Commonwealth Games: Alberta, Canada Cancels 2030 Bid

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Facts

  • Alberta's Ministry of Tourism and Sports confirmed on Thursday that the Canadian province withdrew its support for the bid to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, a move that essentially terminates the proposal.1
  • Minister Joseph Schow stated that cost was behind this decision, following reports that the provincial government had committed up to $2M to explore the feasibility of hosting the Games while the city of Edmonton committed $1M.2
  • The initial plan was to host the multi-sport tournament that takes place every four years 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.3
  • The collapse of the Canadian bid comes weeks after the Australian state of Victoria decided to terminate its commitment to host the 2026 Games, raising further doubts about the viability of the sporting competition.4
  • Meanwhile, the future of the 2026 Commonwealth Games remains uncertain as interest in hosting the competition wanes, with no other Australian states stepping forward.5
  • The British government has reportedly expressed concerns over intervening to bail out the Games, but the Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan stated they would support a bid to host the 2026 event.6

Sources: 1CBC, 2Guardian, 3BBC News, 4The Age, 5Daily Mail, and 6The Telegraph.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by Daily Mail. Alberta's decision to no longer develop its bid proposal for 2030 is the latest fallout of a domino effect that has been triggered when Australia's Victoria canceled the 2026 Commonwealth Games — likely delivering the final blow to the almost 100-year-old event. As worldwide interest in hosting the four-yearly extravaganza dwindles, it seems that Birmingham 2022 Games may indeed have been the last.
  • Narrative B, as provided by Francs Jeux. It's certain that Commonwealth Games are in turmoil as high costs have caused Victoria and Alberta to pull out of hosting its two next editions, but troubles in attracting bids are not exclusive to this event. The International Rugby League has postponed the next edition of its World Cup after France withdrew its bid, and several applicants have canceled their bids to host the 2030 Winter Olympics. This reflects a broader trend of international sporting competitions in general.