Welcome!

Welcome to the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games bid engagement hub, your online platform for information and engagement about the potential bid.

Calgarians are being asked to consider whether or not Calgary should host the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (the Games).

From Idea

The idea began in 2016 when The Calgary Sport Tourism Authority (CSTA) recommended The City explore a bid to host the Games. The CSTA felt there were considerable benefits of bidding for and hosting the Games. It also saw the potential that the Games could align closely with The City’s long-term goals around economic opportunity, sport development, social development, and cultural enrichment. As a result, City Council funded the Calgary Bid Exploration Committee (CBEC) to determine whether a bid would be feasible. Based on CBEC’s work, The City of Calgary, Province of Alberta and Government of Canada, funded a Bid Corporation, called Calgary 2026.

To Concept

Calgary 2026 then developed and presented its Draft Hosting Plan Concept (draft hosting plan) to City Council. The draft hosting plan is a proposed approach that includes projected costs and infrastructure required for Calgary to host the Games. To support City Council in its consideration of the draft hosting plan, The City was directed to undertake an analysis of the draft hosting plan and a potential bid.

To Engagement

As part of its process in considering whether or not to submit a bid, City Council wants to engage with Calgarians to understand their views on this guiding question:

Will hosting the Games help or hinder Calgary’s future?

Get Involved:

Online - Share your views on this online platform.

  • Go to the Step 2 tab to learn more about the proposed bid.
  • Go to the Step 3 tab to share your comments and concerns.

In-person - Attend our in-person events around the city. Find the dates and details in the right sidebar.

Engagement toolkit - Host a conversation with your community. Download a toolkit under the Additional Resources section on the right sidebar.

Topics of conversation - We have created five topics of conversation to structure the information we share and the questions we ask in this engagement program. These topics are high-level categories of Calgarians’ comments, concerns and interests we heard in The City’s 2018 Citizen Perspectives Survey Report. Go to Tab 2 to learn more about these topics of conversation:

  • Community: The potential social and cultural impacts that hosting the Games could have on community and Calgarians’ well-being. Aspects include affordability, accessibility, arts and culture, and volunteerism.
  • Venues and facilities: The proposed venues and facilities that would be upgraded or built to host the Games.
  • Environment: The potential impacts on Calgary’s urban and natural environments and how these could be addressed.
  • Economy: A cost-benefit analysis of the draft hosting plan, which also includes tourism and the overall reputation of Calgary on the world stage.
  • Costs: The projected costs of the Games, potential funding sources and what they would cover.

Reporting - November

Throughout the program, and leading up to Council’s decision, we will provide information about what we heard.

Voting

For information on how to vote, or request a mail-in ballot, go to calgary.ca/vote2018. Participate in the non-binding vote:

  • November 6 & 7: Advance voting from 11:00 am - 7:00 pm
  • November 13: Polls open from 8:00 am - 8:00 pm

City Council decision

Your feedback is vital. It will help City Council decide on whether or not to submit a bid to host the Games.

Get Started