On November 13th, Calgarians will be asked to vote in a plebiscite where the question will be: are you for or are you against Calgary hosting the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games? A plebiscite is a vote by which the people of a district express an opinion for or against a proposal and is synonymous with a referendum, either of which I think can be binding or non-binding. Proponents of hosting the games say the costs will be well worth it because of the benefits to the local economy and the legacy of modernized and new facilities to use and enjoy later. On the other hand, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation says hosting the Games could cost every Calgary household at least $2,000 without considering potential cost overruns, a figure described as credible by a University of Calgary economist. It will be interesting to see how the plebiscite turns out. In the modern era the Olympics have been rife with stories of cost overruns and corruption in some countries. However, this is Canada, where I like to think the latter wouldn’t happen but the former is always possible.

That’s Coffeetalk. I’m Vic Dubois.