Ski jumps at Canada Olympic Park scheduled to be torn down

End of an era at COP? The ski jumps at Canada Olympic Park are scheduled to come down, but one group wants them to stay. Jordan Kanygin reports.

One of the legacy pieces from the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary is set to be removed in just over a week but a group aiming to save the structures hope a new Olympic bid will change those plans.

WinSport announced that it would be decommissioning the ski jumping facilities at Canada Olympic Park back in March, saying that it didn’t make much sense to keep them open because they cost too much to maintain.

They also said that they’re much too old and aren’t up to current competitive standards.

However, one group has been lobbying the government to step in to save them, saying they are a part of Calgary’s, and Canada’s, sporting heritage.

“We are 100 percent working hard. We’ve spoken with all levels of government and we’re just working on the final, ‘yes, let’s stay open for a few more years’ and the short-term and long-term horizon,” said Todd Stretch, president and chairperson of Ski Jumping Canada.

Stretch says competitions have been going on at the facility ever since the announcement by WinSport earlier this year, and the majority of those even take place in the summer.

“Shutting these facilities down really has an impact on our grassroots development.”

Despite what WinSport had to say earlier this year, Stretch says there is still life in the facility.

“We did bring a FIS technical expert down in August just to do some profiles and make sure our hills are safe. We have a FIS technical delegate here today and before every competition. We ensure safety, full stop, is our top priority. We got the stamp of approval and it looks like there’s still a lot of life up in these hills.”

October 29, the deadline set by WinSport, is still a very real thing and he says they want to have a solution in place before then.

Stretch adds that the added emphasis on the 2026 Winter Olympics could also sway things in their favour.

“A lot of the young kids here today are going to be the ones in the Calgary 2026 Olympics. Illuminating that program really has a big impact on the future of our Olympians.”

MacKenzie Boyd-Clowes, a three-time Olympic ski jumper with Team Canada, says it was very important to have COP as a part of his training.

“This is the only place to ski jump in the country. If my family didn’t move to Calgary, I would have never been a ski jumper. It’s really crucial to my career.”

He says that the best part about coming to the facility now is watching all the young people training on the same jumps he did.

“Me being inspired by them and hopefully I can inspire them too.”

A number of Calgarians who attended an information session on the potential 2026 bid on Saturday are still divided on whether or not there should be another Games in the city at all.

“I am totally against having the Olympics. I don’t think it’s the right time, I don’t think the IOC deserves our support for the way they handle things and I just don’t like the way this has been presented to Calgarians,” said Jerry Burdenie.

“I haven’t [made up my mind]. I’ve heard arguments for both sides from personal, friends and colleagues,” said Sheri Young. “I wanted to come down here and find out some of what they were saying and give my input.”

She does say there are some unknowns about the process that no one will be able to determine at this point that could prove very beneficial to the city after 2026.

“It’s not all about cost. It’s about benefit and I think that people aren’t thinking enough about all that.”

Canada Olympic Park is the only year-round ski jumping facility in the country.

(With files from Jordan Kanygin)