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Edmontonians love to host big events — and more often than not, we’re good at it too.
To name just a few, Edmonton has successfully laid on: the 1978 Commonwealth Games; the World University Games in 1983; the 2001 World Championships in Athletics; eight Edmonton Indy races, a smattering of Grey Cups and Stanley Cups, the 2013 Tim Hortons Brier, Canadian Finals Rodeos, triathlons, marathons, bike races, a Crashed Ice skating competition, the 2020 bubble NHL playoffs, World Cup qualifiers and just last December, a Big Air snowboarding spectacle complete with a giant jump straddling Commonwealth Stadium. Whew.
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Albertans as a whole also do events well. That even includes Calgary which pulled off the Winter Olympics in 1988.
But while Albertans enjoy throwing a party, we also worry about finances, especially with rising interest rates, utilities, taxes and food bills. So, few Albertans are likely to quibble with the provincial government announcing Thursday that it’s scuttling a potential bid to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games.
Alberta had been considering a joint submission between Calgary, Edmonton and the Tsuut’ina Nation with the province putting $2 million into bid exploration and Calgary and Edmonton each pitching in $1 million, but no longer. “It’s not a good deal for Alberta,” said Tourism Minister Joseph Schow. “When it comes down to it, it has to be a good deal for Alberta taxpayers and this just wasn’t that.”
As understatements go, that’s a gold-medal winner. Hosting this party would have left Albertans with a multibillion-dollar hangover. The costs of this 11-day, multi-sport event are projected to be in excess of $2.6 billion.
Problem is, the Commonwealth Games — without the participation of sports powerhouses like the U.S., Russia and China — aren’t exactly the Olympics, or the World Cup, when it comes to revenue from broadcasting deals and corporate sponsorship. That leaves the bill for planning and delivery on taxpayers’ shoulders — roughly, and rather optimistically, $590 for every Albertan adult and child.
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It’s telling that Hamilton, which hosted the inaugural Games in 1930, shut down its bid for the 2030 Games in February and the Australian state of Victoria last month pulled out as host of the 2026 Games due to projected cost overruns. It’s now unclear if the 2026 event will proceed as scheduled in less than three years’ time.
Yes, holding the 1978 Games left Edmonton with valuable legacies including Commonwealth Stadium, the Argyll Velodrome, the Kinsmen Aquatic Centre and the city’s initial LRT line. Hosting the 2030 Games would have brought similar benefits: infrastructure investments, international exposure and a boost to Albertans’ spirits. But in this case, the costs far outweigh the returns.
This is one party we will skip.