'People are struggling': Taxpayer groups say Albertans can't afford the Commonwealth Games

Concerns over Commonwealth bid Opponents of a bid for the Commonwealth Games say the games are too expensive. Jeremy Thompson reports.

A day after government officials announced the exploration of an Alberta bid to host the Commonwealth Games in 2030, some are already trying to hit the brakes on the idea.

There's no budget yet, but hosting has cost upwards of $1 billion in the past and opponents argue the benefits just aren’t worth that cost or the risk of overruns.

"I’m not saying it won’t be fun. But is that really the best thing we should be spending taxpayer money on right now? We don’t think so," said Peter McCaffrey with Alberta Institute.

That is the same public policy think tank that fought against Calgary's Olympic bid five years ago.

Its president has joined with other groups to fight the bid and has launched a petition against publicly funding the games, arguing governments should focus on other things right now.

"People are struggling to put food on the table and pay their electricity bills, and the government, whether that be provincial or municipal, is now thinking about spending billions of dollars on what is essentially a big party," McCaffrey said.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling for a referendum on the topic, also citing affordability struggles driven by high inflation.

Edmonton's mayor has spoken glowingly about the city hosting the event back in 1978.

"The games provided a great legacy that are still critical part of our city including the Commonwealth Stadium, where the Elks play today, and the Kinsmen Sports Centre," Amarjeet Sohi said.

"1978 was really our first step on the path to building Edmonton's reputation as a great host city of world-class international events."

Hamilton’s bid for the 2030 games recently fell through because of cost issues.

Money is also a big reason why Calgarians voted against hosting the Olympics in a referendum that was a prerequisite for provincial funding.

"I’m not sure yet if it will require a plebiscite, we are in very early days, and I'm really hopeful that people will see the value of this type of investment," Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek said of a possible bid.

Alberta 2030 Commonwealth Games Corp., the group working on making it happen, says there will be civic pride and economic benefits. But not everyone is convinced the dollars add up.

"It has been the same debate for…decades!" said Brian Soebbing at the University of Alberta's Faculty of Sport and Recreation.

He studies major events and the various impacts they have on hosts, athletes and citizens and says research shows minimal - if any - economic benefit for host cities, despite what politicians and supporters often say.

"Who’s producing the report? That’s one side of touting it, but on the other side is, some of it is in some ways difficult to try to encapsulate," he said.

Bids are due in August and a decision is expected in November.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Jeremy Thompson