We're probably getting the 2026 Olympics

[ExtraSlow]

Well kiddies, get out there and vote. Polls open 8am and close 8pm.

I actually have to drive past my polling place twice today, so I'll let you know if there's big lines here.

[rage2]

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https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calga...rena-1.4902473

Already talking about scope creep

That was the whole point of Nenshi and the yessus, get the bid done, awarded the Olympics, ask for the stuff that's actually needed to host the damn thing. That's what Vancouver did and they're trying to follow their model. Vancouver's Canada line and Sea to Sky highway upgrades was added on after and funded early (and off the Olympics books). The difference today is that the economic climate is brutal compared to the early 2000's when Vancouver was awarded the games, both levels of governments are racking up debt that needs to be paid back when the recession is over, and both levels of government has said no to additional funding and future projects. I mean, there's a chance we'll get all this stuff, but it's nothing like Vancouver where it was almost guaranteed.

I've mentioned this before, but if arena, rail and everything we actually need in the future was part of this bid from the start with funding locked down from provincial and feds, even if it cost city taxpayers $1b, I'd probably vote yes. That would be getting our money's worth. Paying $370m or $570m or $700m today (depending on the day of the week you ask BidCo) for the small amount of upgrades we're getting and no guarantees of further funding is an easy no.

[kertejud2]

We're basically at the point where the Olympics would be the way to ensure the Green Line gets the funding to complete Phase I by 2026 before additional rail is added. It's fairly probable that it has a billion dollar cost overrun or more.

[mr2mike]

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I actually have to drive past my polling place twice today, so I'll let you know if there's big lines here.

Start a new "Line ups or not" thread. Haha

[speedog]

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Start a new "Line ups or not" thread. Haha

Hey, like there's nothing stopping you from doing such.


In the mean time, Colonel Irvine already has line ups - mostly grey haired old farts like me.

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

Spendshi just on X929. They haven’t even talked to Whistler and the BC government about holding events there. They also won’t soend any money in BC venues they say.

[R-Audi]

Im just glad that as of tomorrow my tax dollars wont be used to shove an opinion down my throat.

[ExtraSlow]

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Start a new "Line ups or not" thread. Haha

If I got o made by marcus maybe.

So far, Zero line at the two nearby polling stations I went past between 8:10 and 8:30.

[speedog]

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Im just glad that as of tomorrow my tax dollars wont be used to shove an opinion down my throat.

You wish. New arena talks are happening regardless of the 2026 bid.

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

Hamptons voting station was in and out just now, few people trickling in.

[Mitsu3000gt]

2 "no" votes coming from us tonight

[asp integra]

If your vote is no, then don't bother going to the polls!

Calgary 2026!!!!!

[BavarianBeast]

Wave of nope, let’s hope!

My companies would benefit hugely off the Olympics and I’m still voting no. I’ve got a few reasons;

1. No proper budget yet. Don’t know what cost overruns will look like.
2...Property taxes likely up 20% minimum to cover costs WITHOUT overruns. Calgary solely responsible for overruns. Bid already millions over budget.
3. Olympic committee lying about overrun insurance and hiding real facts.
4. No new infrastructure for Calgary. Facelifts only to existing facilities.
5...Have to negotiate RENTAL deal with Whistler and pay for their security and upgrades with no benefits to Calgary.
6. Security budget was severely reduced to try to make it work.
7...Huge salaries and bonuses paid to Calgary 2026 to get a yes vote.
8...I don’t trust these Councillors and organizers who have bungled the bid to carry out planning responsibly.

[schocker]

Voted this morning. NO NO NO!

[Xtrema]

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Spendshi just on X929. They haven’t even talked to Whistler and the BC government about holding events there. They also won’t soend any money in BC venues they say.

Scope creep, we will get new ski jumps here, somewhere.

I'm with Rage, they tried to hide too much. Come up with a straight forward and believable $8-$10B budget that includes the new stadium and ski jump, get the province/feds to pick up $4-5B of that and would have got a yes from me.

[kertejud2]

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4. No new infrastructure for Calgary. Facelifts only to existing facilities.
5...Have to negotiate RENTAL deal with Whistler and pay for their security and upgrades with no benefits to Calgary.

Amidst all the other unclear talk, these are the two that are unequivocally false. It might not be a lot of new infrastructure, or the stuff people really wanted but there is some. I get that a fieldhouse and 5-7,000 seat arena aren't exactly the sexy pieces people were hoping for, but they're definitely new. Then there's the (scaled back) housing, which again, not sexy, but it does highlight the problem the bid has when people simultaneously complain about cost overruns but also that not enough money is being spent on stuff.

But aside from those, what exactly is wrong with upgrading existing facilities? McMahon may be shit but there is absolutely no argument that can be made the Olympics is a bad deal but building a new fancy stadium for a CFL team is a good one. Upgrading McMahon helps placate CSEC's desire to get something for the Stampeders (one of their hangups about Plan B) which would help make a new arena deal easier as well. I don't think there is anybody in the city who is operating with the assumption that there won't be a new arena built by 2026. It's a key part of the Victoria Park development plan, infrastructure money for other recreation facilities is taken care of with the help of other levels of government which helps the city make some more 'concessions' regarding what exactly makes up a '30/30/30' or a '50/50' deal. There is also the new favorite theory that the 5,000 seat arena would just be worked into the new arena costs, but I'm not sure how that would fly. Getting the city's main rec wishlist item (Fieldhouse), upgrading facilities (BMO Centre, Oval, McMahon) and doing it with provincial and federal money helps the city solve some major funding shortfalls that wouldn't be going away and would then need to shoulder the entire burden themselves instead of getting the

As for using the Whistler facilities, the benefit is that Calgary doesn't need to build new ski jumps which saves money, and all they lose is ski jumping and nordic combined, two events that aren't exactly big draws in the first place. Unless the IOC decides they'll pull those events from the Olympics altogether, sending them to Whistler is absolutely a benefit to the city vs. paying to be able to host those events.

[Brent.ff]

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It might not be a lot of new infrastructure, or the stuff people really wanted but there is some

I really wish we'd stop calling this infrastructure. A field house is not infrastructure. A rink is not infrastructure. They're luxury recreation items for a City.

[ExtraSlow]

Dumping ski jumping on Whistler is a net benefit to Calgary.

- - - Updated - - -

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I really wish we'd stop calling this infrastructure. A field house is not infrastructure. A rink is not infrastructure. They're luxury recreation items for a City.

It's weird how you have a totally different definition of that word that I do.

To me, buildings and facilities are infrastructure.

[BerserkerCatSplat]

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I've mentioned this before, but if arena, rail and everything we actually need in the future was part of this bid from the start with funding locked down from provincial and feds, even if it cost city taxpayers $1b, I'd probably vote yes. That would be getting our money's worth. Paying $370m or $570m or $700m today (depending on the day of the week you ask BidCo) for the small amount of upgrades we're getting and no guarantees of further funding is an easy no.

This exactly. If there was a properly produced budget that included major items (that will likely be built in the future anyway) and that worked to capture federal and provincial funding, I'd be all for it. Instead we got a bizarre sketchy budget that only includes half-assed facilities and seems to change every five minutes.

[Tik-Tok]

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This exactly. If there was a properly produced budget that included major items (that will likely be built in the future anyway) and that worked to capture federal and provincial funding, I'd be all for it. Instead we got a bizarre sketchy budget that only includes half-assed facilities and seems to change every five minutes.

Yeah, but then the competition will know our bid! -City Council