(ATR) Calgary is still studying a potential bid to host the 2026 Winter Olympics but there is some progress in plans to build a new arena for the city.
Sportsnet is reporting that the president and CEO of the National Hockey League’s Calgary Flames Ken King says he "is very encouraged by the city’s determination to get a new facility" but that no deal has been reached.
The Flames want a new building to replace the Scotiabank Saddledome, which has been home to the team since it opened in 1983. The Saddledome was a part of Calgary’s winning bid to host the 1988 Winter Games.
The idea of using a newly built hockey arena in an Olympic bid worked for the city once before. It remains to be seen if the arena will be approved before a decision is reached on a 2026 bid.
The city of Calgary formed an exploratory committee in September to evaluate the feasibility of a bid. The committee is scheduled to provide an interim report in January and a final report by July.
Calgary leaders must indicate to the International Olympic Committee their intent to bid for 2026 by September.
The town of Canmore, with a population of 13,000 located 81 kilometers (50 miles) west of Calgary, is reportedly already planning for a potential bid by its neighbor.
According to the Rocky Mountain Outlook, Canmore’s chief administrative officer Lisa de Soto says a 2026 bid would produce an increase in the town’s operational and capital budgets. The 2018 budget already includes $100,000 to be used for a review of the corporate structure of the town should Calgary decide to bid for 2026.
The winning bid will be selected by the IOC in 2019.
Written by Gerard Farek
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