On a clear November day in 2018, Calgarians delivered a decisive verdict, voting against a proposed bid to host the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. That choice, according to advocates of the failed bid, represented more than just a lost sporting event; it was a missed opportunity to secure a massive, government-shared investment to revitalize the city's crumbling sports infrastructure and cement physical wellness as a core priority for the region.
The $390 Million Plan That Never Was
The rejected Olympic proposal came with a detailed budget and a transformative promise. It outlined plans to refurbish 10 legacy sports facilities built for the 1988 Calgary Games and to construct two new venues. The funding was to be a shared responsibility across municipal, provincial, and federal governments. Calgary's portion of that investment was set at $390 million.
"All those facilities would have been refurbished based on the formula set out in the federal funding policy, and we are sitting here today on a hope and a prayer, hoping we get money for those facilities that still haven't been renewed," said Mary Moran, the former CEO of Calgary Economic Development and current chair of the Alberta Sports Leadership Association.
The facilities on the upgrade list were iconic: The Olympic Oval, McMahon Stadium, the WinSport sliding track and ski hill, the Saddledome, the BMO Centre, the Big Four Building, Max Bell Arena, the Canmore Nordic Centre, and Nakiska Ski Resort. The budget also included building a new multi-sport complex and a mid-size community arena.
Aging Infrastructure on the Brink
Today, most of Calgary's Olympic-era sports infrastructure is over three decades old, with many venues in urgent need of repair or facing operational failure. Moran points to the Olympic Oval, the speed skating track built for the 1988 Games, as a prime example of infrastructure "on the eve of not being able to operate."
Once celebrated as the "fastest ice in the world," the Oval has been a training hub for professional teams and a host for national and international events that generate significant economic impact. However, its future is uncertain. Last year, Canadian speed skaters raised alarms that the rink might soon be unable to make ice due to numerous brine leaks discovered in the 400 pipe connections under its floor.
In a bid to save the venue, the University of Calgary launched a fundraising campaign in January 2026 with a $65 million goal. The funds are intended for a new ice slab, a wider access tunnel, a running track, modern weight rooms, gender-neutral changing rooms, and renovated office and VIP spaces.
The story is similarly challenging at WinSport, the central hub for the 1988 Games. Its ski jumps were decommissioned and parts of its sliding track were demolished in 2018. A planned $25 million restoration of the track, scheduled for 2020, was halted due to a funding shortfall from higher levels of government.
A Lost Mandate for Wellness and Community
Beyond concrete and ice, proponents argue the failed bid cost Calgary a powerful unifying vision. Moran believes that hosting the Games would have made sports and physical wellness a top mandate for Calgary and Alberta, driving policy and investment for years.
This sentiment is echoed by Jason Ribeiro, president of the Calgary Surge professional basketball club. "It would have been a calling card for our community," he stated, highlighting the lost potential for elevated civic pride and international profile that the Olympics could have provided.
The 2018 vote now stands as a pivotal moment, not just for a sporting event, but for the long-term health of Calgary's public sports facilities. The debate continues over how to fund the necessary upgrades for these aging venues without the catalytic investment and focused timeline an Olympic bid promised.
