These blog posts are meant to help inform and provide updates on The City’s role in exploring a potential bid for the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (OPWG). They share the highlights of the process, including how we’re evaluating the risks and benefits of hosting the 2026 OPWG, sustainability, the make-up of a bid submission and cultural planning. Please check calgary.ca\olympicbid or the Olympic Blog Series for more information.
The 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (OPWG) Assessment Committee met July 17 to discuss:
- City Secretariat update
- Vote of the Electors
The City Secretariat is a due diligence team of City of Calgary employees, ensuring citizens and Council are represented throughout the bid exploration process. The team is reviewing Calgary 2026’s business case, providing updates to the assessment committee, and supporting Council in assessing opportunities, risks and issues associated with a potential bid and hosting the 2026 OPWG. They also ensure the process is aligned with our city’s values, culture and vision.
Here’s the full presentation to assessment committee.
- Planning, reporting and risk management: keeping Council informed and assessing risk and opportunities for The City
- Programming: identifying social and community events and activities leading up to and during the OWPG, if Calgary was to host
- Essential services: identifying actions needed to maintain the level of service for transportation, public safety, community living, etc. if Calgary was to host
- Communications: informing Council and engage citizens on the process of a potential bid
- Legal services: protecting The City from risk;
- Finance: determining the cost to The City of hosting
- Issue management: identifying issues and ensuring they can be resolved
- Research: conducting research to baseline and track citizen’s knowledge of the bid process, including communication and informational needs.
More details can be found in the report to the Assessment Committee.
Budget
Current priorities
- Reviewing the Government submission
- Negotiating a Multi-Party Agreement
- Identifying programming and essential services requirements
- Supporting the engagement program
Vote of the Electors (Plebiscite)
Committee meeting recaps
- June 26 meeting recap
- June 19 meeting recap
- June 12 meeting recap
- June 5 meeting recap
- May 29 meeting recap
- May 15 meeting recap
For more information about the bid exploration project, visit calgary.ca/OlympicBid.