April 20, 2016 (Quebec City, QC) – Quebec City Mayor Regis Labeaume says that his city is bidding to host the 2026 Olympic Winter Games, which he announced recently while in Lausanne, Switzerland. Labeaume holds up the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Games as a model to emulate and has reached out to other cities to take on partnership roles in the process.

While Whistler, B.C. sees merit in the idea of contributing Olympic-class ski hills, others are not embracing the idea. Montreal is not ready to join Quebec City in co-hosting the bid given the huge debts the city inherited after hosting the 1976 Summer Games.

Lake Placid, another former Olympic venue, was apparently interested at first but is no longer in the running as the focus for the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) is on the bid by Los Angeles for the 2024 Summer Games. Calgary was also apparently courted but could be interested in their own bid for the 2026 Winter Games.

“I said to Denis that I find it cheap (to refuse supporting Quebec City’s bid). When Montreal proposes things, I tend to support them,” Labeaume told media after Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre said that Montreal had “already paid” for the Olympics as cited by Radio Canada.

Coderre also suggests that Quebec City merits the Winter Games, but might not have an adequate mountain for downhill skiing events. Labeaume is convinced however that the 806m (2,644 ft) Massif de Charlevoix could be an option and adapted to fit FIS requirements. Yet back in 2010, Quebec City invested $1 million to a committee exploring the prospect of a bid for the 2022 Games, only to be told the proposed downhill ski runs were too short or too flat. Labeaume says that he understands the refusal of the USOC – which oversees the Lake Placid, NY site – to support his Quebec City 2026 Winter Games bid.

While any joint venture will have challenges the solution for Labeaume in the end may be Whistler and Mayor, Nancy Wilhelm-Morden, apparently supports the idea of a joint Quebec City/Whistler bid saying, “I think it’s just a marvellous way for us to get some additional use out of the facilities we have here.” Sites need to confirm their interest with the Canadian Olympic Committee by June 30.

As reported earlier, also while in Switzerland, Labeaume met with UCI president Brian Cookson to discuss the possibility of extending the UCI North American WorldTour calendar to include one or two races in the USA. At present, the GPCQM races in Quebec City and Montreal are the only two WorldTour races in the Americas.

Montreal Gazzette: Quebec City Winter Olympic bid with B.C., Lake Placid here.
Radio Canada: Frictions between Coderre and Labeaume (French) here.
Radio Canada: USOC does not support Quebec Winter Games bid (French) here.