Calgary will redefine its reputation as a winter sport powerhouse in the aftermath of a vote rejecting a bid for the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

In a city where recreational, domestic and international athletes ski, board and skate in the legacy venues from the 1988 Winter Olympics, the results of a plebiscite indicated that distinction doesn害羞草研究所檛 warrant bidding for another games.

In the non-binding plebiscite, just under 40 per cent of eligible voters cast a ballot, and 56 per cent cast a dissenting one.

A Calgary city council that was nervous and divided over bidding is expected to scuttle it Monday.

Calgary, along with the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver and Whistler, B.C., made Canada a player in the international sport community.

If a city synonymous with a successful games legacy doesn害羞草研究所檛 want to them again, what Canadian city ever will?

害羞草研究所淪port in a positive sense really brings a country together,害羞草研究所� Canadian Olympic Committee president Tricia Smith said Wednesday. 害羞草研究所淚 think it害羞草研究所檚 just a part of us, our humanity. So I suspect we will see another bid from Canada.害羞草研究所�

But the chair of Calgary害羞草研究所檚 bid corporation doesn害羞草研究所檛 think the city should immediately shift its focus to chasing the 2030 Winter Games. Scott Hutcheson says the city needs to decompress and re-assess.

害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 think its 2030,害羞草研究所� Hutcheson said. 害羞草研究所淚 think you害羞草研究所檝e got to put your pencil down for seven years. You don害羞草研究所檛 put it down for three years.

害羞草研究所淯se the work later, but you can害羞草研究所檛 put a city through this every four years. My view would be let it go, accept the result, move on and come back with a bid maybe in seven years.害羞草研究所�

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Yves Hamelin relocated from Quebec, where he was head of the national short-track speedskating team, to Calgary in 2014 to oversee the Olympic Oval. His son Charles is a three-time gold medallist in short-track.

A sport system that would have been shaped by a home games on the horizon now must adjust expectations and plans, he said.

害羞草研究所淔or a while, there害羞草研究所檚 definitely going to be an impact,害羞草研究所� Hamelin said. 害羞草研究所淲ill this remove our appetite to do what害羞草研究所檚 right, to support our community, support youth and the athletes that come out of this sport development? The motivation will always stay.

害羞草研究所淲e will always keep our eyes on making the sport system as best we can with what we have to do that. The games were just a tool, a leverage to really give an edge to our system. We害羞草研究所檙e going to have to be more creative I would say.害羞草研究所�

Looking at Calgary through a sport lens, it is a city of facilities more than three decades old.

WATCH: Calgarians say no to 2026 Olympic bid

While a new stadium and NHL arena weren害羞草研究所檛 part of the proposed draft plan, McMahon Stadium and the Saddledome were promised an overhaul.

A $500-million renewal of Calgary害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所�88 legacies was one piece of a proposed bid.

The other was economic revitalization of a city that has a commercial vacancy rate of 25 per cent in a province that desperately wants pipelines built to the coast to get a competitive price for its oil.

Calgary was one of many North American cities that made a pitch for Amazon害羞草研究所檚 second headquarters, but didn害羞草研究所檛 make the shortlist.

Calgary 2026害羞草研究所檚 proposed draft plan asked Calgarians to put in $390 million and said $4.4 billion would come back to the city if it won the games.

Kyle Shewfelt, an Olympic gold medallist in gymnasitcs at the 2004 Athens Games, is a business owner in Calgary operating his own gymnastics centre.

For him, sport ranked second behind the economy when it came to what he thought a Winter Games would do for the city.

害羞草研究所淢y question now is, if 56 per cent of Calgarians didn害羞草研究所檛 want this, what do they want?害羞草研究所� he asked. 害羞草研究所淭his was about a catalyst for our city to move forward.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e in a place right now where we害羞草研究所檙e boom and bust because of oil and gas and that害羞草研究所檚 all we wait for. I want to diversity this economy. I want us to pursue a big challenge. I want to be a part of that.害羞草研究所�

The International Olympic Committee is left with two of the three cities it invited to be candidates for 2026: Stockhom and Milan-Cortina d害羞草研究所橝mpezzo, Italy.

IOC executive Christophe Dubi visited Calgary multiple times touting a low-risk, high-reward scenario should Calgary get the games.

The IOC, like Calgary 2026, did not convince the majority of voters Tuesday.

害羞草研究所淚t comes as no surprise following the political discussions and uncertainties right up until the last few days,害羞草研究所� the IOC said in a statement.

害羞草研究所淚t is disappointing that the arguments about the sporting, social and long-term benefits of hosting the Olympic Games did not sway the vote.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所� With files from Canadian Press sports reporter Gregory Strong.

Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press

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