On Thursday, the province of Alberta withdrew its support for a probable bid to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, thereby putting an end to the possibility of bringing the multi-sport event back to Canada.
In a statement, Tourism and Sports Minister Joseph Schow stated that hosting the Games, which generally attract over 4,000 participants from the Commonwealth’s 54 nations, was not in the best interests of Alberta taxpayers.
“According to current bid estimates, organizing the event could cost up to CAN$2.68 billion (US$2.01 billion)”, Schow stated.
“The corporate sponsorship model and limited broadcast revenues for the Commonwealth Games would have put 93 percent of those costs and risks on taxpayers”, he continued.
“We committed to remaining transparent with Albertans about the costs of hosting international sporting events while clearly demonstrating a return on our investment for the people and communities in Alberta”, Schow said.
“That is why we have decided not to pursue the bid for the Commonwealth Games in 2030”, he added.
The announcement comes just weeks after the Australian state of Victoria backed out of hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2026 due to rising expenses, leaving organizers hugely disappointed.
The initial estimate of Aus$2 billion (US$1.36 billion) needed to hold the games, according to Victoria state premier Daniel Andrews, would most likely be closer to Aus$7 billion.
Commonwealth Sport Canada, the organization in charge of organizing Canadian teams competing in the Commonwealth Games, was due to complete a feasibility study for Alberta’s 2030 Commonwealth Games bid later this month.
They said in a statement that Victoria’s decision to back out of hosting 2026 was a significant factor in the provincial government’s decision to pull the plug.
Canada has hosted the Commonwealth Games four times: in 1930, 1954, 1978, and 1994.
The event was last held in Birmingham in 2022 when the English city stepped in to replace Durban, South Africa, which was deprived of hosting rights due to a series of missed deadlines and financial concerns.
Victoria was the sole bidder for the 2026 edition.
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