CALGARY — Premier Danielle Smith has brought up the prospect of Calgary or Edmonton making a bid for the 2038 Olympics.Speaking at an event put on by the Rotary Club of Calgary on Thursday, Smith said new sports facility construction projects, such as new homes for the Calgary Flames, Calgary Stampeders, and Edmonton Elks, as well as construction of new passenger rail projects across the province, could help Alberta attract more international sporting events.“Maybe the 2026 Olympic bid was not the right time,” Smith told the audience at the Fairmont Palliser.“If we have this integrated rail system, new mountain resorts that have been fully developed out, amazing new stadiums and arenas in Calgary and Edmonton, a quick flight to Vancouver to be able to use the bobsled and the ski jump, make sure that the Canada Olympic Oval is brought up to speed, then maybe we’re in a position to be able to put a bid forward without telling Calgarians it’s going to cost you $5, $6, or $10 billion.".Smith issues mandate letter to ensure Olympic bids are subject to referenda.The City of Calgary had explored hosting the 2026 Winter Olympics but eventually withdrew its interest after more than 56% of Calgarians voted against the proposal in a public plebiscite, with the main concern being the overall cost of the Games.While Smith admitted she is not committing to anything, it does raise questions about the prospect becoming a reality.On Wednesday, Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas appeared to also be supportive of a future Olympic bid.Postmedia reports that at the Calgary Economic Development’s (CED) 2026 Report to the Community, Farkas told CED CEO Brad Parry that “we’d be crazy to not at least be considering it.”“I think there is a hell of a business case to be potentially thinking about a 50th anniversary bid,” Farkas said, in reference to the 2038 Olympics being the 50th anniversary of the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics.
