Calgary's Olympic sledding track closes, possibly for the last time

Last days for luge? Members of local luge teams wrapped up their season at WinSport, but there is doubt about next year. Ina Sidhu reports.

Thirty years after it played host to the world’s best, the sledding track at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary may have reached the end of the line.

The track, which was used for luge and bobsled competitions at the 1988 Winter Olympics, closed for the season on Sunday.

Its operator, WinSport, has said that the track cannot continue to operate without significant renovations at a total cost of $25 million – well beyond what it can afford.

“We do hope to reopen – that’s our ultimate plan,” WinSport spokesperson Dale Oviatt told CTV Calgary.

“But each day that goes by, it just means that next year will be affected more and more.”

Some of Canada’s Olympians and Olympic hopefuls use the track to train in sliding sports. The nearest comparable run is 900 kilometres away in Whistler, B.C.

WinSport is in talks with the provincial and federal governments about a possible funding deal, and says they have committed to funding $17 million of the needed $25 million.

The organization had hoped a bid to host the 2026 Winter Olympics would lead to someone picking up the tab for the renovation, but those dreams died when Calgarians voted down the idea of hosting the Olympics a second time.