Calgary Olympic bid exploration group ends work, returns $1.7M to city

The group tasked with exploring the prospect of aCalgary bid on the 2026 Olympic Winter Games officially wound up its operations Tuesday, after spending$3 million of the $5 million the city allocated to it.

An additional$300,000 was allocated to the City of Calgary for internal expenses, leaving $1.7 million for the Calgary Bid Exploration Committee to return to city coffers.

Over the summer, the committeeconcluded it would be feasible for Calgary to bid on the Olympics but didn't offer a recommendation as to whether the city should make a bid.

• Calgary expects to make final decision in 2018on whether to bid for 2026 Olympics

More work is needed to determine if the games are financially viable, the committee concluded.

Kyle Ripley, the director of Calgary recreation, said the citytrying to find answers to several questions before city council votes whether to bid or not.

"Our role right now is to obtain clarity on those principles.Working with the IOC, the other orders of government and to just do that achieve clarity on those principles and to report back to council," Ripley said.

Calgary city council is still seeking more information from the International Olympic Committee before deciding whether or not to bid.

"Council will continue to have a discussion around whether or not we're interested in putting forward a bid," Coun. Druh Farrell said Tuesday.

"I think we need to have a discussion on whether or not we can afford it, considering our other priorities and what that would do to our debt limit."

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