that the last version of the bid book was still a draft as it was expected to be finalized in the two months following the plebiscite.

She also pointed out that even when cities are named the host of a Games, what's in the bid book may not ultimately be delivered as many factors can change between the awarding of an Olympics and the actual staging of the event.

There is a reference in the bid book to Indigenous people planning and delivering the Olympics. But no specifics are spelled out in report.

Moran said work on that was actively underway when the bid was halted.

That included discussions with the Tsuut'ina Nation. At that time, she said a new sportsplex was under development at the reserve on Calgary's southwestern boundary, which included a 2,500 seat arena.

"There were lots of discussions about how those could potentially be incorporated, whether they be for training, whether they be for events, like smaller audience events."

Curling site still unknown

The bid book also makes no reference to a venue for Olympic curling events, which are popular with Canadian fans.

When asked how Calgary's bid would look with a sport venue location unresolved, Moran said there was a plan but to this day, she still cannot talk about it.

She would say that event was to be held in a surrounding community.

"It was a very good option and I think Albertans and Calgarians would have been pleased with it," said Moran.

"I just feel a little bit uncomfortable speaking on behalf of another community."

The reason for the secrecy is that the location was a potential location for the curling events, but the possibility of a deal being reached between the City of Calgary and the owners of the Calgary Flames might have ultimately placed curling in the Stampede venue cluster.

She said that staging curling outside of Calgary would not have had a major impact on the budget for the Games.

Private security to outnumber police

The security required for the Olympic and Paralympic period is one section of the report with redactions.

However, it does provide details — like 1,245 Calgary police and RCMP officers would be required for the security operation, as well as 4,260 private security guards and several hundred volunteers.

The bid book notes that CFB Cold Lake "can quickly scramble a fighter jet response if the situation dictates."

Moran said she felt confident in their promise of a $575 million security operation to keep the sporting events and spectators safe from an incidents.

"People kept comparing it to Vancouver, but nobody compared it to the Pan Am Games in Toronto, which was $254 million or something around those lines," said Moran.

Funding boost needed

Not pursuing another Olympics in Calgary has left the future of some of the city's aging sports facilities up in the air.

The city and other organizations were hoping another Olympics would have resulted in millions of dollars pouring into fixing up existing facilities at Winsport and the Olympic Oval at the University of Calgary.

The city was hoping the involvement of other governments to fund the Games would allow it to build a new fieldhouse at Foothills Park as well as new arenas and related facilities.

Moran, who is the head of Calgary Economic Development, said that issue hasn't been addressed since the Olympic bid was put to bed in 2018.

"I'm worried, for sure. I think we've got to figure out a way to get it done," said Moran.

She said the provincial government wants to significantly boost Alberta's tourism industry so she's hoping sports could be part of that equation.

"We're the best in the world in some ways at international winter sport events and do more than any other jurisdiction in the world on an annual basis but if we don't invest in those, we will lose that position."