CALGARY – Frustration, fear and furious debate have marked the final days leading up to Tuesday’s Calgary 2026 Olympic/Paralympic plebiscite.
Both sides continue to wage aggressive social media campaigns aimed at trying to separate fact from fiction, while also hosting open houses and events aimed at rallying support.
A free family skate, featuring Olympians and Paralympians, was held at the Olympic speed skating Oval Saturday in support of keeping facilities like that alive with a ‘yes’ vote.
At the same time a ‘No’ rally attracted 200 placard-waving detractors at – wait for it – Olympic Plaza.
The irony was rich.
Anyone parachuting into town would quickly conclude the ‘yes’ side has the momentum given the number of lawn signs and endless TV, radio and print ads extolling the virtues of the $5 billion event.
However, have a seat in any local establishment and the emotional debates you can hear being held suggest for every ‘yea,’ there’s an equally as passionate ‘nay.’
This vote will be close.
No need for pollsters to tell us that.
More than 54,000 turned out for advance polling last Tuesday and Wednesday, which is more than twice the number of voters who chimed in early for the 2013 municipal election.
The sad part has been how vitriolic the arguments have become, causing many to wonder how a city that has thrived because of its western hospitality and attitude will get past this vote, either way.
The encouraging part is how much people care.
One of the central questions now is whether Calgarians care to foster and expand the city-changing legacy of the wildly successful 1988 Games for future generations.
Or succumb to the fears of naysayers who suggest the financial risks are too great for a city in a deep economic tailspin.
Is this the economic opportunity the city can use to get its mojo back and springboard back to prominence, just like it did in 1988?
Or are the numbers in the bid as flawed as this town’s city council?
Do Calgarians fully understand the rarity and spinoffs that come from a $1.4 billion investment from the federal government, $700 million from the province and $390 million from the local government?
Or is it too hard for locals to trust the IOC, or a fractured city council that once backed the bid, yet voted 8-7 almost two weeks ago to deep-six the venture after last-minute budget cuts and funding were implemented?
There’s frustration the only sporting legacy projects in the bid hosting plan include a 5,000-seat arena (with two rinks), and a $250 million field house the city has been chasing since the late 70’s.
Then again, the whole reason Calgary is back in the Olympic business is because it already has the bulk of the venues required, keeping costs down.
[relatedlinks]
Renovations to McMahon Stadium, the Oval, Winsport and various other venues are a must, or the latter two will die.
Many believe an Olympic nod opens the door wider for the possibility a new NHL-sized arena could be negotiated to replace the 5,000-seat plan.
One thing is for sure – a no vote Tuesday ensures more than $4 billion in investment into the city disappears instantly, never to return.
The ‘no’ side offers no alternative solutions to recouping that money.
Can a city built on the backs of entrepreneurs with a can-do attitude really afford to turn their back on a generational opportunity like this?
After all, if submitted, Calgary’s bid is the clear favourite to beat out Stockholm, Sweden and Milan/Cortina D’Ampezzo, Italy when the decision is rendered in June.
Alberta Premier Rachel Notley is the one who attached the plebiscite as a condition to the $700 million the province is willing to contribute to the 2026 Games.
At a cost of $2 million, the plebsicite is for all Calgarians who’ve called Calgary home for at least the previous six months.
A ‘yes’ vote in the non-binding exercise would lead to another city council vote on whether to proceed, before the bid is officially submitted to the IOC in January.
A ‘no’ vote would leave a tremendous void following two years of Olympic debate.
As part of city council’s dysfunction that has infuriated and discredited the process, the chair of city council’s Olympic bid committee recently flipped over to the ‘no’ side. Councillor Evan Woolley is the one who moved to have the bid nixed almost two weeks ago for reasons that include the fact council broke its promise to have all the financials and information to residents 30 days ahead of the plebiscite.
They had less than half that time.
A five ring circus indeed.
People have since been unsure where to get unfettered facts on the bid as the website promoted by the city and the Bid Corporation are clearly pro-Olympics.
It has been a rocky road indeed, as only last week the federal government confirmed they’ll foot the bill for security cost overruns that have so many people scared.
"I’m nervous because I hope people have done a little bit of work," said two-time Olympic gold medal winning speed skater Catriona Le May Doan, who has called Calgary home for decades and is on the board for the bid corporation.
"It’s easy to say no. It takes a bit of work to investigate. I would almost say how we, as a city, continue is at stake tomorrow.
"We’ve been known as a winter sport city and the question is, ‘will we continue to be that, or will be we have to try to find a new identity?’ That scares me.
"If we say no, I would ask the city, ‘what would be our stimulus and what will make us great again?’"
Locals will have between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. MT Tuesday to cut through the rhetoric and let their voice be known in a debate that will shape the city one way or another.
