The Olympics are wrapping up in Paris, France and while Canadians are happy to cheer on their compatriots from a distance, most aren’t interested in hosting the international sporting event on home soil.
A new poll conducted by the Angus Reid Institute found that the overwhelming majority of Canadians had no interest in Canada hosting the Olympics in the future, primarily citing the costly price tag that accompanies it.
The Paris Olympics are expected to cost over USD $10 billion, which is not surprising considering the 2010 Vancouver Olympics cost between CAD $7 and $9 billion with the city only breaking even once it was all said and done.
Six years ago the City of Calgary placed a bid to host the Olympics in 2026, however, it was voted down by a plebiscite and was ultimately awarded to Milan, Italy.
The poll found that nearly nine in ten respondents, or 87%, were proud to support Canadian athletes competing but would not want to see their community bid for the games.
While a third of respondents said that they would be happy to see their closest major city make a bid, 31%, another 69% said they would be opposed to their nearest city hosting the games.
Age also played a factor in Canadians’ relationship to its involvement in the games.
“Most Canadians agree they feel a sense of pride when they see a Canadian athlete competing in Paris. Older Canadians are much more likely to strongly agree with this sentiment, while men under 55 are the most likely to disagree,” reads the survey.
“Still, despite this national pride Canadians feel during the Olympics, there are many who would prefer the games stay abroad. Those who say they would like to see a major city close to them bid for the Olympics (31%) are outnumbered by more than two-to-one by those who would not (69%).”
The main reason for this sentiment was the cost of hosting, which the majority of respondents, 79%, felt outweighed the overall benefits that it would bring to the host cities.
Other notable reasons for not wanting to host the games were that the Olympics have become “marred by scandals” and its “rampant commercialization,” which a majority of respondents believe have taken away from what the event should be about – the athletes.
For example, two staff members of Team Canada’s women’s soccer team were removed from the competition last month after being caught in a scheme to spy on New Zealand’s team practices.
The Canadian Olympic Committee said that they were shocked by the incident and apologized to the New Zealand soccer team.
“The Canadian Olympic Committee stands for fair-play and we are shocked and disappointed. We offer our heartfelt apologies to New Zealand Football, to all the players affected, and to the New Zealand Olympic Committee,” reads the COC statement.
When it comes to corporate sponsorships, 69% of Canadians said that they have taken the spotlight away from the athletes themselves.