Calgary and Edmonton looking to host 2030 Commonwealth Games

Abraham Smith

The 2030 Commonwealth Games could come to Calgary and Edmonton.

On Wednesday, the mayors of the two cities, Alberta’s Secretary of Culture Jason Luan and local Indigenous representatives joined organizers leaders to announce formal consideration of the 2030 Commonwealth Games bid in the province’s two largest cities.

Dubbed Alberta 2030, the joint bid would take over from Canada after Hamilton’s first leading bid fell through when they failed to meet Commonwealth Sport Canada’s deadline to secure government funding.

Hamilton was considered the favorite to host the 2030 Games, having hosted the first edition in 1930, then known as the British Empire Games, 100 years earlier.

A group of community farmers in Alberta have been working on a possible offer for the past three years. They have worked with potential partners, venue operators, technical experts and community advocates to conduct a feasibility assessment and offer exploration.

The Calgary-Edmonton Games would be held over 11 days in August 2030, with competitions and cultural events shared by Calgary, Edmonton, the Tsuut’ina Nation, the Bow Valley and other Alberta communities.

“Hosting a major multisport event like the Commonwealth Games is a rare opportunity for meaningful transformative development of a community, region and country,” said Dr. Roger Jackson, President and CEO of the Alberta 2030 Commonwealth Games Corp.

“Our goal through this collaboration is to build on Alberta’s successful sporting legacy to host very low-cost games that reflect the values ​​of all Canadians and will improve the lives of our citizens by making a far-reaching impact on the economy, arts and culture, tourism, Education, sports, volunteering, new and renovated sports facilities and much more.”

The Commonwealth Games are held every four years, with participants representing 72 nations and territories, all once associated with the British Empire. The last games of 2022 took place in Birmingham, England.

Commonwealth Games cost

While the cost of a possible joint bid between Calgary and Edmonton has not been disclosed, Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi told the media on Wednesday that the council has committed $1 million to “achieve the grand goal in exploring.” to support this project”.

Additionally, Luan says the Alberta government is investing $2 million in the Games’ exploration process, while Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek says her city would also contribute $1 million, providing overall funding for the exploration phase would bring to $4 million.

The Hamilton Group predicted the games would cost a total of $1.1 billion.

Possible venues discussed

In terms of venues, the organizing committee is open to exploring options but suggested that Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton and McMahon Stadium in Calgary could undergo upgrades to make them suitable for games.

Edmonton’s new cycling velodrome, due to open in 2026, would also be a key venue. Also, lawn bowling would go to Edmonton while a new field house could be built in Calgary. Calgary’s Lindsay Park Pool may also host water events.

“From our standpoint, how the communities are involved is important,” Jackson said. “Identifying which new projects are a priority for them and we will work with them to support the sports solutions talks.”

The experience of past games will help Alberta 2030

Both cities have hosted major world events in the past, Calgary hosted the 1988 Winter Olympics and Edmonton hosted the 1978 Commonwealth Games. Edmonton’s last major sporting event was the 1983 FISU World University Games.

Although the bid for the Calgary 2026 Olympics failed after a plebiscite defeat, there are hopes that a bid for the 2030 Commonwealth Games could be successful and even benefit the province.

Additionally, Gondek sees the Alberta 2030 approach as very different from exploring the Calgary 2026 Olympics.

“There is a commitment to truth and reconciliation and working with indigenous communities,” she said. “The fact that this is community-led right from the start is a marked departure from what we saw with the Olympic bid.”

“I don’t know where it will end up through exploration or if it needs a popular vote; it is still early. I’m really confident now that people will see the value of this type of investment.”

A possible official application and the continuation of the project would be a matter for the organizers, the municipal councils and a provincial cabinet

The 2026 Commonwealth Games are set to be held in the state of Victoria, Australia and will be the first to be held under a multi-city host model.

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