While the Town of Canmore has no official representation on the exploratory committee looking into the 2026 Calgary winter Olympic bid, it definitely expects to feel the effects of any decision to move forward with the idea.
While discussing the 2017 capital budget with council, Chief Administrative Officer Lisa de Soto acknowledged that if a 2026 Olympic bid were to go forward, the Town of Canmore would see the effects in its operational and capital budgets.
“We need to know a little bit more about the Olympic bid and the potential of the organization,” said de Soto, referring to the municipality’s corporate structure.
She said the organization would have to grow in order to deliver on an Olympic bid and the 2018 budget includes a $100,000 organizational review process for the corporate structure. By planning to do the work in 2018, de Soto said, gives the municipality more time to understand whether a bid will actually materialize.
“The Olympics are a complicating factor that would influence how the organization is designed,” de Soto told council.
Councillor Ed Russell, however, expressed concern the work would be done after this council’s term expires with the 2017 October municipal election.
Given that council would have oversight on the organizational review, Russell said he would rather see a review completed next year when this council would have the final say on its results.
