Phillipe Couillard in favour of Olympic Games in Quebec City
Quebec premier says he wants games, as long as they come at reasonable price
Premier Philippe Couillard says he is in favour of having the Winter Olympics in Quebec City in 2026, provided they come at a reasonable cost and don't put public finances in jeopardy.
"I want them if they are feasible, if they don't put Quebec or Quebec City in a bad financial situation."
Couillard says he feels that recent Olympic Games have become "extremely expensive extravagances" and that they need to be brought down to a more "human scale."
Quebec City mayor meeting with IOC
Quebec City mayor Régis Labeaume is in Lausanne, Switzerland this week to meet with the International Olympic Committee to discuss the possibility of making a bid for the games.
On Monday, Labeaume met with IOC president Thomas Bach, saying afterward that the meeting had covered more ground than had expected.
He says many of his questions for the IOC have been answered.
"I'll leave here saying, is it worthwhile to continue to work and analyze this file? That's my aim," says Labeaume.
Will Quebec share hosting duties?
Couillard says he admires Labeaume's ambition and vision for the games.
"We spoke before he left for Europe where we established the idea that he would go and see if it was possible to have the Games in Quebec, perhaps shared with another location, and most of all, at a modest price," says Couillard.
Possible shared locations for the games include Lake Placid, N.Y, and Whistler, B.C.
Couillard says he would like to meet with Labeaume when he returns from Lausanne to further discuss the possible bid.