Officials will make a major announcement about the possible Commonwealth Games bid

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Details about a possible joint Calgary-Edmonton bid for the 2030 Commonwealth Games will be revealed on Wednesday by a grassroots group from Alberta, along with municipal and provincial government officials.

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A press conference scheduled for Wednesday, organized by a group called Alberta 2030 Commonwealth Games Corp., will feature Commonwealth Sport Canada President Claire Carver-Dias, Alberta Culture Minister Jason Luan, Calgary Mayor, Jyoti Gondek, Edmonton Mayor, Amarjit Sohi and Tsuut’ina. the nation’s boss, Roy Whitney, as well as many other Alberta community leaders and athletes.

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According to a media advisory, the announcement will “officially launch an exploration process that will assess the feasibility of bidding to host the Commonwealth Games in Alberta.”

The Commonwealth Games take place every four years and feature athletes from 72 nations and territories. The 2022 Games, held in Birmingham, England, last August, saw more than 5,000 competitors take part in 20 sports.

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A Hamilton, Ontario-based bid for the 2030 Games fell through last month, paving the way for Alberta to throw her hat into the ring. While nothing has been confirmed, officials have hinted that a local bid could be in the works.

“We have a very active group in our community who would like to see the Commonwealth Games come here; they have been very eloquent about it,” Gondek said on February 14. decision that would come before us.”

When asked by reporters on Tuesday, Gondek declined to comment on the possible offer or the upcoming news conference on Wednesday.

“Tomorrow we will tell you everything,” he said.

Chris Dornan, a spokesman for the Alberta 2030 Commonwealth Games Corp., said the group made up of community builders has been working with Commonwealth Sport Canada, indigenous groups and all levels of government on the potential bid.

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“This exploration has included commercial and institutional organisations, venue operators and various community groups and advocates to assess the value of bringing the Commonwealth Games to communities across the province,” he said.

Edmonton hosted the Commonwealth Games in 1978, resulting in the construction of the Commonwealth Stadium of the same name, and both Calgary and Edmonton have had groups in recent years vying for their city to host the 2022 Games or 2026.

Last week, at the inaugural meeting of Calgary council’s multi-sport field committee, a group tasked with bringing the city its first field, city officials said they are talking with their Commonwealth Games counterparts about how such a facility could prepare the city to host the Games. .

“We will be working closely with the people of the Commonwealth Games,” Heather Johnson, the city’s director of recreation, told committee members.

The 2026 Games will be hosted by the Australian state of Victoria, with a multi-city concept similar to Alberta’s bid.

— With files from Brodie Thomas

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Twitter: @miguelrdrguez