Calgarians are about to get a close look at what hosting the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Games would entail.

The bid corporation Calgary 2026 will present to city council early next week a draft hosting plan, which will outline the investment required and the legacy left should the city go ahead with a bid.

B次元官网网址淚 think we have to show that all the parties are doing hard work to get to where we need to get to,B次元官网网址� 2026 chair Scott Hutcheson said.

The International Olympic CommitteeB次元官网网址檚 deadline to submit 2026 bids is January. The successful city will be named in September 2019.

A non-binding plebiscite asking Calgarians to support or reject hosting a Winter Games is scheduled for Nov. 13. The vote would be cancelled, however, if city council decides to bail on a bid.

Council had set Sept. 10 as both a deadline to be fully informed on the risks, costs and benefits of 2026, as well as an off-ramp should council be unsatisfied with the information.

The draft hosting plan is expected to be unveiled the following day, however, on Sept. 11.

The cityB次元官网网址檚 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games assessment committee chaired by Coun. Evan Woolley was presented with the draft hosting plan in a closed meeting Tuesday.

B次元官网网址淣ext week, Calgarians will be given the vast majority of information they need to make a decision on whether we should or shouldnB次元官网网址檛 host an Olympics,B次元官网网址� Woolley said.

B次元官网网址淭hat will include capital costs as well as operating budgets associated with Olympic and Paralympic Games.B次元官网网址�

Calgary hosted the 1988 Winter Games. Legacy venues such as the speedskating oval and the nordic centre in nearby Canmore are foundational to a potential 2026 bid.

B次元官网网址淵es Calgary 2026B次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址淣o Calgary OlympicsB次元官网网址� organizations have been mobilizing.

The city conducted a poll in July to take the publicB次元官网网址檚 temperature towards hosting another Winter Games.

Of the 500 Calgarians surveyed by telephone, 53 per cent either strongly or somewhat supported a bid, 33 per cent were opposed, 13 per cent were undecided and one per cent refused opinion.

The margin of error was 4.38 percentage points 19 times out of 20.

The poll indicated the cost of hosting was top of mind for all those surveyed.

While a Calgary Bid Exploration Committee estimated a price tag of $4.6 billion and games revenues covering almost half that figure, the estimate was projected to increase with a more detailed cost analysis.

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By comparison, the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver and Whistler, B.C., cost roughly $7.7 billion.

Since CBEC produced its number, the IOC has committed to giving the successful 2026 host city US$925 million, or CDN$1.2 billion, in cash and services.

But missing from the draft hosting plan would be the financial contributions of the federal and provincial governments to the games. Those numbers arenB次元官网网址檛 expected until early October.

The province has committed to providing its figure 30 days before the plebiscite.

Coun. Druh Farrell feels what the province and the feds will pay is crucial information council and the public needs now.

B次元官网网址淲e still donB次元官网网址檛 have all the information we need in order to make an informed decision,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淲e still havenB次元官网网址檛 received assurances from other orders of government on the partnership and what they would mean.

B次元官网网址淲e have some estimates and thereB次元官网网址檚 a range, but we really canB次元官网网址檛 talk about them with any certainty until we have an agreement.

B次元官网网址淚 remain concerned about the financial aspect of this. We would be really putting all our energy into sport B次元官网网址� I think sport is incredibly important to Calgary B次元官网网址� but it would leave very little room for other priorities.B次元官网网址�

Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi said any agreement between the three levels of government has to make hosting affordable for the city and fit its existing capital priorities.

But the financials heB次元官网网址檚 seen so far have made him optimistic.

B次元官网网址�(ItB次元官网网址檚) Absolutely doable in terms of things we need to build, things that are priorities in any case,B次元官网网址� the mayor said. B次元官网网址淚 am very comfortable with going to the people with this plebsicite.B次元官网网址�

A public engagement program will be rolled out starting next week.

The city will attempt to lay out the nuts and bolts of the hosting plan in a neutral tone, while Calgary 2026 is expected to be more pro-Games in its message as the champion of a bid.

B次元官网网址淚 think youB次元官网网址檙e going to see an unbelievably robust, broad and in-depth engagement with Calgarians around a whole range of topics in the coming 10 weeks,B次元官网网址� Woolley said.

Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press

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