Canadian province Alberta cancels bid for 2030 Commonwealth Games
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The government of Alberta has pulled its support for a bid to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games due to rising costs. A joint bid was being considered by the Canadian province, centred around the cities of Edmonton and Calgary.
Tourism and Sport Minister Joseph Schow said the bill was estimated at C$2.7bn (£1.5bn; $2bn) – a burden “too high for the province to bear”. Last month Australia pulled out of hosting the 2026 games in Victoria due to budget blowouts.
The initial plan was to host the games over 11 days in August 2030 with competitions and events spread between Calgary and Edmonton, as well as the Tsuut’ina Nation and Enoch Cree Nation.
In a statement Mr Schow suggested the corporate sponsorship model and limited broadcast revenues would have put 93% of costs and risks on taxpayers. He insisted the authorities wanted to be transparent about funding and demonstrating a return on investment.
The Commonwealth Games are a multi-sport tournament that take place every four years and have only ever been cancelled during World War Two. To be eligible to participate in the games, competitors must be from one of the Commonwealth’s 56 members.
Most of the countries in the Commonwealth were once part of the British Empire. Earlier this year, Hamilton, Ontario, which hosted the inaugural Games in 1930, suspended its bid after the group behind the push failed to secure government commitments.
