Why I Oppose an Olympic Bid for Calgary
The Calgary Bid Exploration Committee has posted a survey for people in the region to share their views on whether the City should pursue a bid to have the Winter Olympics here again.
Now, I fully expect the many arguments against an Olympic bid to be ignored, dismissed, or otherwise considered insufficient to stop the bid, by the starry-eyed ambitions of the elites in the city. But, it’s still important to raise our points of opposition as strongly and clearly as we can.
Let me count the ways I “strongly oppose” the bid…
The following is taken from what I wrote in the survey (please don’t copy & paste — they’ll ignore duplicate answers):
General reasons to “strongly oppose”
- The corruption of the IOC.
- The high-pressure approach to the games that promotes “performance enhancing” drug use and extreme/dangerous medical interventions for athletes.
- The expenditures that typically end up costing most citizens a lot for the profit of a few elites.
- The typical impact on marginalized people in a host city (poor, homeless, racialized, etc.).
- That we still haven’t stopped, let alone made amends for, the oppressive treatment of the indigenous peoples whose traditional territories we occupy.
“Economic standpoint”
All the “benefits” talked about are “could”, not “will” — but costs are definitely a “will happen”. And even if some benefits do happen, they typically are not evenly distributed, but tend to accrue to the already wealthy. Meanwhile, everyone else still has to pay “their fair share” in the costs of it all.
“Environmental standpoint”
How much better would it be to spend the money on environmentally-minded infrastructure focused on the needs of the local people, the City, and the region — instead of focusing it on a very short-term event that is not about the local communities?
“Social and community-impact standpoint”
The examples of these events held in the various cities around the world show that they typically have a significantly negative impact on marginalized people, and little-to-no lasting positive impact for the vast majority of people in the host communities.
In an ideal world, where there was no corruption in the IOC and affiliated organizations, and where the fantasy of these events being an opportunity to “lift everyone up” weren’t just a fable cooked up to try to sell people on the games, maybe one could be convinced of such. But the reality seen in past games does not reflect that sales pitch.
“Creating and sustaining a legacy for Calgary”
So far, this seems the point that comes closest to having any sense of validity.
However, the facilities weren’t decided based on the needs of the people in our communities; but, rather, the needs of the temporary event. Yes, local usage is “taken into consideration”, but it is far from the primary motivator in determining where resources will be allocated.
I would much, much, rather see us invest in the development, reworking, and sustaining, of infrastructure based on what is most needed in our City. Supporting and prioritizing the people of the Calgary region is a far better investment, with far bigger payoffs, than focusing on a very short-term international event.
“Vision for Calgary in 2030”
- Reconciled with the indigenous nations of Treaty 7, whose territory we occupy.
- Poverty eradicated (Guaranteed Annual Income? Living wages, housing first,…).
- A much more diverse range of housing options (ecologically appropriate, mixed family sizes, aging in place, cohousing, housing co-operatives, etc.).
- Publicly funded elections — no private money allowed, so all candidates are on an equal footing.
- Other municipal electoral reforms to provide more, and better, representation of the diverse interests in the city.
- Food and water resiliency. Urban agriculture all over the place. Distributed water facilities (filtration, retention).
- Planning that prioritizes accessibility first, at the core — not as an afterthought or add-on.
- Massive reduction in car dependency and usage. Comprehensive bicycle infrastructure. 24-hour public transit everywhere — at least a couple more C-Train lines (Green line, plus maybe a circle/perimeter route?).
- Enough public library outlets that every residence in the city has one in walking range.
- More public recreation facilities for the currently under-served communities (i.e., a lot of east Calgary). And more youth & seniors programs (especially ones that integrate across ages and cultures).
- More, and more diverse, arts spaces throughout the city.
- A completely reformed police service to eliminate (or at least significantly curtail) the culture of bullying, racism, sexism, colonialism, etc.
- Effective infrastructure for the greater intake of refugees (both environmental and political refugees, which we can expect to see significant growth of in the coming years).
- A return of thriving, diverse, journalism-driven, local media.
- In general: People taking care of each other, and treating everyone with respect and dignity.
“Anything else”
Please genuinely prioritize the needs of the local people, and don’t fall into the bubble mind-set that so often besets people who get caught up in events like this. If you are not measuring this against how it will truly impact the various marginalized people in our community, then it is just an act of ego.
We need to take care of each other first, before letting ourselves get caught up in these ambitions.
Further Reading
📄 PDF: Olympic Proportions: Cost and Cost Overrun at the Olympics 1960–2012. Brent Flyvbjerg and Allison Stewart, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.
