Edmonton withdraws bid for Commonwealth Games; Refocuses on 2026 Commonwealth Games

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Edmonton withdraws bid for Commonwealth Games

Maureen Kubinec, Minister of Culture and Tourism, issued the following statement regarding Edmonton’s decision not to bid on the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

“Today’s (February 10th) decision to withdraw from bidding on the 2022 Commonwealth Games was a difficult one.

“As we approach the next budget, we know we will have to make difficult choices. In this context, the Government of Alberta is simply not in a position to financially support the costs associated with not only a bid, but with further costs beyond the bidding process. For the next several years, the Alberta government’s priority is to focus on spending that directly supports Albertans’ core priorities, like health and education.

“Should Edmonton or any city decide to proceed with any future bids, the economic context must be favourable and the bid must have the full support of all three orders of government.

“With prudence and vision, our government will protect the province’s economic health. We have weathered these storms before and we will once again.”

Edmonton refocuses on 2026 Commonwealth Games, withdraws intent to bid on 2022

February 10, 2015 – Edmonton, Canada – The City of Edmonton, Edmonton 2022 Bid Committee and Commonwealth Games Canada today announced that they will not proceed with the Edmonton 2022 bid and will instead shift its focus to the 2026 Games.

Since Edmonton announced its intention to bid the Alberta government has seen their fiscal program go from a $500 million surplus to a $7 billion deficit due to world oil prices. This drop will have significant impact on the economy, affecting most sectors throughout the province.“In light of this, we determined that we could not in good conscious put forth our bid for the 2022 Commonwealth Games,” said Bid Chairman Reg Milley. “We strongly believe in the values of the Commonwealth Games and all that they stand for. Which is why this has not been an easy decision for us, as our team has been working tirelessly these last months to put together an extraordinary bid.  But we believe that at this time it would not be right to move forward with our bid when cuts are being made in our communities to programmes like in education and health.”

The Edmonton 2022 team notified the Commonwealth Games Federation earlier today that it would not be submitting a bid but is instead shifting its focus to 2026, assuring the Federation that Edmonton remains committed to the Commonwealth movement.

“We have spoken to the Commonwealth Games Federation CEO David Grevemberg and he expressed his disappointment that we are not proceeding with our bid, noting all the hard work that has gone into the Edmonton 2022 bid. He reaffirmed that the Federation was  committed to working closely with us as we refocus our efforts to bring Games back to Canada  in 2026,” said Richard Powers, President of Commonwealth Games Canada.

The Edmonton team was in the final stages of putting together a strong bid to bring the Games to Edmonton in 2022. Bid CEO Simon Farbrother stated, “We are of course very saddened by this decision, but we know that this is the right one for the future of our city, province and country. The Commonwealth Games have strong roots in Canada and we plan to be able to come back for the 2026 Games should the economic status allow. Of course, we are committed to supporting all sport events coming to our wonderful city and especially look forward to welcoming the FIFA Women’s World Cup this summer.”

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