Alberta accuses Ottawa of ‘bad-faith tactics’ in 2026 Olympics talks
EDMONTON — Alberta’s finance minister has accused the federal government of negotiating in bad faith as numerous parties try to hammer out a funding arrangement for a proposed 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Calgary.
Joe Ceci responded on Saturday to a late Friday statement from a spokeswoman for Sport Minister Kirsty Duncan, which said Ottawa would contribute up to $1.75 billion to support core costs for the event if the Calgary 2026 bid is successful.
The statement said Ottawa would match the combined provincial and municipal investments, and the $1.75 billion figure would be based on 2026 dollars.
Ceci told reporters at the NDP convention in Edmonton that the province’s pledge of $700 million for the Olympics was based on a federal commitment of $1.75 billion in 2018 dollars, and followed weeks of negotiations with Ottawa and Calgary.