(ATR) A potential 2026 Winter Olympics bid by Calgary has the support of about two-thirds of the area’s residents, according to a new poll from the city's exploratory committee.
The Calgary Bid Exploration Committee (CBEC) says almost 2,000 residents from Calgary, Cochrane, Canmore and Banff were surveyed via telephone and online from March 6-19 by the CBEC’s research partner Stone-Olafson.
About 64 percent of those surveyed either supported or strongly supported a bid for the 2026 Winter Games compared to 17 percent either opposing or strongly opposing the effort. The remaining 19 percent have not made up their mind.
Only 53 percent of respondents say they are confident "the bid process would be cost conscious and budgets would be managed well" though 71 percent did agree that win or lose, "bids like this are good ways to promote Calgary and attract business activity."
According to the survey, more than seven in 10 would like to see investment in the city’s existing venues and believe the legacy of hosting the 1988 Winter Games goes beyond sport.
The CBEC says the effort was "a scientifically valid quantitative survey" though the researchers themselves admit because the results include both telephone and online responses, they should be interpreted "with caution".
The exploratory committee will present its final report and recommendation to the Calgary City Council on July 24. The Council will then have the final say in the bid decision.
Thus far, Switzerland is the only country to officially enter the 2026 race with a bid centered in Sion. Besides Calgary, former Winter Olympic host cities Innsbruck, Lillehammer and Sapporo are also contemplating a bid along with Erzurum, Turkey.
The IOC says the 2026 bid cycle is expected to be officially opened after the 2018 Winter Games in PyeongChang next February. A host for the 2026 Games will be decided at the 2019 IOC Session.
Written by Gerard Farek
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